The original CLS55 AMG was a four-door Mercedes McLaren SLR for the family

With Mercedes-Benz about to drop the all-new CLS-Class at the Los Angeles Auto Show, we look back at the car that started it all. 

Born from the need of… uhh, well nothing really, the CLS55 AMG performance sedan was one of the craziest cars of its time. But the thing was, Mercedes didn’t really need it.

It already had the E-Class; a soft and pamperous plush mobile that could comfortably storm the autobahns with ease - and that was before the AMG supercharging found in the E55 trim.

And when it was gifted with the blessings of AMG, the E55 could well and truly compete with the BMW M5 and twin-turbo Audi RS6. But what it couldn’t do was compete with was the Maserati Quattroporte. In Mercedes’ eyes at least, it didn’t have that glamorous X-factor that a big fat Merc should have. The Maserati was chic, it was stylish, and it exhuted performance at every angle. How could an E-Class compete with a four-door Ferrari? Enter the CLS-Class.

While it was intended to be a “four-door coupe”, it was actually just a sedan with a steeply sloped roof. Or, in other words, a compromise. But what it sacrificed in rear head and legroom, it gained in looks and performance.

Designed by Michael Fink (the same guy who designed the 57 and 62 Maybachs), the CLS instantly became a design classic, unintentionally spawning the first in a long line of ‘coupified’ German sedans that were just as beautiful to look at as they were to be driven around in.

But while the CLS may have just been a ‘coupified’ E-Class - it almost had an identical interior, bar the rear seat divider - it wasn’t entirely the same machine under the skin. The steering was 10 per cent faster, the suspension was tauter, and the entire chassis was a whopping 40 per cent stiffer. Add the same brake tech from the McLaren SLR to the top-of-the range CLS55 AMG, and the CLS-Class became much more of a driver-orientated machine. It even had wider 245/35 [F] 285/30 [R] section wheels, which meant that cornering forces were increased from the E-Class' .83g up to .88g.

While the E55 AMG - and a selection of other period Mercs - had the same 350kW/700Nm, 5.4-litre supercharged V8, it was the CLS55 that made the most of it. Even adjusting six whole seconds for the E55 AMG’s “very wet” lap time on the Top Gear test track, the CLS55 was ahead by 2.6 seconds. The CLS55 meant business.

But as the years went on, so did the charisma of the original CLS55 AMG. Later generations and facelifts saw the CLS-Class grow bigger and fatter; effectively losing it's Jekyll and Hyde juxtaposition. But hey, as it lost its older SLR McLaren cousin as inspiration, who could blame it?

While we'll have to wait a while until the new CLS-Class gets released in Oz, we're hoping that it brings back the original charm and charisma of the original.

What do you think of the CLS-Class Mercedes-Benz? Is it a four-door SLR McLaren, or a bottomless pit for your wallet to fall into? Tell us what you think in the comments below.