2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG Review

The CLS is the car that spawned the generation of four- and five-door "coupes" on the road today. The Volkswagen CC, Aston Martin Rapide and even the Hyundai Sonata all owe a debt of gratitude to that four-wheeled elongated arch. But while the 2006 original was little more than a prettified version of the E-Class sedan, the all-new version has come to conquer more than the valet line at the country club.
In profile, the new CLS remains true to form, but now its surface is cut with deep character lines and bulges with MB’s signature “Ponton” rear fenders. It also has a meaner, chiseled face with multi-layered LED headlamps that say “outta my way” when they fill up the rearview mirrors of the cars in front of it. Imagine what Chris Hemsworth would look like leaving the gym in a tailored suit.

The cabin has a less aggressive, more elegant appearance. It features the same, supposedly aircraft-inspired imagery that’s also found in the SLS supercar and is trimmed in stitched leather, lots of shiny metal and, in the case of my test vehicle, carbon fiber – the latter for a mere $2,835 extra. It’s such a far cry from the interior of the latest E-Class that you can’t help but think that they sandbagged that one to make the CLS look that much better.