The new Mercedes-Benz CL-Class: masterpiece among the
luxury coupés
The launch of the new CL-Class in autumn 2006 will be
the culmination of a Mercedes-Benz coupé tradition going
back over 50 years. The two-door model combines peerless
exclusivity and charismatic design with the sort of
cutting-edge technology that no other manufacturer can
match worldwide. The luxury Coupé raises the bar in
terms of vehicle safety with the PRE-SAFE® brakes: the
unique system automatically brakes the Coupé before an
imminent rear-end collision. Furthermore, Mercedes
innovations such as the Active Body Control (ABC)
suspension system, the Intelligent Light System with
five light-ing functions and PRE-SAFE® anticipatory
occupant protection all come as standard. Two powerful
engines with 8 or 12 cylinders are available, delivering
a notable increase in output and torque. Thanks to their
exemplary smoothness they also live up to the Mercedes
heritage of superb motoring refinement.
The large Mercedes Coupés have been synonymous with
style and exclusivity in the automotive industry for
decades. They set the standard in terms of design and
equipment, combine exemplary safety with an outstanding
level of comfort and assured handling. In short,
Mercedes Coupés are extraordinary dream cars -
automobile classics.
The new CL-Class is another Mercedes-Benz masterpiece.
Just as the luxury coupé points the way to the future
with its innovative technology, the design has also set
the mould for a new Mercedes style. Its hallmark is the
interaction between distinctive tightly drawn lines with
large, unruffled surfaces. This design idiom lends the
Coupé its own particular expressive power, emphasizing
the calm and power of its powerful, self-confident
nature.
Familiar Mercedes features have been given a
contemporary twist, resulting in a harmonious blend of
the classic and contemporary. Examples include the
hallmark Mercedes radiator grille with its wide chrome
louvres and the design of the C-pillar. The unique,
slightly downwards-tapering pillar configuration is a
typical feature of the large Mercedes Coupés whose roots
go right back to the 1950s: in 1956 the 220 S/SE Coupé
(W 180/W 128 model series) first captured attention with
this striking C-pillar design, and a few years later the
concept was further refined in the successor model, the
220 SE Coupé (W 111/112).
Other design features which were already acclaimed back
then have also been reinterpreted for the CL-Class,
keeping alive the large coupé tradition of the
Mercedes-Benz brand: the fully retractable side windows,
for instance, whose continuous aperture is not
interrupted by a B-pillar, and the large, curving
panoramic rear window. In the early days this was a
typical styling feature of the Mercedes Coupés, and in
its stylistically evolved form for the new CL-Class it
is just as appealing as in the 220 SE Coupé of 1961.
Interior: equipment for even the most discerning driver
Style finds its way into the interior too: the large
side window aperture draws the eye to the stylish
dashboard, exquisite wood trim and soft leather
upholstery. In an instant you realize that everything in
the interior of the new CL-Class is designed for comfort
and relaxation. The atmosphere is reminiscent of an
exclusive club: take a seat and enjoy. Five stylish
color combinations are available; automatic climate
control, COMAND with car radio and CD/DVD player as well
as a glass sunroof are all part of the standard
specification, elements that come together to deliver a
unique motoring and comfort experience.
In the top-of-the-line CL 600 the Exclusive PASSION
leather appointments, specially selected poplar wood and
an Alcantara roof liner with quilted seams provide the
finishing touches to an exquisite first-class ambience,
a look and feel also echoed in the seats with their
designo styling, the chromed door sill panels and floor
mats with leather edging. The standard specification
also includes dynamic multicontour seats with massage
function and seat ventilation, the hard-disc navigation
system COMAND APS, the LOGIC7® surround sound system
with DVD changer and the KEYLESS-GO access and drive
authorization system.
Compared with the outgoing model, the new Mercedes-Benz
top-of-the-range coupé has grown slightly in every
dimension. 5065 millimeters long, 1871 millimeters wide
and 1418 millimeters high, the body is 75 millimeters
longer, 14 millimeters wider and 20 millimeters higher
than before, providing even more comfort and space on
all four seats. The boot capacity has been increased by
40 liters to 490 liters (VDA measuring method).
