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What's New: As yet another AMG blessed Mercedes, the 2001 CL55 takes the already-impressive CL500 to new levels of performance while maintaining its luxurious ride and classic looks. Type: Compact car Pros: High-tech features, classic styling, luxurious with a healthy dose of performance. Cons: Complex navigation/audio system, cramped rear seat, pricey. Review As the official pace car for the 2001 FIA World Championship, we're happy to announce that the 2001 CL55 AMG is more than just a standard Mercedes coupe with garish graphics (too bad the same can't be said for most pace cars). In fact, the CL55 is one of the most technically advanced vehicles currently driven on public roads. We've watched Mercedes slash the costs and curb weights of its vehicles in recent years while substantially upping the technology and gadget quotient. This weight-loss, price-drop, techno-injection, performance-minded methodology also served as the guiding principles for Mercedes' top-of-the-line coupe, the CL, while making it a perfect candidate for AMG tuning. Sporting a 5.5-liter V8 (up .5 liters in displacement from the standard V8 found in the CL500) this engine sports such high-tech trickery as a pressure-cast aluminum block, a forged billet steel crankshaft, and weight-matched rods and pistons that provide ultra-smooth rotation from idle to redline. All engines are hand assembled and produce 354 horsepower and 391 foot-pounds of torque while achieving low - emission vehicle (LEV) status. Mated to a five-speed automatic transmission with Touch Shift control (allowing manual gear selection if the driver so chooses) this drivetrain can pull the 4,100-pound CL55 up to 60 mph from a dead stop in 5.7 seconds. Upgraded braking components are standard on the CL55, as are stiffer shocks and springs and 18-inch wheels and tires. Perhaps more impressive than this powerhouse of a powerplant is the CL55's Active Body Control (ABC), which uses a hydraulic servo mounted atop each coil spring to control body roll, dive and squat. Toss it into a tight corner and the coupe will remain flat and composed, laughing at your efforts to produce unwanted wallow or pitch. Settings for ABC include comfort and sport to accommodate different levels of driving enthusiasm. Another high-tech feature, optional on the CL55, is an intelligent cruise control system, dubbed Distronic. After the driver establishes a preset distance that he wishes to maintain between his car and other vehicles, an on-board radar unit will scan the surrounding environment and utilize up to 20 percent of the CL55's braking ability to maintain this distance from other automobiles. The CL55's high-tech pedigree continues inside where 14-way adjustable heated and ventilated seats, complete with a "pulse" massage mode, await front passengers. Dual-zone climate controls are easy to operate, but the audio, navigation and new-for-2001 Web-based systems are all combined into Mercedes' trademark COMAND control unit. This system is both praised and ridiculed by the Edmunds.com staff, depending on their level of patience for its undeniably complex interface. As for the car's ability to provide a comfortable yet capable ride, the CL55 takes the concept of "personal luxury coupe" to a whole new level. Styles & Prices at Edmunds.com | | | | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
