Mercedes-AMG CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung Takes the CLE Back to Basics

Mercedes-AMG has taken the CLE considerably further than a conventional high-performance derivative, creating a 646-hp, rear-wheel-drive coupe with a wide body, four-way adjustable KW suspension and roughly 375 pounds less weight. Called the CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung, just 30 examples will be built, and all were sold before the car’s public debut.

The second model in Mercedes-Benz’s ultra-limited Mythos Series after the PureSpeed, the Spezialanfertigung began as an internal AMG engineering project rather than a conventional production-car program. Engineers started with the current CLE and developed a prototype around a straightforward objective: push the platform as far toward outright driving dynamics as reasonably possible while retaining road legality.

That process ultimately resulted in something considerably removed from the CLE 53 platform upon which each car is based. AMG strips and rebuilds each Spezialanfertigung by hand in Affalterbach, modifying the bodyshell, drivetrain, chassis, aerodynamics and interior in the process.

V8 POWER, NOW WITHOUT THE FRONT DRIVESHAFTS

Central to the transformation is AMG’s M177 EVO 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, producing 646 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque. The engine uses a flat-plane crankshaft, dedicated mapping and extensively upgraded cooling, while a titanium exhaust developed in cooperation with Akrapovič provides another opportunity to shed weight.

Perhaps more significant is where that power goes. AMG completely removed the Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel-drive system, sending everything to the rear wheels through an AMG SPEEDSHIFT TCT 9G automatic and electronically controlled limited-slip differential.

The resulting numbers are unusual in an era when increasingly powerful performance cars rely heavily on all-wheel-drive traction. The Spezialanfertigung reaches 62 mph in 3.9 seconds, 124 mph in 11.4 seconds and has a 193-mph top speed. More importantly, the change to rear-wheel drive contributes to AMG’s broader effort to remove approximately 170 kilograms, or 375 pounds, compared with the donor car.

KW SUSPENSION AND A MUCH WIDER TRACK

AMG worked with KW automotive to develop a steel coilover suspension specifically for the car. Its four-way adjustable dampers provide separate high- and low-speed compression and rebound adjustment, giving owners considerably more control over chassis setup than would be expected from a normal road-going AMG.

The bodyshell itself is reinforced and widened by 60 mm at both ends, providing room for 20-inch forged wheels measuring 11 inches wide at the front and 12 inches at the rear. Tire sizes are correspondingly substantial at 305/30 ZR20 and 335/30 ZR20. AMG says the tires themselves were developed from technology originally created for the AMG ONE.

Carbon fiber is used extensively for the fenders, front apron, side sills, hood, roof, rear apron, trunk lid and manually adjustable rear wing. Polycarbonate replaces conventional glass for the rear and rear-side windows, while the rear seats, much of the acoustic insulation and several comfort features have also disappeared. Racing bucket seats, carbon door panels and a roll-over bar further establish where AMG’s priorities lie.
Stopping comes courtesy of AMG’s ceramic composite brakes with 420-mm front and 360-mm rear discs. The front brakes use six-piston fixed calipers, while dedicated ducting and cooling measures were developed around the demands of extended track use.

ACTIVE DRIVER, MANUAL AERODYNAMICS

Even the aerodynamic package takes a deliberately mechanical approach. The front diffuser can be manually switched between Street and Race positions, while the carbon rear wing can also be manually adjusted to balance the additional front downforce. Fender louvers, underbody channels and additional airflow management around the front wheels complete a package capable of producing more than 250 kilograms, or 551 pounds, of downforce at the car’s 193-mph maximum speed.

With ESP disabled, the driver also gains access to nine-stage AMG Traction Control, allowing progressively greater rear-wheel slip rather than simply choosing between stability control being on or off.

Visually, the car makes little attempt to disguise its purpose. Exposed carbon dominates the widened bodywork, while the launch specification combines Mojave Silver Magno across the front with Obsidian Black Magno from the B-pillar rearward. Ride height drops 22 mm at the front and 16 mm at the rear.

The CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung is therefore less a special trim level than a small-production re-engineering program carried out inside AMG itself. Its combination of a big V8, rear-wheel drive, manually adjustable suspension and aerodynamics, substantial weight reduction and a heavily modified body arguably puts it closer in spirit to AMG’s most extreme Black Series cars than anything currently wearing a regular CLE badge.

Only 30 will be produced, making the comparison somewhat academic for prospective buyers. AMG says the entire allocation was already spoken for before the car was publicly revealed.