This tyre-roasting Mercedes supercar was once £142,000 – now it's a £12k bargain
An autumn day in 2003. The job was a good one: compare a Bentley Continental GT with a Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG.
I must confess I went into it carrying something no road tester should: prejudice. Not nationalistic prejudice, or brand prejudice - more a suspicion that this rakish new Bentley, with its W12, all-wheel drive, and beautiful cabin, would be the better car. The Merc, I thought, would be just another blinged-up AMG sledgehammer.
The torque figure should have given me pause. 738lb ft is a lot. Enough, in fact, that the Bentley was comfortably outgunned in a straight line. Still, I suspected it would be the more satisfying, more rounded car. The CL65, after all, was painted in Dubai-spec off-white and wore more chrome than a Lincoln Town Car. Its cabin looked like a Mercedes C-Class trimmed in walnut and switchgear.
I took the Bentley out first. Its key fob was an intricate thing, all knurled chrome and deep enamel. I headed for what Autocar once called the 'ride road,' a narrow lane near Chobham test track with lots of crests, camber, and broken surfaces. It used to be a brutal test of suspension finesse, until the council resurfaced it. Still, the Bentley's plush ride revealed its limits on this road. The GT did well, considering its mass, but the short, sharp stuff caught it out. The cabin creaked. The seats squeaked. The leather made that curious rubbing noise you get in Jaguars and old Jermyn Street shoe shops.
The Bentley felt indomitable, not least because it put its power down cleanly. And the cabin really was a wonderful place to be. But it still drove too much like a posh Phaeton. Later GTs would improve the formula dramatically. But on that day, it was the Mercedes that impressed.
The ride quality was the first surprise. Thanks to its clever ABC hydraulic suspension and four square Michelins, the CL65 soaked up the surface like a Mercedes S-Class. Then, in the next moment, it would turn in like a hot hatch. It was a riot. You could pull the ESP back, roast the tyres, or just use that astonishing torque to lean on the rear axle and power out of corners like a massive, automatic Caterham. It was faster than the Bentley and more fun. It won the test.
It was also more spacious in the back and scored bonus points for having a boot. The interior was still a bit C-Class, but somehow that mattered less now.
I wasn't the only one who loved it. A friend of mine worked at Mercedes at the time. He convinced his boss to enter a CL65 demonstrator in the Brighton Speed Trials. It monstered a Ferrari F40, clocking 12.57s to the Ferrari's 12.88s. All he had to do was press the brake, floor the throttle, wait for the torque converter to stall, then release. The V12 bellowed and the gearbox cracked through its ratios like a switchblade. The commentator, used to Allards and backyard specials, couldn't quite believe it. 'Ladies and gentlemen,' he announced, 'this is a completely stock car.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
24 minutes ago
- BBC News
Temporary traffic lights in Hull's Spring Bank cause delays
Roadworks causing delays on a busy junction near Hull city centre will be completed by 25 June, a utility firm has traffic lights have been set up on Spring Bank and Park have reported congestion along both sides of Spring Bank, with queues back to the junction with Beverley Road and Ferensway at peak company Northern Powergrid said it was carrying out work to "overlay 263 ft (80m) of cable in the carriageway". "We expect work to be completed by the 25 June and the site to be completely reinstated," a spokesperson said."We thank customers for their patience whilst we work as quickly and as safely as possible." Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Auto Blog
an hour ago
- Auto Blog
Toyota's Next Corolla Cross Could Get Prius-Like Makeover
Unique designs for Europe and America possible From the GR Corolla to TRD-badged large SUVs, Toyota has several new models for all kinds of enthusiasts, be it those who enjoy track days or adventure junkies who prefer off-roading. However, there are a few cheaper Toyotas that still give off the dependable-but-entirely-unremarkable vibe many still associate with the brand. One such Toyota is the Corolla Cross, the smallest Toyota crossover in America. Based on comments by a Toyota exec, this model's bland design is hurting sales in certain markets. He strongly hinted at the need for a more exciting future design, as well as a look unique to major markets, to drive more interest in the Honda HR-V rival. Bland Design Blamed For Flagging Corolla Cross Sales 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross — Source: Toyota In Europe, sales of the Corolla Cross were down by 14% across the first four months of 2025, whereas the more evocative C-HR (not currently sold in the USA) saw sales rise by 9.6% over the same period, relative to 2024. 'We don't have the perfect Corolla Cross for Europe, in the sense it's a global model,' said Andrea Carlucci, head of product strategy and marketing at Toyota Europe, when speaking with Auto News. 