Mercedes-AMG has taken the CLE well beyond the usual territory of a special edition. Called the CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung, this highly limited coupé is the second model in Mercedes-Benz’s Mythos Series. It starts life as a CLE 53 before being comprehensively rebuilt by hand in Affalterbach.
The name explains part of what makes it different. The ‘646’ refers to the output of its extensively reworked 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, while Spezialanfertigung roughly translates as ‘special production’, reflecting the scale of the engineering involved. The M177 EVO engine produces 646 hp and 850 Nm, with a flat-plane crankshaft and dedicated mapping sharpening its response. More unusually, AMG has removed the donor car’s 4MATIC+ all-wheel-drive system entirely, sending power exclusively to the rear wheels through a nine-speed transmission and an electronically controlled limited-slip differential.
Weight has also dropped by around 170 kg. Carbon fibre is used for the widened front wings, bonnet, roof, sills, rear apron and adjustable rear wing, while the rear side windows and rear screen are polycarbonate. The body is 60 mm wider at both axles, with bespoke 20-inch forged wheels wrapped in tyres developed using technology from the AMG ONE.
Four-way adjustable coil-over suspension developed with KW, ceramic brakes, and manually adjustable Street and Race aero settings underline the track focus. In Race configuration, the aerodynamic package generates more than 250 kg of downforce at the car’s 310 km/h top speed. The CLE 646 reaches 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and 200 km/h in 11.4 seconds.
The cabin is equally uncompromising. The rear seats and much of the sound insulation have been removed, while lightweight racing buckets, carbon-fibre door panels, and a roll-over bar have been fitted. Selected assistance and infotainment functions have also been deleted.
Limited to just 30 road-legal examples, the CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung was already sold out before its world premiere.
