The Mercedes CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung Is A V8 Track Special We Never Saw Coming

When Mercedes introduced the CLE in 2023, it created a new line for the brand by getting rid of two existing vehicles. It would take the place of both the C-Class and E-Class coupés, giving Mercedes a single two-door model positioned between the two families. Mercedes didn’t miss with this one.

The styling is elegant and befitting for a comfortable grand tourer. Even when the range-topping CLE 53 AMG came out with a bit more aggression and performance, it still retained a lot of its GT character. But we all knew what would come next, which would be the big boy 63 models with a big V8 and lots of power. Mercedes has given us a range-topping model, but it was something nobody really expected.

The Mercedes CLE Was Born to Fill a Gap in the Lineup

The CLE arrived in July 2023 with a fairly important job. They wanted to still have a coupe but didn't want buyers having to struggle between choosing the C-Class and E-Class coupé. The new CLE essentially brought those two together into one model. Mercedes described it as combining the agility and sportiness associated with the C-Class with the space and premium feel of the E-Class.

That positioning is important because it explains what the CLE was supposed to be. It wasn't an AMG-only performance machine, and it wasn't supposed to be some ultra-exclusive collector's car. It was Mercedes' modern two-door grand tourer sitting comfortably between its two most important mainstream luxury sedans. With its position established, Mercedes created different variants of the CLE.

The CLE Has A Full Lineup

The CLE has a complete lineup starting from the CLE 200, 300, and 450, serving as the regular vehicles. AMG then introduced the CLE 53 AMG as the performance-focused version with a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six, mild-hybrid assist making a total of 443 hp and 413 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels via AMG’s Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive. It was quick, sophisticated, and considerably more aggressive than the regular CLE.

But there was still a car that was missing, a V8-powered one. For a while, enthusiasts naturally expected Mercedes-AMG to eventually put a 63 badge on the CLE. Instead, AMG went in a completely different direction.

Meet the Mercedes-AMG CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung

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Spezialanfertigung is a German word that means special production or custom-made, while the 646 is the horsepower figure of this latest model. So, in essence, this is the CLE 646 horsepower special production; it sounds a lot cooler and harder in German. The CLE 646 starts with the CLE 53, but AMG essentially rebuilt the entire car.

The body has been extensively modified, with the front and rear widened by 60 millimeters. From the front, this car is purely aggressive with that huge grill and huge hood scoop to cool the engine as much as possible, with Carbon-fiber front fenders that incorporate additional air outlets. Talking about carbon fiber, most of the external bodywork is carbon fiber from the bumpers, hood, fenders, side skirts, roof, and rear diffuser.

At the back, things become even more serious. There is a big manually adjustable carbon-fiber rear wing, and the rear diffuser and underbody were developed as part of a much larger aerodynamic package. Those stacked exhaust also give it a more menacing look. This CLE looks less like a luxury coupe and more like something that escaped from an AMG race-car program.

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Step inside the CLE 646, and while the dashboard and layout look familiar, everything else has changed. You now have bucket seats, the back seats are gone, and you have a roll cage; the door handles are hoops, and you have carbon fiber and alcantara everywhere. All of these were done for weight savings, more rigidity, and a race-looking interior.

With all that weight savings, AMG managed to remove approximately 370 lbs from the CLE. The car also sits on enormous 20-inch forged wheels wrapped in 305/30 tires at the front and an almost absurd 335/30 setup at the rear. Those tires aren't just there for show, especially the rear ones, which AMG says were further developed from the ones created for the Mercedes-AMG ONE. It needs it for the power this baby is packing.

A Twin Turbo V8 Where a Six-Cylinder Used to Be

The CLE 646 uses the latest version of AMG's 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, producing 646 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque. It now has a flat-plane crankshaft and hybrid assist, which we’ve seen in the newly released GLE and GLS 63. That flat-plane crankshaft reduces rotating mass and helps improve throttle response and engine response.

AMG has also upgraded the cooling system with three separate circuits designed to keep the engine, charge air, transmission oil, and 48-volt systems operating well even under extreme conditions. Then comes one of the most interesting decisions AMG made. The CLE 53's all-wheel-drive system is gone.

The CLE 646 sends its power exclusively to the rear wheels, which changes the personality of the car considerably. Rather than using the advantage of four-wheel drive, the CLE 646 was deliberately made this way to give the front end maximum turning capability. Even the Akrapovič exhaust has been specially developed using titanium to help reduce weight. AMG built a completely different animal with this car.

The CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung Is Built for the Track

A car weighing under 4,200 lbs is quite heavy, but with 646 hp on tap, it was never going to be slow. Mercedes-AMG quotes quotes it’s 0-60 in 3.9 seconds, which is faster than the all-wheel drive CLE53 and has a top speed of 193 mph. But those numbers only tell part of the story; where this car shines is on the track.

AMG developed a completely new steel coilover suspension together with KW for this car. The four-way adjustable dampers allow separate adjustments and can be tuned for different driving conditions and circuits. It also gets eom serious brakes with AMG's high-performance ceramic brakes. Then there is the aerodynamics.

Total downforce numbers aren’t out yet, but AMG says the wing alone generates 550 lbs downforce at top speed. The manually adjustable rear wing, front flicks, wheel-arch airflow channels, louvers and flat underbody all work together to keep the car planted at high speeds. It is effectively a road-legal track special wearing the body of a CLE, and that puts it into some interesting company.

The combination of rear-wheel drive, a powerful V8, extreme aero, carbon everywhere and a track-focused suspension puts it in the company of cars like the Ford Mustang GTD, Corvette ZR1 and Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Cars aimed at buyers who want something closer to an exotic track car they can still drive on the road.

But This Wasn't The AMG We Expected.

For anyone following the AMG lineup, the obvious expectation was a CLE 63 since the CLE 53 already existed. Mercedes had all they needed to build that car; instead, they built this. The name itself tells us exactly what we're dealing with here. It is not called the 646 AMG; it is the 646 Spezialanfertigung (special production). That name is appropriate because this is not a regular series-production AMG model.

The CLE 646 is the second vehicle in Mercedes-Benz's ultra-exclusive Mythos Series, following the Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed. This is currently the most powerful CLE available. We were expecting a 63, but AMG gave us something more special, but that’s also part of the problem.

You Can't Actually Buy One

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Mercedes has just created one of the most extreme CLEs ever made, but if you are reading this and thinking about ordering one, there is a small problem: you can’t. While the PureSpeed is limited to 250 examples, only 30 of the CLE 646 will be made worldwide. Mercedes has not announced an official price, but we’re very sure this will be a high six-, maybe even seven-figure car.

But the price is irrelevant because the car was sold out before it was made public. You can still get a CLE 53, or wait for the 63 model, but you can’t buy the CLE 646, at least not from Mercedes. The CLE 646 is another special example of the type of exceptionally rare collector-focused vehicles Mercedes wants to create with its Mythos Series.

The CLE was supposed to be the sensible bridge between two Mercedes coupe families. The CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung is what happens when Affalterbach decides that a sensible car like that is no longer the objective.