The Elegantly Engineered 2005 Mercedes CLK500 Coupe

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The New York Sun

It was starting to rain as we drove the new Mercedes CLK500 coupe, so figuring we’d take it easy, we slowed down to let the passing signs write their own song of the open road.


Turn Right to Eighty-Three
Make a Winning Bet
Welcome Scott and Barbralee
Slippery when Wet


There was no ensuing Burma Shave sign, so we took the slippery-when-wet sign as an indication of the roadbed’s condition and not that of newlyweds Barbralee and Scott. Good thing, too, for the now glistening byway was at its slickest, and deer – the white-tailed refugees of these ever-diminishing woods – were a problem. No matter though, for even when pushed, the four-wheel antilock brakes, 17-inch high-performance tires, and straight-line traction control of the Mercedes never seem to falter. Of course, even if we did have an accident, we’d have an airbag array extending up to the head protection-curtain level, as well as something named Tele Aid emergency calling. But we were driving one of the sharpest luxury coupes you can buy, and there’d be no close shaves – Burma or otherwise – in the offing.


Introduced in 1998, the CLK is the coupe edition of Mercedes’ C-Class sedan, the diesel version of which we reviewed last month in these pages. Mercedes offers the two-door coupe (and a corresponding convertible) in a trio of trim levels, slotting the 302-horsepower V8 CLK500 between a V6-powered CLK320 and a CLK55 developed by the company’s AMG performance group. As part of its new-for-2005 attributes, the 500 offers manual-shift steering-wheel buttons and a seven speed automatic transmission that Mercedes claims improves acceleration by up to 0.3 seconds. The $54,000 coupe slots in between the less expensive BMW 3-Series and more expensive BMW 6-Series.


The CLK exudes a kind of terse formality. Its lines – beginning in a low, wide grill that carries the marque’s three-pointed star and is flanked by a pair of dual-ellipse headlamps – compose a windswept version of Mercedes classicism. CLK coupes are true, pillarless hardtops with greenhouses that rise into a nearly symmetrical arch before tumbling home trunkward by means of a graceful C-pillar. The effect is less sporting than it might be, but it affords drivers greater visibility and gives passengers more rear seat access – although getting into the back requires the execution of an undignified crawl. The CLK’s long-hood, short-deck design includes such AMG-fashioned embellishments as its sculpted front air dam, five spoke alloy wheels, and low-rise rear spoiler.


Although outfitted with a sunroof, heated seats, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel, the Cadet Blue test car lacked optional Keyless Go and distronic cruise-control systems – the last to permit it to maintain a set following distance in traffic. Its leather-and-walnut interior was low-slung but longitudinal (in front, anyway) and employed the superior workmanship and materials of this price class. The driver faced an instrument panel that was outfitted with round, chrome ringed gauges for the speedometer, tachometer, and (analog) clock, and bar-graph style instruments to indicate the coupe’s water temperature and fuel levels. Rear seating, while tight, was not the afterthought it is in some coupes.


Passing up on the chance to buy a lotto ticket, get back on the interstate, or form an impression of Barbralee, we continued north to where an eponymous diner rears up in commemoration of the Mason-Dixon Line. Calling upon its 5.0-liter V8 and the higher resolution of its seven-speed transmission, the CLK pegged 60 at an elapsed time of 5.6-seconds (as claimed by the manufacturer) as it accelerated diner-ward with an unflaggingly solid sense of composure. While not quite measuring up to sport car levels of agility, the CLK500 was nonetheless fluid and precise, with elegant engineering that makes up for in performance whatever it might take up in weight. In all, the Mercedes CLK500 is a stylish, well built, and beautifully turned-out sport coupe for those who can afford it. And that’s no Burma Shave.


The New York Sun

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