2006 MERCEDES BENZ CLK 63 AMG (C209) 6.2 V8 7AT (481 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Installing a big V-8 engine in a car designed to accommodate a V-6 was never easy, but AMG did it, and it did it right.

Mercedes-Benz built the CLK on the same old platform used for the C-Class since 2000. It was reliable and tough enough to hold more powerful engines, and the carmaker knew that. Later on, it added V-8 engines, but AMG went over the fence and stuck inside its 6.2-liter engine, developing it from scratch.

AMG didn’t want to go too subtle with the CLK63. It wasn’t that kind of car where just a set of wheels and some lip-spoilers could do the job, so it installed a completely different exterior package. At the front, the A-shaped lower grille on the bumper was unique for that version. In the side-scoops, it installed fog lights with chromed surroundings. From its sides, the car sported aerodynamic side sills, while the back was completely new. It featured a lip on the trunk and a new bumper with a diffuser on the lower side, flanked by four oval-shaped exhausts.

Inside, the car featured the updated interior for the CLK, with aluminum trims on the center stack and the center console or an option for piano-black. Inside the instrument panel, the tachometer sported the AMG badge on its bottom. The front bucket seats with high bolstering promised good side support during high-speed cornering maneuvers.

Under the hood, AMG installed a new V-8 engine, replacing the previously used 5.5-liter V-8. It was naturally aspirated and provided plenty of torque even from low RPMs. It was paired to the AMG Speedshift gearbox, which was a re-worked 5G-Tronic automatic gearbox, with an option for manual shifting.