Control system: fewer switches for more functions
A newly developed control system, which has already been
successfully implemented in the S Class worldwide,
refines driver-vehicle interaction even further. Above
all, it provides convenient, rapid access to frequently
used functions such as car radio, DVD player, car phone
or navigation system. Depending on the driver's own
preference, these systems can be controlled using
switches in the centre console, pressing a button on the
multifunction steering wheel or using the COMAND
controller on the centre console. This central control
unit is linked to the large, pivoting COMAND color
display next to the instrument cluster, providing access
to the user-friendly main and sub-menus that activate
the various functions.
The standard-fit automatic climate control with four
independently adjustable temperature zones is also
integrated into the new control system. The driver and
front passenger can select temperature, air distribution
and other settings either using the COMAND controller
and menu-based control, or by means of an attractively
styled switch array beneath the air vents. The COMAND
system allows other individual climate settings to be
adjusted such as air distribution and the footwell
temperature.
The newly developed integral seats in the CL-Class
provide maximum individual seating comfort. “Integral”
means that all components of the seat-belt system are
incorporated directly into the seat; hence the seats
form an important component in the occupant protection
system. The standard specification already provides
electric adjustment of the fore-aft setting, inclination
of the seat and backrest, seat height, head restraint
and length of the front seat cushions. Pneumatic lumbar
supports allow the driver and front passenger to adjust
the backrest contour to suit their build and
consequently reduce the strain on the back muscles.
Optional extras include luxury seats with active
ventilation (standard in the CL 600) that provide even
more individual comfort, along with the further enhanced
multi-contour seats with nine air cushions, and dynamic
multicontour seats with massage function (standard in
the CL 600).
The driver and front passenger seats with multicontour
function have been awarded the AGR (“healthy back
campaign”) seal of approval.
Active Body Control: the perfect combination of dynamism
and comfort
The standard specification in the new Mercedes Coupé
features technological innovations that no other
manufacturer can match anywhere in the world. First and
foremost is the Active Body Control (ABC) suspension
system, which in its latest, even more sophisticated
guise delivers unprecedented handling dynamics while
offering an equally appreciable improvement in ride
comfort. Based on sensor signals and using specially
designed hydraulic cylinders at the axles, ABC all but
entirely eliminates the customary pitch and roll of the
body that occur when moving off, cornering and braking.
ABC responds with split-second speed to ensure the body
damping is adjusted instantly to any situation. At
speeds above 60 km/h, ABC lowers the body by up to ten
millimeters to reduce drag and improve handling
stability.
Intelligent Light System: five lighting functions to
match driving and weather conditions
The Intelligent Light System, which makes driving even
safer in the dark, is equally unique. Together with
bi-xenon headlamps it forms part of the standard
specification for the new CL-Class and provides five
different lighting functions that are activated to match
driving and weather conditions: the new country road
mode illuminates the driver’s-side edge of the road more
widely and brightly than the existing low-beam headlamps.
Motorway mode, which comes on automatically when driving
above 90 km/h, delivers a uniform cone of light that
illuminates the entire road width. In the centre of this
cone the driver is able to see around 50 meters further.
The enhanced fog lamps are also new, which Mercedes-Benz
uses to provide better orientation in adverse weather
conditions. Active light function and cornering light
function are also part of the standard-fit Intelligent
Light System on the CL Class.
PRE-SAFE®: automatic partial braking before an impending
accident
Mercedes-Benz is the world's first car brand to develop
an anticipatory occupant protection system that
recognizes a potential accident situation in its early
stages and takes anticipatory occupant protection
measures: PRE-SAFE® is standard-fit on the new CL-Class.
During emergency braking or when skidding is imminent,
the system moves the passenger seat into the most
favorable position so that seat belts and airbags have
maximum effect on impact. It also inflates air cushions
in the dynamic multicontour seats (standard in the CL
600), which envelop and support the driver and front
passenger. PRE-SAFE® also closes the side windows and
the sunroof in critical situations where high lateral
dynamics are generated.
Mercedes-Benz has just made this multi-award-winning
anticipatory protection system even better in the
CL-Class with the newly developed PRE-SAFE® brakes. They
operate in tandem with Brake Assist PLUS (BAS PLUS),
which warns the driver of an imminent rear-end collision
with visual and audible signals and automatically
calculates the required braking pressure to prevent an
accident. This braking-power support is available as
soon as the brake pedal is operated. If the driver does
not react to the BAS PLUS warnings, the PRE-SAFE® brakes
trigger automatic partial braking where an accident is
imminent and slow the CL Class down using around 40
percent of the total braking power.
