Racing Fever Seizes Mercedes-AMG: A New Super Sports Coupe, CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung is on the Blocks

Not a fortnight goes by without a power-hungry car manufacturer revving up something extraordinary. The latest to join the fray is Mercedes-AMG, launching its super-sports-coupe - CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung. This model, ornately christened Spezialanfertigung, German for bespoke or custom made, brings nothing less than a storm of power at the helm of driving dynamics. The secret ingredient behind this automotive wonder? A twin-turbo 4.0-litre flat-plane crank V8 engine - an outright beast in terms of power and performance.

While Mercedes-Benz’s 140-year journey is studded with iconic performance cars, often midwifed by AMG, their in-house tuning crew, the CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung is already hinting at rewriting history. Be it the legendary 300 SL, the SLR McLaren, or the CLK DTM AMG to name a few, each has a legacy of its own. And standing tall amongst these stalwarts is CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung – a rising star in the AMG family.

Unlike its predecessors, the CLE is a classic sports coupe with its engine upfront, driving either the rear or all wheels. Power varies across the variants, from a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine in the CLE 200 to a turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six in the CLE 53, but nothing beats the new CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung, packed with the almighty V8 engine.

A bold move from the CLE 53 to the CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung necessitated an engine swap with a more fitted option - a V8, giving the sports coupe the coveted AMG badge. The goal was to push the limits of a CLE’s driving dynamics, and the outcome is simply magnificent.