Jeremy Clarkson's blessing is not one most discerning PHers would necessarily seek. But the fact he put his money where his mouth is and bought a
CLK63 Black Series
is a worth noting, even if he did moan about it a lot.
Blistered arches and relatively discreet looks
Anyway, Clarkson's seal of approval is but a footnote. Because if there was a PH template for V8-powered coupes the CLK Black would pretty much be it. If you don't believe Clarkson
ask Harris
. It's a proper skunk works car, lovingly created by proper petrolheads.
If you're thinking this is sounding a lot like another car we've been talking about recently you'd be right. And in many ways there are plenty of similarities between the E46 M3 CSL and the CLK Black, launch pads for future tech the both of them. Both appeal to a very certain type of enthusiast buyer too, and not necessarily those who bought them in the first place (see above).
Beers and banter
If they set out on the same path they ended up in very different places. Think of the CSL as that slightly geeky fitness fanatic, all protein shakes and training schedules. The Black? It's a beers, banter and a curry kind of car.
SLK Black was a snappy little brute of a car
The Black's roots were as a rolling testbed for AMG's mighty M156 V8, the brand's first entirely self-built motor launched in 2005 and still, safe to say, one of the greatest production car V8s ever built. Those first cars weren't Blacks as we know them. Indeed, they were bright orange and based on the mad CLK DTM, which originally used a 582hp,
SLR
derived version of the supercharged M113 5.5-litre engine. These mules made an appearance on the CLK Black's launch event, used by the AMG personnel as pace cars for the track test. The pace being generally very high...
The 2006 CLK63 F1 Safety Car then laid the foundations for the production Black Series, both developed by AMG's newly opened Performance Studio. The safety car had a 481hp and 465lb ft version of the M156 V8, a bespoke exhaust developed to make a, quote, 'special sound', 70mm extra track in the front and 60mm more at the back and plenty of weight saving carbon bodywork to slash 150kg out of the kerbweight. Bringing it down to a not especially svelte 1,600kg.
Supercharged CLK DTM a bit garish in comparison
The CLK wasn't the first Black Series of course; the savage little SLK55 (another former safety car) was a brutal little weapon of a car. Raw and uncouth, it at least revealed why AMG hadn't fitted an LSD to the SLK before, snapping from stubborn understeer to alarming oversteer in the blink of an eye. That and the £77K asking price explaining why just 120 were sold worldwide.
The CLK's take on the Black magic was similarly hardcore in spirit but a lot more accessible. A cheeky mate encouraging you to join in with a bit of good-natured mischief rather than a twitching psychopath hell bent on labelling you accessory to something really quite unpleasant.
First, the looks. The CLK DTM and C63 Black that book-end the CLK are both great cars but a little bit gaudy. Like the CSL, the Black instead goes for understated visual muscle, hunkered down on blistered arches wrapped around some gorgeous forged wheels.
CLK DTM mules used to shake down M156 V8
The AMG guys knew the M156 was going to have to tick all the boxes for mainstream NVH targets and suchlike but wanted to make sure we all knew it could get down and party before sobering up and getting sensible. For the Black it got improved breathing over the 481hp CLK63, unleashing 507hp and a percussive, bass heavy beat loud enough to set off car alarms when driven down residential streets.
And that's the AMG guys all over. They work hard and play hard but at AMG's core is an unpretentious sense of fun. They make their cars unashamedly loud and accessibly lairy because, deep down, that's more relevant to enjoying a fast car day in day out than 'ring lap times and pointlessly stiff suspension.
The chassis was properly race inspired though, track increased now by 75mm front and 66mm rear, dampers manually adjustable for bump and rebound; ride height, track and camber all also tweakable. A mechanical locking diff with final drive reduced by around six per cent over the regular CLK63 was included and the ESP remapped to, quote, 'meet more intense driving demands' which basically means it'll do proper skids at the drop of a hat even with the electronics ostensibly on. It even gets its own cooling system, suggesting AMG knew it was going to get a work out.
C63 Black wears its bling rather more obviously
And that's why it doesn't really matter that the Black only ever came with an auto. The seven-speed transmission and chunky aluminium paddles deliver enough engagement for most situations. The black ditched the Comfort setting, having just Sport and a proper, bounce off the limiter, Manual mode. OK, it's a little reluctant to downshift compared with the CSL's racer style SMG or modern dual-clutch gearboxes. But leaning on the sheer muscularity of the 6.2 and letting it do the work rather than get bogged down with constant cog-swapping is the secret.
Besides, you'll be too busy giggling at the ridiculous ease of getting the thing sideways and laying fat number 11s behind you everywhere you go. Like a Caterham Academy car on its ditch-finder van tyres the black is so progressive and natural in its breakaway even a ham-fisted idiot can perform half respectable drifts without too much frantic arm twirling. The Black is blisteringly rapid, make no mistake. But if you're looking for its location on the fast versus fun axis AMG planted it firmly in the latter camp.
A fabulous road car, even with track pretensions
By now you're probably hankering after one, the bad news being just 31 of the 700 built were sold in the UK and still command prices
into the 70s and beyond
. But there's good news too. Much of the Black's heart and soul lives on in the 'regular' C63 AMG, yours from
not much over £20K
these days and available with a full complement of seats, toys and the rest. Reasons to be cheerful don't come much better!
MERCEDES CLK63 AMG BLACK SERIES
Engine: 6,208cc V8
Transmission: 7-speed auto, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 507@6,800rpm
Torque (lb ft): 465@5,250rpm
0-62mph: 4.3 sec
Top speed: 186mph (limited)
Weight: 1,760kg (EC)
On sale: 2007-2008
Price new: £97,000
Price now: c. £70-80,000
