First Drive: 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS55 AMG
AMG firms up the air springs and solenoid-controlled shocks of the CLS500's standard Airmatic DC suspension, and larger anti-roll bars are used front and rear. The CLS55 is also lowered 10 mm (0.4 inch). Like the system in the standard CLS500, the CLS55's suspension has three settings selectable with a console-mounted button, but the AMG version starts out where the base car leaves off. The stiffest setting on the regular car feels about the same as the most comfortable on the AMG version. Airmatic DC does a credible job of keeping body roll to a minimum by routing extra air to the spring bellows on the outside of the turn. It tames brake dive as well by pumping air to the front bellows on hard stops.
AMG fits U.S.-bound CLS55 models with 19-inch staggered-size wheels and tires, but 18-inchers are optional for buyers who need more sidewall cushion to deal with cratered roads and tank-size potholes. The binders still use the Mercedes electro-hydraulic Sensotronic system, but Stuttgart's algorithm-crunchers apparently have tamed the jerkiness and grabby quality that characterized the brake-by-wire system on last year's E-Class. The CLS55's closest competitor might be another coupelike sedan with a supercharged V-8, Jaguar's XJR. With some buyers put off by what they view as unsettling design directions at BMW, Mercedes sees an opening with the CLS.