2005 Mercedes-Benz CLS55 AMG

But as powerful as it is, will the CLS55 woo super sedan purists who have traditionally bought into BMW's take on a

As powerful as it is, will the CLS55 woo super sedan purists who have traditionally bought into BMW's take on a performance sedan? (Photo: Mercedes-Benz Canada)

performance sedan. Keep in mind, while BMW offers an F1-style 7-speed paddle-shift-actuated SMG sequential manual transmission, the CLS55 is only offered in a rather conventional yet smooth-shifting five-speed automatic transmission with steering-wheel mounted buttons to change gears in its manual mode. Where the BMW promises lightning quick shifts, Mercedes transmissions are normally biased toward smooth power delivery and therefore, rather slow shifts.

As with any AMG-tuned car, there are very few expressions of power shown in the bodywork. The exclusive model's presence is made known via a new front bumper and air dam stylized similarly to the ultra-premium SLR, while the rear bumper is tweaked to show off its sports exhaust system highlighted by four oval chrome

Minor exterior styling updates and AMG badging set the AMG-tuned car apart from its normal CLS sibling. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz Canada)

tips. Between the front and rear bumpers, a side skirt has been added. The car rides on 18 inch AMG wheels wrapped in 245/50 high-performance tires up front and 285/35 in the back for added traction. The AMG styling package is rounded out buy a tiny lip spoiler on the trunk lid and "V8 Kompressor" badging.

Not surprisingly, this styling treatment works quite well with the sleek CLS, especially because of its sweeping low roof and high window lines. Like all Benz products (bar the SLR), the CLS is voluntarily capped at 250 km/h (155 mph), but its slippery body and low profile suggests that it could at least reach 300 km/h (190 mph). Whether or not Benz will follow in the footsteps of Audi and BMW in liberating its 'bahn blasters from this artificial cap is unknown.