Stopped by the local german car haunt

"thebigbossyboss" (thebigbossyboss)
06/27/2014 at 23:20 • Filed to: V12olopnik

....Here is a car I know next to nothing about. So i researched it. Apparently this is quite the vehicle.

I think this is a W140 CL 600 with the 6.0 L V12. 1993-1999, don't know enough to distinguish the year. ....The AMG badge confuses me. I thought that CL AMG's were called by two digits not 3. Maybe someone can explain.

...Dat V12 though!

DISCUSSION (20)

daender > thebigbossyboss
06/27/2014 at 23:22

AMG badge was likely thrown on by the owner.

Vince-The Roadside Mechanic > thebigbossyboss
06/27/2014 at 23:23

All I know is V12=fun having=hooning=crashing=ripping off vin plates and leaving in old farmers water collection ditch.

thebigbossyboss > daender
06/27/2014 at 23:23

...this I don't get. I mean this car is already pretty exclusive. Anyone who knows will think your douche. Noone else will get it.

ly2v8-Brian > thebigbossyboss
06/27/2014 at 23:24

I think you may be thinking of SL's

thebigbossyboss > ly2v8-Brian
06/27/2014 at 23:26

In terms of the amg badge? or the V12. This car definitely has the M120 48 valve V12 engine unless the CL600 badge is also false.

ly2v8-Brian > thebigbossyboss
06/27/2014 at 23:27

The digit thing you were wondering about.

thebigbossyboss > ly2v8-Brian
06/27/2014 at 23:30

Yeah, I think your sort of right. The two letter amg thing came with the next generation I think. Maybe el-Uly knows.

daender > thebigbossyboss
06/27/2014 at 23:32

Not exclusive enough, owner is jealous they don't have a S60 or S70.

Kinja'd!!!

ly2v8-Brian > thebigbossyboss
06/27/2014 at 23:32

Kinja'd!!!

get his attention with this.

Textured Soy Protein > thebigbossyboss
06/27/2014 at 23:43

There's a smalllllllllllllllllllll chance it's a CL600 AMG 7.0 .

Kinja'd!!!

Textured Soy Protein > thebigbossyboss
06/27/2014 at 23:47

There were 2-digit AMG versions of the S- and SL-class as far back as 1995 (scroll down to "Previous AMG Models"). But no CL.

JGrabowMSt > ly2v8-Brian
06/27/2014 at 23:58

R129 SL cars had 3 digits with AMG badges. It wasn't until the end of that model range as a whole (around 1999-2001) that it dropped down to 2 digits, and that was because of a mostly new naming system, though the SL class still has the 550. The SL500 was not offered with AMG Sport Tuning, but the SL600 and SL73 were.

The SL600 was dropped from the model range, making room for the SL65, which was originally like a predecessor for the SL73, which was even bigger and badder than the SL600 Sport, but now offered in more than just Europe, and with higher production numbers than 100.

The SL73 was the 7.3L V12, and the newer SL65 was the last V12 SL car, with the 6.5L V12 with twin turbo setup, done up by Renntech (at least the ones I've seen). The SL600 was the last N/A V12 SL car, as all the SL65 cars with the V12 have the twin turbo package, now done by AMG instead of Renntech.

So the SL range is SL550, SL63 and SL65. To the best of my knowledge, they don't offer any others new. AMG packages are available on the SL63/SL65 only at this point.

Now that that's out of the way, that CL600 is significant because the M120 under the hood is the same V12 as the SL600, as that engine was shared in many vehicles. It wasn't until the revamp after 1999 that the model ranges got new names, and the M120 wasn't used anymore. So the naming conventions are a little screwy, and the only way to really wrap your head around it is to look back to the 90's and what they were doing to have any sort of clue...

TL;DR: Older benzes use a much easier to follow naming convention than the new ones. Weird, because now it seems the lower end cars sport the 3 digit models, and only the 2 digit ones are all offered with AMG packages.

Evan, Pope Of Jalopnik by Self-Appointment > Textured Soy Protein
06/28/2014 at 00:02

Dear god. Such a cool car.

ly2v8-Brian > JGrabowMSt
06/28/2014 at 00:03

Thanks. Not a Benz expert but that was kind of what I thought, but I wasn't sure.

Evan, Pope Of Jalopnik by Self-Appointment > thebigbossyboss
06/28/2014 at 00:03

AMG badge is likely added on since it seems to have AMG wheels and an AMG body kit. Other than that it should be a normal CL600. Still a very, very rare car and arguably the finest car in the world for most of its lifespan.

chuck07 > thebigbossyboss
06/28/2014 at 00:10

I think it has to be 99. That is the year they started the CL name. Before that it was a S class coupe.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > thebigbossyboss
06/28/2014 at 00:47

lists Since '95, when they started selling AMG's in Mercedes dealers, they've had 2 digits, non-AMG's get 3 digits. Before that AMG was not affiliated with Mercedes and just slapped their logo on the end of the Mercedes designation. I highly doubt that this is an AMG model, it's post '95 so if it were a real AMG with the 7.0, I think it should be badged CL70. I could of course be wrong, I wasn't around Mercedes back then, let alone old enough to drive. But Mercedes/AMG lists me as an AMG expert/specialist, so if you have any questions just ask.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > JGrabowMSt
06/28/2014 at 01:15

You seem to have most of the facts straight, but it's a bit confusing without chassis numbers or years. General rule of thumb, since '95 only full AMG's get 2 digits, standard models, even with an AMG sport/appearance package get 3 digits. Renntech cars were never sold or endorsed by Mercedes. To my knowledge, Mercedes never made a 6.5l v12. SL's are still sold new with v12's, 600(still to come in the r231)and 65. V12 engines in chronological order: M120, m137, m275, m279, m277.

thebigbossyboss > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
06/28/2014 at 02:25

That clears it up thanks!

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > thebigbossyboss
06/28/2014 at 05:24

I just saw one today in Japan! Poor thing was on its last legs - the front suspension was sagging and the engine was rattling.