Mercedes-Benz marked the 40th year of its being an AMG inhauls performance specialist and its being a superlative producer in the auto arena by releasing an elegant version of its F1 safety car - the Black Edition AMG CLK63. The safety car is the European version of what we know as a pace car.
The name, Black, suggests gloom but when it was introduced in New York, it lit up the city.
With no flashing light bars and F1 tape in sight, the street legal sedan looked mean sporting a 500 horses 6.3 liter V8 engine power plant which does 0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds with an overall top speed of 300 km/h. Amazing. Isn't it?
Small yet with a huge on each of the four sides at top most part of the wheels . That describes the Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Black Series.
With orange, yellow or purple paint, the CLK Black Series is fitted with several substantial hardware upgrades. Most noticeable are the carbon-fiber that make room for 19-inch forged aluminum wheels and 265/30R19 Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires at the front and 285/30R19s at the back. These are comparable to because of their size. Composite brake discs are placed behind those wheels and they are similarly massive, measuring 14.2 inches in front and 13.0 inches in back.
Mercedes-Benz said in a press release that a sport exhaust system helps the CLK63 AMG Black Series produce 500 horsepower versus the 475 horses found in the standard CLK63 AMG. But there are no big changes to the AMG-built V8. A limited-slip differential gives an added measure of traction, which helps the CLK Black Series get to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. The automaker further said its top speed is electronically restricted to 186 mph only.
Up front, the Black Series cosmetic upgrades include the air dam, bigger air inlets and an extra set of cutouts to feed air to a secondary transmission cooler. At the back, a carbon-fiber air diffuser finishes off the otherwise untouched body shell.
A cousin of the race-inspired CLKs, the Black Series car will be sold in the U.S. starting this summer.
Auto experts expect small volume at a huge price.
The auto maker is still expected to create more amazing cars in the years to come as they always succeed in impressing the public whenever they unleash new vehicles.