CLE 646 driven: Mercedes-AMG on top form with RWD V8 monster

There is something wonderfully defiant about the Mercedes-AMG CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung. Just as AMG prepares a whole new generation of dedicated electric performance model, its engineers have squeezed a newly developed 637bhp twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine into the CLE, abandoned four-wheel drive for rear-wheel drive and created something approaching a road-legal race car. It could easily have worn the Black Series badge. Instead, it becomes the second Mythos model after the SL-based PureSpeed. There's precedent: the 2004 CLK DTM AMG pursued similarly extravagant ends with, back then, a supercharged 5.5-litre V8. Only 30 left-hand-drive examples of AMG’s new coupe will be built, all already sold at a price between €750,000–€800,000 (£627,000–£669,000), we're told. That's approaching nine times the £76,280 price tag of the current range topping CLE coupe, the CLE 53, reflecting the extensive engineering and hand-built production involved. And now we're heading onto the handling circuit at Mercedes-Benz's Immendingen proving ground in southern Germany. With 627lb ft of torque and a largely bespoke chassis, there's plenty to explore. Wider bodywork, carbon-fibre bonnet and wings, enlarged cooling ducts and an imposing rear wing give the CLE 646 an almost competition-car stance. Its adjustable front splitter and rear wing work with an extensive underbody diffuser to generate more than 250kg of downforce at its claimed 193mph maximum. The tracks are 60mm wider than the CLE 53's, the ride height is lower and 20in wheels wear enormous 305/35 front and 335/30 rear tyres. Viewed from behind, it's almost comically wide. Inside, the rear seats give way to a roll cage, with racing buckets, carbon-fibre trim and optional six-point harnesses. The familiar CLE dashboard remains, but the atmosphere is decidedly more circuit racer than grand tourer. The biggest change is beneath the bonnet. The V8 produces 194bhp and 214lb ft more than the CLE 53's turbocharged 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder engine, and uses a flat-plane crankshaft, as introduced on the GT Black Series in 2021. The effect is immediate. There's abundant low-rev muscle but a sharper overall response and greater eagerness to rev than AMG's traditional cross-plane V8s. The soundtrack changes with it: less bass-heavy rumble, more hard-edged metallic intensity, amplified by a bespoke Akrapovic titanium exhaust. A revised nine-speed Speedshift automatic delivers truly decisive changes that suit the more highly strung character. AMG quotes 0–62mph in 3.9sec and 0–124mph in 11.4sec. More memorable is the engine's insistence that you explore the upper rev range in each and every gear. there’s greater willingness and intensity. Three separate cooling circuits are designed to sustain performance on track. Polycarbonate glazing and other measures save around 170kg over the CLE 53, yet the CLE 646 still weighs 1895kg. That makes its behaviour through Immendingen's corners especially revealing. It isn't quite the scalpel that the GT Black Series is, but the steering is direct, precise and consistently weighted. The widened front axle and huge tyres generate formidable grip, allowing serious cornering speeds without the front end surrendering its line. Four-way adjustable KW coilover dampers tightly control pitch and roll without making it overly firm. Brake hard, turn in and return to the accelerator before the corner opens, and the chassis responds fluently, with little sense of the weight being managed. Rear-wheel drive adds a progressive balance. The front end establishes the line, the rear follows and the responsive throttle lets you influence the trajectory. An electronically controlled limited-slip differential and nine-stage traction control offer considerable scope to explore rear-end slip. Carbon-ceramic brakes, with 420mm front and 360mm rear discs, deliver enormous stopping power, with convincing initial bite and great consistency through repeated hard stabs. Five laps aren't enough, but stepping straight from the Formula 1 safety-car-spec GT Black Series into the CLE 646 highlights its distinct personality. The Black Series is more clinical and race-car immediate; the CLE flows through corners with a broader, more expressive action. Its launch timing matters. AMG has faced criticism for abandoning V8s, particularly with the four-cylinder C63 S E Performance. Despite 671bhp, it struggled to deliver the tradition AMG character buyers expected. The CLE 646 isn't a retreat from electrification. It's a reminder that AMG can still build something gloriously traditional: an engine that rewards revs, a chassis that welcomes commitment and a stripped-back cabin that makes no apology for its purpose. At this price, practicality and traffic-light supremacy are beside the point. It's about the connection between engine, chassis and driver. A public-road drive will reveal a whole new set of compromises, but our time out on Immendingen’s handling track establishes one thing: beneath the extravagant bodywork and eye-watering price is a car with a character all its own - one that shows AMG hasn't forgotten where it came from.

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CLE 646 driven: Mercedes-AMG on top form with RWD V8 monster

Fearsome, £670k hot rod pairs 637bhp V8 with bespoke chassis – and channels the spirit of the Black Series

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CLE 646 driven: Mercedes-AMG on top form with RWD V8 monster

Fearsome, £670k hot rod pairs 637bhp V8 with bespoke chassis – and channels the spirit of the Black Series

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Latest car reviews

Top manufacturers

Quick search

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About Autocar