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Go Black and Never Go Back — for $89,700
Go Black and Never Go Back — for $89,700-November 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:10:17

Jeremy Clarkson called it the kin of Cain, but thinks this F1-inspired and AMG-be-crazed CLK is more than able.

Yesterday, the managed to scout out a healthy 69% nice price win, proving that it was tough enough to roll over damn-near anything, even the haters. That rugged four by four would be a bright spot in anybody's driveway, as would today's contender, even though it goes by black.

Boy Scouts do good deeds — like helping old ladies across the street. Today, Nice Price or Crack…

In most of the world, the name Mercedes Benz is equated with luxury, performance and engineering excellence. However, proving that perfection can only be neared, but ultimately never achieved, the presence of three little letters - AMG - on a Benz indicate that even these acclaimed machines can be improved upon. Injecting even more performance than its stock Schtuagerd siblings, the Mercedes tuner creates cars with ocean liner-like power delivery, and handling belying their size. However, should an AMG breathed-upon car be too plebeian for you still, then Mercedes has one more appellation that it is willing to affix to the ultimate interpretation of the marque - and that name is Black. Only the predecessor DTM brought more chest hair to the party, and that car was never made available in the U.S..

Today we have a that's about as close to an F1 car as you're likely to come. That's because it is based on the Official F1 Safety Car. When new, two years ago, this car would have commended over $136,000 to buy, if you could find one. Awash in carbon fiber and powered by a 507-bhp, 6208-cc naturally-aspirated AMG V8, the CLK will do 60 from a standstill in just a hair over 4 ticks. The SPEEDSHIFT seven-speed transmission is automatic, but that's just because you can't shift as fast as it can, and AMG doesn't want its performance numbers to be dulled by the incapable meat-bag behind the wheel. Should you choose to get involved anyway, there's a pair of flappy paddles behind the contoured steering wheel for you to play with.

Outside, the Black is immediately identifiable by its massive flares, necessitated by a 75-mm front and 66-mm rear wider track. The elastokinematics of the suspension have also been totally reworked from the lesser CLK AMG63, providing the car with cornering capabilities that will leave your fillings scattered across the outside of the first turn's apex. Inside, there's more carbon fiber, fewer seats, and AMG's lap timer built into the speedo. That speedo, by the way, goes all the way up to 200, although the car is electronically limited to only 186.

Limited as well was production with 500 being built in total, and only about 370 coming to the U.S.. As one of those that made the transatlantic trip, this Iridium sliver car has done fewer miles since, and the 6,464 on the clock means it's barely broken in.

And all that's why this W209-based Mercedes is offered with an $89,700 asking price. That may also be why Jeremy Clarkson, after a 4AM drive in one, declared it his new favorite car, and that crabs were wise.

But does it have what it takes to be your favorite? Is this, the ultimate expression of the CLK available legally here in the states, wild enough to warrant that near ninety grand price? Or, does that cost make you feel like you'd back out before you would black out?

You decide!

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