Mercedes-AMG Brings V8 Thunder With The New CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung

It seems like we can’t go a week or two without a new power-hungry car manufacturer launching something bonkers. This time around, it’s the madmen of Mercedes-AMG who have surprisingly taken the covers off a new super-sports-coupe. Based on the CLE platform, the CLE 646 Specialanfertigung (German for Bespoke, or Custom-Made) promises boatloads of power with a clear focus on driving dynamics. And based on the brutish main course in today’s instalment of the Petrolhead Corner, it seems like Mercedes-AMG was cooking with some rather spicy ingredients. One of which is a new twin-turbo 4.0-litre flat-plane crank V8!

In its 140 years of operation, Mercedes-Benz has built a seemingly endless list of iconic performance cars, often with the help of the brand’s in-house ‘Skunk Works’ tuning crew: AMG. But even well before the takeover of AMG (which was formalised in 1999), the Germans knew pretty well how to build a proper performance car. The one that most likely immediately comes to mind is the legendary 300 SL, but there are plenty of others. The SLR McLaren, the CLK GTR road car, the SL AMG series, the CLK DTM AMG, the C63 AMG Black Series… Well, you get the idea. And now, there’s a new kid on the block that goes by the name of CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung.

The C-Class reborn

One of the longest-running Mercedes-Benz cars is the C-Class, pretty much the quintessential mid-range luxury car. It was introduced in 1993 as a replacement for the ageing but legendary 190, and has been part of the brand’s portfolio ever since. Of course, it has been updated numerous times since, but it remains a cornerstone model regardless. It was first introduced as a sedan and station wagon, or estate in Mercedes-Benz terms, followed by a coupe and even a cabriolet (convertible). By 2023, the decision was made to split the coupe and cabriolet of both the C- and E-class, with a single in-between model, the CLE.

The two-door CLE is a typical sports coupe, with the engine up front and drive to the rear (or to all wheels, depending on the specific variant). In terms of power, the base engine is a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder with just over 200bhp in the CLE 200, all the way to a turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six in the CLE 53, which pumps out 450bhp. But that apparently wasn’t enough for Mercedes-AMG’s engineers, as this new and rather mad-looking CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung blows every other CLE out of the water thanks to- drumroll, please – a V8!

The CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung

To move from the CLE 53 to the CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung, an engine swap was necessary, and to be honest, a V8 is far more suited for a sports coupe bearing the AMG badge. The project started with the question of how far a CLE can be pushed, mostly in the area of driving dynamics, and the outcome looks pretty darn wild! To start with the engine, Mercedes-AMG threw out the straight-six as mentioned, and replaced it with a 4.0-litre V8 biturbo engine pumping out no less than 646 horsepower. Peak torque is 850Nm, available from 2,500 to 4,500 rpm. To say it’s plenty potent sounds a bit like an understatement.

It’s fitted with a flat-plane crank to lower its rotating mass and speed up the rev-build, and improve the throttle response. It’s equipped with a new cooling system to keep it from blowing up, I guess, and the sound has been enhanced with a high-performance exhaust system that breathes out of twin stacked exhaust tips. Power is fed through AMG’s Speedshift TCT 9G transmission, a lightning-fast 9-speed automatic, to all four wheels. To cope with all that power, the CLE 646 uses specially developed adjustable suspension components, and the chassis has undergone extensive modifications to lighten and strengthen it where needed. In terms of performance, Mercedes-AMG does give us a zero to 100kph split of 3.9 seconds, zero to 200kph in 11.4m seconds, and a top speed of 314kph. So yes, it’s pretty rapid! And rest assured, it’s also capable of stopping on a dime, thanks to high-performance ceramic composite brakes.

Going over the styling, it still looks very much like a CLE, obviously, yet on steroids. Up front there’s a new and far more pronounced grille, like a gaping mouth feeding truckloads of air into the engine and cooling system. The hood reveals a massive air intake as well, even bigger than the one on the CLE AMG 53. Down the sides, air vents behind in the widened front arches, side skirts that flow into a wide-body style rear arch, a paint job that shifts from silver to black, and a massive rear wing dictate the CLE 646’s profile. Thanks to the extensive use of carbon fibre, visible on pretty much all corners of the car as well as the roof, it weighs 1,895 kilos, about 100 kilos less than the CLE 53 AMG despite the bigger and heavier engine.

On the inside, it looks rather serene although there’s no doubt you’re in a performance car. Acres of carbon fibre and alcantara set the tone, with red trim elements and badges here and there to accentuate its purpose even further. The flat-bottomed steering wheel has surprisingly few buttons and switches, a result of ditching multiple drive modes and driver assistance systems, so you better have your wits about you when you floor it. In-board entertainment is also catered for, with a large screen in the centre console. Two leather- and Alcantara-clad bucket seats with a six-point harness keep you planted when hammering it hard and sending it through corners.

Although there’s no word on pricing, it’s a given that a car like this will be a very exclusive one. And with only 30 of these uncompromising CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung built, there’s no doubt they will sell out quickly, if they haven’t already.

For more information, please visit Mercedes-Benz.com.

Editorial note: The information used and images portrayed in this article are sourced from and used with the permission of the Mercedes-Benz company.