Mercedes CL 500 Autobahn Top Speed Run

The perfect blend of speed and serenity.

07:42

Chris Okula

By: Chris Okula

Aug 9, 2020 at 11:00am ET

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Imagine waking up on a beautiful day in the German countryside, stepping into your pristine Mercedes-Benz CL 500 pillarless coupe, and blasting down the autobahn for a top speed run. Although this a reality few people can enjoy, we are in the age of video and thankfully TopSpeedGermany filmed the entire experience. So, sit back and enjoy a drive in the coupe king of the 2000s the CL 500.

The CL 500 is often overshadowed by the more powerful CL65 AMG which was at one point the most powerful car in the world thanks to a twin-turbo 6.0-liter V12 engine that produces 603 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque. The CL 500 has to make do with a 5.0-liter V8 the only makes 302 hp (225 kW) and 339 lb-ft (460 Nm) of torque. Power was routed through an automatic transmission and sent to the rear wheels for better performance and the ability to pull off some smokey burnouts.

So how fast can the CL 500 go on the unrestricted Autobahn? Well, from the factory the top speed of the CL 500 was limited to 155 mph just like every other German car of this era. Even the CL65 AMG with double the horsepower has the same exact top speed as the CL 500, although the CL 65 AMG could get there much faster.

When it comes to the top speed run featured in this video the most impressive part is how quiet and serene the experience was. The lack of noise and composure at these high speeds is what made the Mercedes-Benz coupes of this era some of the best Autobahn cruisers that got you to your destination quickly and comfortably.

Source: TopSpeedGermany