From last Thurs. to Monday am, I was driving an '04 Mercedes CL600 V12 Twin Turbo ...
Oct 26, 2004 at 8:55 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 14

AGR

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Yes! Believe it or not, my wife's boss gave me the key to his CL600 Coupe. He went to Vegas, and I got to babysit the Coupe.

Is it Amazing? Oh yeah! 493 hp and 590 ft. lbs. of torque. I will get the photos downloaded soon, My PC is disconnected, since we are in the the middle of moving, and the software won't work here at work, I have no way of downloading.

It's black (w/window tint) with gray leather interior, and has 18" AMG chrome wheels. Also; Traction control - which is very important on this car. The transmission is a 5 speed automatic (no manual option). It's electronically governed to 155mph.

Anyway; it was a great weekend! Here are a couple of online shots..
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It's a true "Wolf in Sheep's clothing"

0-60mph in 4.6 seconds

The price? Just under $130,000.00

On the backroads, and since I live out in the country, there are 'lots' of backroads, the car was amazing! Acceleration out of the corners is phenominal. It handles like it's on rails. It's a whole other world, I will tell ya!

Here's what CanadianDriver.com has to say...


And make no mistake: the CL600 is a blisteringly fast car. It's powered by a twin-turbocharged, 5.5-litre V12 that, despite being "detuned" from the version installed in the massive Maybach limousine, still produces almost 500 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque. Gun the 600 from a dead stop, and the rear wheels spin hopelessly, unable to contain all the power. Be a bit more progressive and the big coupe picks up speed as if you've hooked a passing Saturn V rocket and are being dragged along in its undertow. Should you wish, you can blow away most high-end sports cars from a standing start, and on the highway, the V12's passing power means virtually nothing can touch it, at any speed.

But what's most remarkable about the 600 is the way it delivers all this power. Thanks to the inherent smoothness of the V12, the silencing effect of those twin turbos, and surely hundreds of pounds worth of sound-deadening material, the car remains utterly silent no matter how fast you're driving. It's like a Super Waft-O-Matic 7000, powered by some weird cosmic force under the hood rather than by internal combustion; you're never aware of the engine exerting any effort, and the five-speed automatic (Mercedes' new seven-speed can't handle the torque) is brilliant in the way it smothers what shifts it does have to make. Thanks to all that torque, that's not very many. In a way, the imperceptible way the 600 gathers speed is actually quite dangerous, not only for your license, but because you'll likely be paying less attention than you should to driving thanks to its opulently-appointed interior. Unlike "lesser" Mercedes models, every surface you touch, save for the control buttons on the COMAND system and the steering-column stalks, is soft leather, beautifully-polished wood, or bright chrome. The thick plank of wood that forms the centre console, the way the massaging seats perfectly support and coddle you at the same time, and the superb sound of the 6-CD Bose stereo (which will also play DVD video discs when stopped) are enough to lull you right into a soporific frame of mind. Bad, when you're in a car that is capable of 300 km/h had the company not installed a limiter that shuts down the fun at 250.



Technical Data: 2004 Mercedes-Benz CL600 Base price $189,950
Freight $ 1,595
A/C tax $ 100
Price as tested $191,645
Type 2-door, 4 passenger large coupe
Layout longitudinal front engine/rear-wheel-drive
Engine 5.5 litre V12, twin turbochargers, SOHC, 36 valves
Horsepower 493 @ 5000 rpm
Torque 590 ft-lb @ 1890 - 3500 rpm
Transmission 5-speed automatic w/Touch Shift
Tires Front: 245/45YR-18
Rear: 275/40YR-18.
Curb weight 2029 kg (4473 lb.)
Wheelbase 2885 mm (113.6 in.)
Length 4989 mm (196.4 in.)
Width 1857 mm (73.1 in.)
Height 1408 mm (55.4 in.)
Trunk capacity 348 litres (12.3 cu. ft.)
Fuel consumption City: 16.4 l/100 km (17 mpg) (Imperial gallons)
Hwy: 9.9 l/100 km (29 mpg) (Imperial gallons)
Warranty 4 yrs/80,000 km
5 yrs/120,000 km
 
