Efficient new engines for facelifted Benz CL

A simple mid-cycle facelift of Mercedes-Benz's enormous CL coupe wouldn't normally be very big news, but this one is different.

That's because, three years after it was introduced to market, the CL's facelift -- now to be known as the S-Class Coupe -- will be the first car to use Benz's new range of direct-injection engines.

In particular, it will be the first to get the twin-turbo, 4.7-litre direct-injection V8 petrol engine that will produce more power at lower revs and lower fuel consumption than its predecessors.

And that will be a considerable amount of power. The engine is a 4663cc unit with 320kW of power in spite of being nearly a litre smaller than its predecessor. Not only is it 12 percent more powerful, but with 700Nm of torque, it will have 170Nm more torque, too.

All of that and its combined fuel economy number drops 23 percent to less than 10 litres/100km and it's all wrapped up in a car that now sprints to 100km/h in just 4.9 seconds (half a second faster).

The new V8 will be the flagship engine in Benz's new MoVe engine family of powerplants that will include direct-injection V6s and even long-awaited four cylinder engines.

Besides turbo-charging, the Benz engines benefit from third-generation spray-guided direct fuel injection and can zap in up to four ignition sparks in a millisecond.

The S 500 Coupe won't be alone in shifting the coupe body quickly, either, because the range is still headed by the same biturbo V12 CL600 -- now named S 600 Coupe -- with the 380kW power station hurling the car to 100km/h in 4.6 seconds.

While the top speed remains limited to 250km/h, the car also benefits from start-stop technology on an upgraded seven-speed automatic transmission.

Besides a dazzling array of electronic driver safety equipment, the S-Class Coupe also has been given a small change to its front and rear bumpers, with daytime running lights inserted up front, underneath new headlights and larger exterior mirrors.

Benz has also upgraded the interior comfort with better quality materials, new colours and a new driver-interface on its redesigned steering wheel.

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