2007 Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Road Test

Diabolic

According to my calculations, the average horsepower rating of Mercedes models this year is 366. Better yet, the average amount of torque is 394 lb-ft. And I'm including the B-Class in these numbers...

So, power freaks are well-served with this German automaker. And the car here counts on a 475-horse battalion, which surpasses the average mentioned above. However, today's purchasing trend dictate that gloating about our overpowered car is much more important than fully exploiting it.

The CLK63 AMG is a refined muscle car.

More exciting appearance
I'll say it straight: the CLK is girlie car. Seriously, look at it; it's got a sober and no-pretensions elegance, and seems outdated compared to the more-modern lines of the new C-, S- and CL-Classes. The convertible model is even more feminine.

So, how can a CLK be AMGized? Let's just say that Mercedes-Benz's high-performance division did a good job in making the CLK63 AMG more exciting to look at: more-aggressive bumpers, vertical strakes right before the front wheels, a subtle spoiler on the decklid, and AMG logo-engraved exhaust tips.

And let's not forget the magnificent alloys that allow us to admire the cross-drilled discs and silver-painted calipers. But what grabs the most attention, is the "6.3 AMG" badging that the CLK63 proudly wears on its front fenders and reveals what's lurking under the hood.

Monstrous engine
With a displacement of 6,208cc, this V8 is actually a 6.2-liter; I think the Germans don't round off their numbers like we do. But that's not important, because the result is 475 stallions and 465 lb-ft of pavement-rippling torque. Usually, AMG used to take Mercedes-Benz engines and modify them. But this time around, this all-new V8 was developed from scratch entirely by AMG.

No one will argue that they succeeded at their first attempt. The firm claims that it's the most-powerful normally-aspirated production V8 on the market (it produces 518 horses in the CL63 AMG). Let's see: 505 horsepower in the Corvette Z06, 490 in the Ferrari F430... well, I think they're right.

The knowledge of AMG engineers in all its magnificence.