The Mercedes-AMG CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung Is a 637-HP V8 Coupe Built for Just 30 People
The Mercedes-AMG CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung sounds like the kind of car enthusiasts have been asking AMG to build again: a lightweight-minded coupe, a thundering V8 and power sent exclusively to the rear wheels.
Limited to just 30 examples worldwide, the hand-built Mercedes-AMG CLE 646 develops roughly 637 horsepower from a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8, tops out at 193 mph and sheds approximately 375 pounds compared to its donor car. Unsurprisingly, all 30 examples were already spoken for before Mercedes-Benz officially revealed it.
More importantly, this isn’t simply another special-edition AMG with more power and some carbon fiber thrown at it. The CLE 646 started as something closer to an engineering passion project.
THE MERCEDES-AMG CLE 646 STARTED AS AN ENGINEERING SIDE PROJECT
According to Mercedes-AMG, the CLE 646 didn’t originate from a traditional product-development brief. Instead, a small group of engineers began exploring a simple question: how far could the CLE platform be pushed in the name of maximum driving dynamics?
The team initially constructed a prototype, but rather than developing a handful of standalone performance upgrades, AMG ultimately reworked the car as one complete performance package.
The current Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 serves as the foundation, but what emerges from Affalterbach barely resembles a conventional CLE underneath. Power increased, weight came down, the body was extensively modified and the all-wheel-drive system disappeared altogether.
A 4.0-LITER V8 SENDS EVERYTHING TO THE REAR WHEELS
At the center of the Mercedes-AMG CLE 646 is an extensively upgraded M177 EVO 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 producing 475 kW, or 646 PS. For U.S. readers, that translates to approximately 637 horsepower, while torque stands at roughly 627 lb-ft.
The engine also uses a flat-plane crankshaft designed to reduce rotating mass and improve response, while a titanium exhaust system developed in collaboration with Akrapovič makes sure the V8 isn’t shy about announcing itself.
More importantly, AMG removed the CLE 53’s Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel-drive system completely, sending every bit of power exclusively to the rear wheels through a nine-speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT transmission and electronically controlled limited-slip differential.
Performance is suitably unhinged, with the Mercedes-AMG CLE 646 reaching 124 mph in 11.4 seconds before continuing to a top speed of 193 mph.
AMG CUT ABOUT 375 POUNDS FROM THE DONOR CAR
Adding horsepower is easy. Removing roughly 375 pounds while simultaneously turning a luxury coupe into something engineered for serious track work is considerably more interesting.
Carbon fiber is used throughout the CLE 646, including the hood, roof, front fenders, side sills, rear diffuser, trunk lid and manually adjustable rear wing. AMG also fitted polycarbonate rear glass, a lighter battery and a titanium exhaust while stripping out the rear seats and reducing sound insulation inside.
The body was widened by 60 millimeters at both ends, allowing AMG to fit massive 305-section front and 335-section rear tires. The resulting stance makes the CLE 646 look considerably more serious than the car it started life as.
THE CLE 646 ISN’T JUST A STRAIGHT-LINE CAR
AMG went just as deep underneath the body, working with KW to develop a four-way adjustable coilover suspension specifically for the car. The setup allows independent adjustment of high- and low-speed compression and rebound, while the body structure was reinforced, an integrated rollover bar increases rigidity and AMG ceramic composite brakes handle stopping duties.
Then there’s the aero package. An adjustable front diffuser, fender louvers, extensive underbody work and the massive rear wing combine to produce more than 550 pounds of downforce at top speed.
AMG even gives the Mercedes-AMG CLE 646 nine-stage traction control when the stability system is switched off, further underlining that this wasn’t designed merely to look aggressive parked outside a hotel.
ONLY 30 MERCEDES-AMG CLE 646 COUPES WILL EXIST
The CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung is only the second model in Mercedes-Benz’s ultra-exclusive Mythos Series, following the roofless Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed.
Mercedes produced 250 PureSpeed examples, but the CLE 646 is considerably rarer at just 30 units worldwide. Mercedes says every one was sold before the car made its world premiere.
Pricing hasn’t been publicly announced, though that detail is somewhat academic at this point. Unless your name was already on AMG’s list, you weren’t buying one anyway.
WHY “SPEZIALANFERTIGUNG” MATTERS
The absurdly long name actually tells part of the story, as each Mercedes-AMG CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung begins with a CLE 53 platform before undergoing an extensive hand-built transformation at AMG headquarters in Affalterbach.
Mercedes connects that approach to a long history of bespoke AMG machinery, including the legendary AMG 300 CE 6.0 “Hammer,” which is probably the best way to understand what makes the Mercedes-AMG CLE 646special.
This isn’t compelling simply because AMG found a way to squeeze 637 horsepower from another V8 coupe. It’s the combination of rear-wheel drive, substantial weight reduction, legitimate track hardware and an almost irrational amount of engineering poured into just 30 cars that makes the Mercedes-AMG CLE 646 feel like a callback to the kind of machine that built AMG’s reputation in the first place. Modern AMG still knows how to build something properly outrageous.
