For a few years now we’ve been seeing spy photos of V8-powered Mercedes-Benz CLE coupe prototypes, test cars for what ostensibly would be a new CLE63. The midsize coupe and cabriolet have until now only been offered with four- and six-cylinder engines, with the top offering being the CLE53, and despite those spy shots we weren’t sure if Mercedes would actually be building a V8 CLE. But as the automaker now pivots its powertrain strategy to lean more heavily on hybrids — and V8 engines for the AMG brand — a rip-roaring CLE is finally happening. And it’ll be a lot more extreme than the initial prototypes led us to believe.
We saw Mercedes’ first official teasers of the new variant in January, when it announced the V8 CLE would be a limited-run model as part of its Mythos series, the second such car after the PureSpeed SL. Now a set of new images gives us a better look at the car, and it looks absolutely nuts.
Can I get a Hell yeah, brother in the chat?
First of all, just look at that grille. This might be the largest iteration of AMG’s Panamericana grille yet, at least until the new GT Black Series comes around. Not only are there fewer vertical vanes than normal and special inlets in the lower corners, the grille extends all the way to the bottom edge of the bumper where there’s a big splitter. Beneath the headlights are more huge intakes, and there are canards on the corners. The front fenders are wider, with large vents like those on a Porsche 911 GT3 RS or Ford Mustang GTD, but it doesn’t look like the hood is different.
The rear fenders are even wider, with a tacked-on RWB style to them. It doesn’t seem like this prototype wears unique wheels, but I’m sure the final thing will get its own design. The main event out back is the huge rear wing, which has big metal arms and a swan neck–esque design. Not only does the angle look adjustable, but the center section seems to have a separate flap — maybe it’s active, or some sort of DRS equipment. We can also see a new rear bumper with larger corner vents, a more serious diffuser, and big holes that will surely hold big exhaust tips.
Powerful and rare
When Mercedes released the first teasers of this car in January, all that it said about it is the following sentence: “While bearing a clear resemblance to the popular CLE, the extreme new model takes the concept several steps further, promising an even more uncompromising appearance and positioning itself as a genuine statement on the road – backed by a correspondingly powerful drivetrain and performance to match.” It will surely use AMG’s latest twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 with a flat-plane crank, and probably not with any hybrid assistance though a 48-volt system is possible. Rumors point to it getting around 650 horsepower, quite a lot more than an AMG GT63, and you can bet on there being other changes under the skin too, like a new suspension system and upgraded brakes. It’ll probably have no rear seats, too.
Mercedes will apparently only be making 30 of the CLE Mythos coupes, though there’s still a big chance there will be a normal CLE63 to slot underneath it that won’t have such extreme bodywork. We probably won’t have to wait long for the Mythos to be revealed — I’d expect it to make its debut by the end of this summer.