The automatic partial braking provides the driver with
another clear warning to act. If the driver then
immediately applies the brakes, the maximum braking
force is available and the accident can - depending on
the situation - be averted at the last moment. If an
accident is unavoidable, the PRE-SAFE® brakes reduce the
impact severity and, in turn, the risk of injury to the
vehicle occupants.
As with Brake Assist PLUS, the new PRE-SAFE® brakes also
utilize state-of-the-art radar technology to scan the
situation in front of the car and detect a potential
accident. Two short-range radar sensors with a range of
30 meters and a scanning angle of 80° are located behind
the front bumper fascia on the CL-Class. The additional
long-range radar in the radiator grille has a range of
150 meters.
Mercedes-Benz also offers BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE® brakes
in conjunction with the optional DISTRONIC PLUS
proximity cruise control.
Assistance systems: radar sensors make parking child’s
play
The newly developed parking guidance system (optional
extra) also works on the basis of radar technology: the
sensors measure the length of a parking space when
driving past and show on the cockpit display whether
there is sufficient space to park. Once reverse gear is
engaged, the display then includes a symbolic
representation of the parking manoeuvre guide lines show
the required steering angle and indicate the path into
the parking space.
Night view assist with infrared headlamps, reversing
camera, voice control for car radio, DVD changer and
navigation as well as tyre pressure monitoring system
are other optional Mercedes assistance systems for
increased handling safety and comfort.
Engines: eight and twelve-cylinder powerplants with
noticeably more power
The new luxury Coupé is ready for any challenge on
motorways and rural roads thanks to Mercedes’ most
powerful engines to date. The eight-cylinder powerplant
in the CL 500 delivers 285 kW/388 hp and generates a
maximum torque of 530 Newton metres from 2800 rpm. As
such the newly developed engine outperforms the existing
V8 unit by 26 percent in terms of output and 15 percent
when it comes to torque. Equipped with four-valve
technology, variably adjustable shifting camshafts, a
two-stage intake module and tumble flaps in the intake
ducts, the new V8 is among the most advanced, powerful
engines in its displacement class. The CL 500
accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in just 5.4 seconds (previous
model: 6.3 seconds).
An ultra-modern biturbo twelve-cylinder engine under the
bonnet of the new CL 600 generates its impressive power.
Mercedes engineers have enhanced numerous de-tails of
the power unit and, compared to the predecessor model,
have increased out-put by 12 kW/17 hp to 380 kW/517 hp.
The maximum torque, already on tap from 1900 rpm, has
been improved further by 30 Newton meters to 830 Newton
metres and remains constant up to 3500 rpm. The new CL
600 accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.6 seconds (previous
model: 4.8 seconds). And despite the significant
performance boost the V12 engine consumes 0.4 liters
less fuel than the previous CL 600 per 100 kilometers.
Mercedes-Benz has combined the standard-fit automatic
transmission with the new DIRECT SELECT gearshift: the
driver can select the transmission settings “P”, “N”,
“R” and “D” by nudging a lever on the steering column.
Operating commands are transmitted electronically by
wire.
Tradition: seven generations of the Mercedes-Benz Coupé
The new CL-Class ushers in the seventh generation of the
large Mercedes Coupés. The two-door model replaces the
world-beating outgoing model, which joins the ranks of
the best-selling luxury coupés with around 46,800 units
sold. The history of the large Mercedes Coupés stretches
back to 1952 when Mercedes Benz launched the legendary
300 S Coupé - a “car for the world's elite” was the
verdict of the motoring press in its day. In 1956 it was
followed by the 220 S Coupé as part of the W 180 model
series, which fired the public’s imagination with its
unitized “Pontoon” body in particular. And in 1961
the220 SEb Coupé (W 111 model series) took up the baton
with its stylish elongated body.
In 1981 the SEC Coupés from the C 126 model series were
based on the then S Class and remained in the
Mercedes-Benz line-up for 10 years with over 74,000
units produced. In 1992 the Geneva Motor Show was host
to the launch of the successor model (C 140 model
series), powered for the first time by a 290 kW/394 hp
twelve-cylinder engine. The predecessor to the new
CL-Class Coupé celebrated its world premiere in March
1999, setting new standards with leading edge Mercedes
innovations such as the Active Body Control (ABC)
suspension system and bi-xenon headlamps.
Mercedes-Benz has built over 178,000 luxury coupés since
1952.
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