Mercedes-Benz CLK 63 AMG Black Series 2007 Review

The streets of the fashionable areas of Southern California seem awash with the latest model Bentleys, Rollers, Ferraris and Lamborghinis. In fact in some of the best parts of town they're decidedly common!

Even a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren barely raises an eyebrow. Well, maybe the one we spotted this week on Beverley Hills' Rodeo Drive with the airbrushed image of a tiger on its bonnet raised an eyebrow or two…

But even in this rarified market, chances are you won't see many of these -- the Mercedes-Benz CLK 63 AMG Black Series. But we did -- and we got to drive it too!

The bright red CLK Black the Carsales Network got behind the wheel of is the personal car of the head of Mercedes-Benz's Los Angeles PR bureau. And while our sampling of the car was brief, we can attest that it is far from just a CLK with a bodykit.

Take it from us, this is a serious performance car for serious performance car buffs. And it's a car that will cause a stir -- even on Rodeo Drive.

Currently Australians have an almost full compliment of the AMG range from which to choose. The 'standard' CLK 63 (more here) is one of them. Its 6.2-litre V8 packs 354kW of power and 630Nm of torque and it's yours for $199,100.

The Black doesn't add that much in the way of horsepower (see below) but it makes up for that with some of the most capable running gear ever to grace a street-legal Mercedes-Benz.

The CLK 63 is the second car to wear the 'Black' label. Launched in 2006 by AMG, the first uber-Black Series performance model was a fixed-head version of the SLK 55. The somewhat sinister connotations of the name are founded.

Based on the CLK F1 pace car, the guys at AMG haven't just dressed up the car -- they've modified almost everything from the suspension, steering, brakes, interior and exterior to improve the performance of the car.

The Black's looks will grab your attention first -- this CLK really is essentially a road-going version of the F1 pace car -- without the flashing strobe lights.

And it's not just all for show. For example: that carbon-fibre front apron serves to cut drag and provide front-end downforce; the vents on the front bumper give the hot air from the larger radiator a more efficient escape route; and the rear diffuser cleans up the undercar airflow and acts as a 'clean' housing for the rear differential oil cooler.

The standard CLK AMG's wheel arches have been widened on the Black to accommodate the larger wheels and tyres. Mounted on lightweight 19-inch AMG forged alloys, the standard Pirelli P Zero Corsas measure 265/30 at the front and 285/30 at the rear.

Brakes are vented and drilled and massive -- 360mm up front and 330mm at the rear. The multi-piston front calipers look like they've escaped from Le Mans!

On the wheel arches you'll also find intricately detailed carbon-fibre vents which serve the additional engine and transmission oil coolers. The theme flows through to a new front and rear aero kit all featuring beautifully finished carbon.

It's these composites that give the car its name -- even the AMG badging gains a subtle Black add-on… Very subtle, mind you -- and only at the rear.

The engine is tuned to produce another 24kW, taking the total to 378. And though we weren't able to time the test car, we have no doubt that it goes close to achieving AMG's claimed 0-100km time of 4.3sec -- 0.3sec faster than the standard CLK 63.

One decent prod of the accelerator lets you know just how fast this car is…

And just how good it sounds! The standard AMG cars are no wallflowers but the Black Series exhaust note is mega. The subdued V8 rumble at low revs is wonderfully amplified and builds into a deep industrial-grade roar through the midrange.

In hotrod-loving California it turned heads every time we thumped the foot down. Aussies' love affair with the V8 will ensure the Black is a big hit if it ever makes it Down Under.

The CLK Black uses a fettled version of the standard car's seven-speed AMG Speedshift 7G-Tronic automatic transmission. The gearbox is modified to shift faster than the standard car and the normal Benz-style gear lever has been swapped for a smaller forged aluminum T-shaped piece that's more in keeping with the racetrack image.

Changing gears manually can be via the lever or equally tactile paddles mounted behind the chunky flat-bottom steering wheel -- which, by the way, was awkwardly offset on 'our' left-hand drive car.

There's considerably more feel through the steering than the run of the mill Benz. The suspension's firmer than the standard model too and bordered on obtrusive on LA's pockmarked streets. It would probably require a touch of local tuning for our roads also.

Fortunately, for fiddlers and fine tuners (and those who want to chase the last tenth at the track) there's plenty of adjustability. You or your 'race' technician can adjust the car's ride height and also the compression and rebound characteristics of the dampers as well as front camber.

An extra measure of chassis stiffness is provided by strut braces front and rear. Additionally, the Black's ASR traction control and ESP stability control systems are specially calibrated for the demands of more intense street and track driving. And yes, AMG says you can turn the former all the way off.

As you would expect from Mercedes Benz the Black still packs a full list of safety equipment including multiple airbags and a specially tuned antilock braking software.

The CLK AMG is a significant step up from the standard CLK in terms of driving dynamics. We've got little doubt the Black represents an even further step towards the likes of Porsche's best.

A motorsport-inspired interior features sports bucket seats as well as carbon-fibre trim on the centre console. No room for passengers though. Look in the back and you'll not find seats, instead there are two trimmed wells suitable for soft luggage or perhaps a helmet or two.

There's more carbon-fibre on the AMG-branded instrument cluster and the interior door paneling which help give this CLK the functional atmosphere of a racing car.

None of these goodies come cheap. If, and it's a big if, the Black Series comes Down Under a price north of $280K is likely and supply will be very limited (perhaps as few as 25 units). That said, even after our short drive we have no doubt that the most-focused of AMG's could easily find a firm local following.

Sure it's currently only built as a left hooker but that might not always be the case. Watch this space? Hmmm… We could tell you but then we'd have to kill you…

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