'If we bring more European zest, sales will be up.' He specifically suggested that designing a single model to cater to both Japanese and American tastes has come at the expense of what Europeans want. The next Corolla Cross, then, could get unique designs for Europe and the USA. It wouldn't be the first time a major model gets a unique design for these two regions – Honda already sells a Euro HR-V that looks completely different to the American one. Source: Toyota To address the crossover's lack of personality, a new GR Sport trim was recently introduced for Europe. Around the same time, the US-spec Corolla Cross got a more aggressive design, but it's still not as interesting as a Hyundai Kona or Chevrolet Trailblazer. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. Carlucci's comments suggest that the next Corolla Cross will receive a much sportier design, and as we've seen recently with the Prius, Toyota has the ability to quickly transform a nameplate from bland to glam. More Power Would Be Welcome, Too Source: Toyota In America, the current Corolla Cross has a 169-horsepower engine. Paired with a CVT, acceleration is both languid and boomy. Take the Mazda CX-30, for example; its base model makes 191 hp, and the conventional six-speed automatic also makes for a sportier driving experience. Then again, Americans don't seem to be as sensitive to the Corolla Cross's ordinary look. In the first quarter of 2025, sales of Toyota's smallest SUV in this market were up by 45.2% relative to 2024. The popularity of the 196-hp hybrid helps, too – it's one of the most efficient crossovers around, and isn't as slow as the base model. But Toyota has clearly not yet unlocked the potential of the Corolla Cross. If the next gen could mix a Prius-like makeover with hybrid-only powertrains (as the 2026 RAV4 has done), it could become yet another best-seller for the company. We don't expect to see the second-gen Corolla Cross before 2027. About the Author Karl Furlong View Profile
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Jeremy Clarkson's latest addition to his Diddly Squat farm has Kaleb Cooper fuming that it will put him out of a job
Jeremy Clarkson 's latest addition has left his farmhand Kaleb Cooper fuming that he could be out of a job. The journalist, 65, revealed that although he finds driverless cars to be 'pointless', there is one automated piece of machinery that has captured his attention. But his right-hand man on the Diddly Squat farm in the Cotswolds, Oxfordshire, isn't too happy about Clarkson's new purchase. And in his latest column, the former Top Gear revealed his new and 'extremely expensive' purchase for his sprawling 1,000-acre farm that Kaleb 'hates'. The landlord shared he had bought a brand new AgBot T2, describing it as the 'coolest machine in the world'. To his joy, instead of spending 30 hours on the back of on a cultivator preparing his land for seeds, now he can use the driveless tractor with less mistakes and boredom. The autonomous piece of farming machinery comes with a £300,000 price tag, according to Farmer's Weekly, while also boasting a 156 horsepower-diesel engine. But 26-year-old farmer and media personality, Kaleb, is less than thrilled about Clarkson's new toy. 'Kaleb hates it. He says it'll put him out of a job,' he wrote in his column for The Times. He recalled that he told Kaleb how he the machine could be used as part of his contracting business, allowing him to work several farms at once. Although he initially agreed, the 26-year-old eventually became aggravated by the AgBot once again, because he had to spread wildlife waste across the fields before the machine could get to work. 'And the simple fact is that he had to stop occasionally, to sleep for instance, and the AgBot didn't,' Clarkson added. 'He was literally being hounded by a machine that absolutely will not stop.' The broadcaster also announced he would be taking this development one step further, as his machine will attempt precision drilling alone, in a world first. Clarkson is still unsure if his plan will be successful, and will continue to be until harvest time rolls around. For now, he watches footage the AgBot from bed next to his partner Lisa, as the machine works across his fields in the darkness. The former Top Gear presenter is seen walking among pieces of farm machinery at the tractor sale in Sutton, near Ely in Cambridgeshire. His trusted farm manager Kaleb Cooper (right) was also spotted at the event The new purchase comes shortly after Jeremy sold his new Lamborghini tractor just months after making the agonising decision to buy it. The former Top Gear presenter was spotted at a farm machinery and tractor sale in Sutton, near Ely in Cambridgeshire, selling his colossal £85,000 tractor. He was seen attending the auction on Monday alongside his trusted farm manager Kaleb, as well as a large film crew. Onlookers at the event said Clarkson told fans he was selling the new tractor due to a host of electrical problems. The 65-year-old also vowed to bring his old cherished Lamborghini tractor back out of retirement - although it is unclear whether he was referring to his grey Lamborghini Trattori R8 270 DCR which he purchased for £40,000 second-hand. The move may come as a shock to fans of the hit Amazon series Clarkson's Farm, as just a few months ago Clarkson was filmed purchasing the high tech tractor and immediately falling in love with it. Episode four of the latest series sees Clarkson trying out loads of new tractors - much to the dismay of her partner Lisa Hogan. He eventually settled on a colossal £85,000 green Lamborghini tractor, boasting a 7.8-litre engine and 340 horsepower, leaving Kaleb gobsmacked.