Oct 26, 2004 at 9:08 PM Post #3 of 14
Quote:

Originally Posted by mega
I think i speak for everyone when i say














You lucky person
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I'm tellin' ya!
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When he bought the car back in April 2003, I drove it. But; having it for an entire weekend was truly magical. My wife and son went to LA, so it was pretty much the CL, and me. I gave rides to quite a few friends, too. Awesome - pretty much sums up the experience. However; I literally used $70.00 worth of gas! And; I didn't really leave the Memphis area. Although; there was much 'back road boogieing'!

I spoke with Frank (the owner) this morning, and he indicated, he is on the short list for the new McLaren Mercedes SLR. I was floored! $450,000.00!!! They are expecting a couple in the Midsouth by April. We will see! I'm sure he will let me drive it.
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Oct 27, 2004 at 2:55 AM Post #6 of 14
holy crap a mclaren!

YOU LUCKY person! i cant even drive yet, i get my permit in a month and a half.
 
Oct 27, 2004 at 4:47 AM Post #9 of 14
I'll be a little more polite..

You lucky bugger !!
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Oct 28, 2004 at 1:57 PM Post #10 of 14
Quote:

Originally Posted by raaj
I'll be a little more polite..

You lucky bugger !!
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Really enjoyable, indeed! Thing is; $70.00 worth of gas over just those few days is a bit extreme.
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Oct 28, 2004 at 2:17 PM Post #11 of 14
*boss to wife*

"Mrs. AGR, why are there no treads left on my tires?"
 
Oct 28, 2004 at 2:24 PM Post #12 of 14
Two weeks ago I stopped by the M-B dealer and checked out a more extreme sports sedan, the SLR (100 made a year, costs over half a mill $). After talking a bit with the salesman, I came to the conclusion that thinking of this as a vehicle may not be appropriate. The brakes on this model wear out rapidly (an intentional tradeoff in favor of rapid deceleration) and a brake job comes in at $30k. The particular one had less than 200 miles on it and had been sold to the fourth owner. Apparently folks buy it and let it sit. The point is to be able say you own it rather than to actually drive it. An different mind set entirely.
 
Oct 28, 2004 at 2:47 PM Post #13 of 14
Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahn
*boss to wife*

"Mrs. AGR, why are there no treads left on my tires?"



Ha! The car has just over 12,000 miles, and the Bridgestones don't have much left on them. He, too, enjoys the car!
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Oct 28, 2004 at 2:48 PM Post #14 of 14
Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff E
Two weeks ago I stopped by the M-B dealer and checked out a more extreme sports sedan, the SLR (100 made a year, costs over half a mill $). After talking a bit with the salesman, I came to the conclusion that thinking of this as a vehicle may not be appropriate. The brakes on this model wear out rapidly (an intentional tradeoff in favor of rapid deceleration) and a brake job comes in at $30k. The particular one had less than 200 miles on it and had been sold to the fourth owner. Apparently folks buy it and let it sit. The point is to be able say you own it rather than to actually drive it. An different mind set entirely.


Jeff: He's on the list for the McLaren SLR, you are speaking of. They expect it to be here in April.

By the way; $30,000 is the price for a new set of rotors, and carbon-ceramic pads for the new Ferrari Enzo. A guy in Texas owns one, and he and his son had only put 1,200 miles on it. 600 miles at the track; and 600 miles on the road! Not to mention; the oil change on the Enzo is about $750.00! If you do not use the Shell Helix Oil, Ferrari specifies, you void the engine warranty. Shell Helix costs $50 per qt. The Enzo requires 12 qts. (don't remember how much the oil filter costs).
 

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