The Speed Monster

And the storys the same on the inside. At first glance these interiors look like the Mercs best interpretation of Audi cool,with plenty of brushed aluminium bits,a handsomely crafted steering wheel,clean crisp lines and some attractive details. The functionality of some of the new bits has been improved and the infinitely adjustable front seats are amazing. Rear seat comfort is much better than that of the earlier low-roofed CLS. The seat is almost as comfortable as an E-class,headroom is more than that on the earlier car and this AMG version has beautifully trimmed rear doors.

But you dont buy an AMG to simply sit in its rear seats. You buy it to sit behind the wheel,grip it and experience the cannon-like performance as you flatten the accelerator. And with a chest-thumping 549bhp,grip you will,till your knuckles turn white.

The car starts with a deep-chested woof,almost a bark,and AMG has done a stellar job of getting the bass right. It is crisp and tight,and sounds urgent and full of intent. And thats despite the presence of the turbos that tend to come in the way of the pipe music and that pure V8 sound we love.

While this car may be called the 63 for historical reasons,the motor under the hood,confusingly,isnt the 6.3-litre,naturally aspirated V8. The real clue to what lies under the hood sits on the fenders,where you find an attractive-looking V8 Biturbo badge. This new 5.5-litre,twin-turbo V8 has been designed by AMG to be the power plant of the future. Even though its smaller in capacity,and hence cleaner and more efficient,this motor can be tuned to deliver masses of power on boost.

However,it lacks the immediate response of the earlier naturally aspirated 6.3. Sure,it takes off like it has been drop-kicked on full throttle,and initial acceleration is also very strong. But there is a hint of lag,especially if you find yourself in the wrong gear at the wrong speed at half-throttle,but I guess thats to be expected.

Whats important,though,is that where it matters,theres no sign of the lag. Make sure you have an empty stretch of road ahead of you,flatten the throttle and the CLS explodes off the line with the energy of a tsunami. You hit 150kph before you think youve crossed 80,200kph comes up as easily as 120,and 10 minutes behind the wheel is all you need to get out of the car with your hair standing on end. Make no mistake,this AMG has the ability to push you and three passengers to express-train velocities in mere seconds,without any kicking,screaming or drama. The only screaming youll hear is likely to emanate from within the cabin this AMG has the ability to scare passengers totally witless.

Soon,the extroverted styling,road-roller spec tyres and the ground-hugging shape begin to make sense. This car has serious performance on tap,easily up there with many dedicated two-seaters,and what makes the motor even more effective is the purpose-built seven-speed auto that quickly dishes up the tastiest bits of midrange on cue. So the CLS 63 AMG feels devastatingly quick as long as youre on it.

Theres also plenty of agility here,despite the 1.9-tonne kerb weight. The quick steering makes the nose of the car snap to attention the instant you tweak the wheel,the new purpose-built front suspension seems to ooze an almost-magnetic grip and the CLS hurls itself around corners like its running on rails. Is there any doubt,this car is right up there with the Bentley and Porsche four-seaters of the world and almost a bargain at approximately Rs 1.25 crore. Rivals like the Porsches Panamera Turbo or the Bentley Continental Flying Spur cost Rs 2.07 crore or Rs 1.88 crore respectively. The CLS AMG is well suited to Indian conditions. It has sufficient ground clearance to be practical,enough space to be comfortable for four and,with 36 Mercedes dealers spread all over India,you know it will be well looked after.

The writer is deputy editor,Autocar India