Wild new Mercedes-AMG CLE 646 brings 637bhp V8
Focused coupé gains chassis mods, goes rear-drive and sheds 170kg
Mercedes-AMG has transplanted a V8 into the CLE to create one of its most extreme cars yet in a return to its hot-rodding roots.
Called the CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung – special order – it has been conceived as the most driver-focused version of Mercedes’ premium coupe.
The model starts out as a CLE 53 before being extensively modified to become the 646, mirroring the production of historic AMG models before the brand became integrated into Mercedes-Benz.
Described by AMG as an engineering-led project, it was originally a test mule produced behind closed doors.
It swaps the 3.0-litre straight six found in the only current AMG derivative of the CLE, the 53, for Mercedes new M177 Evo V8 powerplant.
The 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, which made its debut in the facelifted S-Class, is boosted to 637bhp – equivalent to 646PS, hence the name – and 627lb ft. It is fitted with a bespoke Akrapovic titanium exhaust, which is said to maximise the “emotional focus” of the powerplant.
The V8-powered CLE also ditches four-wheel drive for rear-drive to maximise its performance on track, while shedding weight.
The 646 brings several other lightweighting measures traditionally reserved for track-focused machines, including carbonfibre bodywork, polycarbonate windows and even a different 12V battery. Meanwhile, the body has been reinforced to improve its rigidity, and a roll-cage has been integrated into its structure.
The revisions mean the 646 weighs 1895kg – 30kg lighter than the CLE 53, despite packing a larger and significantly heavier engine. According to AMG, 170kg was stripped from the car in total.
It is capable of hitting 62mph from rest in 3.9sec, which is 0.1sec quicker than a CLE 53 fitted with the optional Pro Performance package. It also covers 0-124mph in 11.4sec and 0-186mph in 36.2sec.
The 646 sits lower and 60mm wider than the CLE 53, riding on steel coilover suspension developed with specialist firm KW.
The low- and high-speed bump and rebound settings can be adjusted as desired, giving owners the potential to set it up for specific circuits or use cases. Braking, meanwhile, is via carbon-ceramic discs with six-piston calipers up front and single-pots at the rear.
Completing the exterior makeover are forged 20in alloy wheels and a wide-body kit with a large rear wing, reminiscent of the Ford Mustang’s conversion into the racing-derived GTD.
Inside, the weight reduction effort extends to the removal of the rear seats and sound deadening, while the CLE 53’s front seats are swapped for a pair of skeletal buckets. Six-point racing harnesses are available as an option.
The sound system has also been simplified to save weight and several redundant comfort and driver-assistance features have been dropped.
The CLE 646 will be offered as the second car in Mercedes’ Mythos programme, which previously created the Formula-1-inspired SL PureSpeed. But the new V8 CLE will be vastly more exclusive, with just 30 samples due to be produced.
Mercedes has yet to disclose pricing, but it is almost certain to run well north of six figures.
Although that will ultimately limit the impact of the 646, the model is notable for proving that Mercedes-AMG’s V8 fits into the CLE platform and that the brand has the will to do so.
It remains to be seen whether a V8 will return to the performance arm’s mainstream cars, such as the C-Class and E-Class, following a poorly received move to small-displacement plug-in hybrids. But the existence of the CLE 646 signals that the V8 remains at the heart of Mercedes-AMG and that the performance division will find solutions to offer such engines to customers – even if only for a select few.
“The Mercedes-AMG CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung represents the very essence of AMG,” said Stefan Weckbach, chairman of Mercedes-AMG. “This vehicle came to life because highly rational engineers dreamed of a highly irrational car.”
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