The S-Class is one of the brightest stars in the Mercedes stable. That said however, in most countries, the young swish set is partial to the luxury coupe version — the CL. Mercedes has been making coupes for over 50 years now, starting with the famous, almost legendary 300 S coupe in 1952. The successor to the ‘300’ was rolled out in 1956 — the 220S, which was part of the W180 series.

This car was referred to as having a “Sindelfingen body”, as that’s where the car had been developed. It later came to be known as the ‘Pontoon’-bodied Merc. In fact, today a Pontoon Merc is considered a true classic. The 220Seb coupe followed in 1961. But from 1981, the coupes were based on the striking C126 model series, known as the SEC coupes. These were based on what was the S-Class of the time, and had quite a long production run, selling 74,000 units over 10 years.

It was only in 1992, that the Geneva Motor Show saw the launch of the succeeding C140 model series-based coupe and the introduction of a 394 hp 12-cylinder engine. This in fact was the predecessor of the CL-Class Coup, that debuted in 1999. It was with this car that Mercedes introduced several new features. This new coupe also created quite a stir with new design standards, and of course, new standards of driving, comfort and safety.

The CL had an option of a five-litre V8 unit developing 306hp or a 367hp 12-cylinder engine, with features like three valves per cylinder, twin-spark ignition, and a completely revised safety package with belt force limiters on all seats, automatic child seat recognition and a two-stage airbag for the front passenger seat. With such advanced technology built-in, how could Mercedes improve upon the CL? Well, the luxury car company did indeed improve on the CL and the result is the new CL Class car, — the seventh-generation of luxury Mercedes coupes.

First and foremost, it is a big car — obviously a Mercedes trait. In fact, it is bigger than the model it is replacing with a length of 5065mm, a width of 1871mm and height of 1418mm. In comparison, the new CL is 75mm longer, 14mm wider and 20mm higher than the older car and all those extra millimetres translate into more luxury and space — even the boot space has been increased by 40 litres. The front axle has four links while the rear suspension is multi-link and independent. The car rides on 235/55 R 17 tyres and has disc brakes all round with a lot of electronic wizardry aiding their action. The CL600 rides on 255/45 R 18 tyres at front while the rear tyres are 275/45 R 18.

What lies under the bonnet? That depends upon the version one selects. The CL 500 has an eight-cylinder engine developing 388hp and a maximum torque of 530 Newton metres from as low as 2800rpm. It incorporates four-valve technology as well as other bits that help to take it from zero to 100kph in just 5.4 seconds — an improvement on the 6.3 seconds of the previous model. The CL600 features a bi-turbo 12-cylinder engine under its bonnet, which develops 517hp. Torque, rises sharply starting at 1900rpm to 830Nm and stays a constant 830Nm at 3500 rpm. That means the CL600 can accelerate from zero to 100kph in 4.6 seconds.

Slated to be launched in autumn of 2006, and in India perhaps, by next year, Mercedes is already calling the new CL a masterpiece among luxury coupes. And one is inclined to believe them especially when you consider the many features it comes packing. Besides the usual, it has the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission with Direct Select, that Mercedes SLK drivers in India are familiar with.

Active Body Control has been retained in the CL since it is such an effective way of keeping a driver more in control and out of danger. It has active headlights that turn according to steering input, adaptive brakes and brakelights that respectively improve hill starts and warn drivers behind by flashing during emergency braking. In fact, looking at the lights under their clear glass lenses reminds one of eyeballs! The lighting system even has separate country road and highway driving modes. The Parktronic system’s efficiency can be enhanced by using an external camera while reversing.

The seats incorporate air cushions that allow the contour of the seat to be individually adjusted to fit the occupant’s body shape. What’s more, one can even get the seat to massage the back while one is driving! Now that’s what I call being in the lap of luxury! A multifunction steering wheel is par for the course as is the control it offers over the various systems like radio, telephone and navigation.

Also making an impact is the night-view assistance thanks to infrared headlamps and a cockpit display specifically designed to enhance the driver’s vision in darkness. For entertainment, the CL has a multi-channel digital music system that ensures that every seat is provided with surround sound. German market cars also have a TV tuner that can receive both digital and analog programming.

With such a line-up of heavy-duty features, there’s no doubt that the new CL coupe will take some beating! Mercedes owners and fans around the world are waiting with bated breath.