This £17k Mercedes CL63 Is The Classiest Way To Get AMG's 6.2 V8

Think of the AMG greats that have used Affalterbach’s short-lived but legendary 6.2-litre V8, and I reckon it’ll be the likes of the C63 and CLK63 Black Series that spring to mind first. One that you might have forgotten about, though, is the CL63.

It’s always stuck in my mind, though, ever since I read an extravagant magazine feature on one as a pimply-faced student. It blended the gorgeous, swoopy looks Mercedes was known for at the time with a big, rumbly V8. The CL63 gave some hints to the power that lay beneath without giving the game away entirely. And good God did it look mean in black.

At the time, its six-figure price tag seemed way out of reach, but all these years on, depreciation has ravaged C216 CL values. As such, it’s now possible to buy a CL63 for the price of a Ford Fiesta. The car you see here is a mere £17,000.

The advert’s low on detail, but we do know it’s clocked 82,000 (reasonable for a 12-year-old waft-mobile) and has a full-service history. It’s not black and the fitting of ‘Rxmotion’ tyres suggests the previous owner might have been a bit tight, which is always a worry. Compromises have to be made, though, as CL63 choice is limited - according to How Many Left, there are only 218 6.2-litre CL63s licensed for use on UK roads. As a consequence, they don’t come up for sale often.

It was only made for three years, with the nat-asp V8 replaced with a 5.5-litre twin-turbo engine when the facelift was launched in 2010. It’s definitely the former you want, even if the latter had a lot more torque.

That’s not to say the 6.2 won’t leave you wanting for clout - it produces 514bhp and 465lb-ft, making for a 0-62mph time of 4.6 seconds. And of course, the soundtrack will be far superior.

The catch, as hinted by the former keeper sticking this example on budget tyres, is the price of replacing anything on it. While there are no horror stories attached to the CL63 that match the calibre of those associated with something like a V10 BMW M6, parts and service prices will be on the whole very painful. This may be as cheap to buy as a supermini, but it sure as hell isn’t as cheap to run.

Still tempted, regardless?