MERCEDES BENZ CLK 550 CABRIOLET
By Paul Borden
We all seem to have our little idiosyncrasies when it comes to our likes and dislikes in automobiles and can manage to find little things that bug us even in fine luxury vehicles like those from Mercedes-Benz.
A friend of mine, for instance, gives poor marks to any car that doesn’t have an overhead storage niche for his sunglasses. Another complains when an SUV or pickup doesn’t have an overhead grab handle to hold onto to assist in getting out. Me? I will carry on my campaign with Don Quixote-like obsessiveness for Mercedes-Benz to move the stalk that operates the cruise control. The darn thing sticks out on the left side of the steering wheel above the turn signal lever and too often gets in the way. Instead of signaling a left turn, you can easily find yourself setting the cruise control and continuing your present speed when what you really want to do is slow down. It can make for an uncomfortable moment and could lead to something far more consequential.
I bring this up now because that and the somewhat complex COMAND system that operates the navigation system and some other functions were the only peccadilloes I had with the 2008 Mercedes-Benz CLK550 Cabriolet, a stylish and comfortable convertible with plenty of power and comfort. There is no question the CLK delivers in all other areas. You want power? With its 5.5-liter V8 engine, the CLK550 is rated at 382 horsepower and 391 poundfeet of torque, moving you from zero-to-sixty miles-per-hour in just 5.2 seconds. It’s mated with a seven-speed automatic transmission that provides for manual selection of gears via steering wheelmounted paddle shifters or by the shift lever in the center console.
You want comfort and convenience? The front seats are power adjustable ten ways—forward, backward, incline, and for fi rmness and lumbar support. The seats are heated and ventilated, and you can expand the sides or make them snugger at your shoulders. Seat belt “presenters” automatical move the belts forward when you shut the doors so you don’t have to reach awkwardly over your shoulder behind you to buckle up. They retract when the belt is clicked or after a short while if there is no passenger. You may start the CLK550 either by inserting the key into the usual ignition slot, or you may simply press the start-stop button on top of the gearshift lever—that works as long as you have the key with you somewhere in the car (preferably your pocket or purse).
You may adjust the vehicle’s suspension with a switch on the console, leaving it in “comfort” for everyday driving or changing it to “sport” for more stiffness and sports-car-like performance. No matter which setting you choose, there’s something about the ride you get in a Mercedes-Benz. Mercedes vehicles have a very solid, secure feel to them, and the CLK is no exception. For a convertible with a cloth top, the ride is also quiet—very quiet—with little wind or road noise let into the cabin. With the top up in the Cabriolet, you could just as well be riding in the coupe version.
Lowering and raising the top, by the way, is as simple as pulling up or pushing down on a small button on the console. The entire operation is accomplished with that one move. There’s no unlatching or latching of clasps above the windshield required.
The CLK550 comes with a long list of safety equipment, including four-wheel, anti-lock disc brakes and brake assist, front dual-stage airbags, front head and thorax airbags, and an electronic stability program. There are no side-curtain airbags overhead in the Cabriolet, of course, but there is a system that automatically engages the popup roll bars when a rollover is sensed.
As for appearance, the CLK is a stunningly, impressive work. Low and sleek with a bold front grille that features the traditional Mercedes’ three-point star in the center and a small badge where the hood ornament would be, the 550 comes with some AMG-inspired features like sculpted front air dam side skirts and AMG dual exhaust tips. The 550 rides on standard 18-inch, twin-spoke alloy wheels shod with high-performance tires.
The CLK’s luxury and performance matches what you will find in the more expensive CL coupes and SL roadsters in the Mercedes-Benz lineups but without the six-figure price tags (with one exception, noted later), making them an ideal companion, the fun vehicle to go along with the family sedan.
In addition to the CLK550 Cabriolet, which served as the model for our time, the CLK comes in other coupe and convertible versions, starting with the six-cylinder CL350. It delivers slightly less power (268 horses and 258 pound-feet of torque for a zero-to-sixty time of 6.7 seconds, or 1.5 slower than the 550) and doesn’t have the AMG design touches on the exterior.
A step up from the 550 in the power department is the CLK63 AMG. Its specially tuned V8 delivers 475 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, which moves it from zero-to-sixty in just 4.5 seconds. The engine is the first totally designed by AMG, the specialized tuner company that became so good at what it does that Mercedes-Benz bought it up.
And if that’s not enough, Mercedes-Benz is adding the CLK63 AMG Black Series for 2008. According to the German automaker, the Black Series is a street-legal version of the Formula One safety car that borrows design and technology from the worldwide F1 racing series.
The 6.3-liter V8 in the Black Series is rated at 500 horsepower for a zero-to-sixty acceleration time of 4.1 seconds. It features carbon-fiber flared fenders, new AMG-forged 19-inch aluminum wheels and oversize, vented and perforated, composite disc brakes (14-inch front, 13-inch rear) that can be spotted through the spokes of the wheels. And the seven-speed transmission is refined for acceleration that is more responsive.
The Black Series is available only in coupe, and it does run the pricing up well over the $100,000 mark. It has an MSRP of $135,775, a big jump from the CLK63 AMG Cabriolet’s starting price of $89,975. Our CLK550 Cabriolet had a base price of $63,675 (including destination and delivery). Add in the options and the $1,000 gas-guzzler tax and the total came to $73,035. The CLK550 coupe is $8,000 less, and the CLK350 starts at $54,975 for the Cabriolet and $46,975 for the coupe.
Alas, all come with the cruise control stalk in the same annoying place.
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