You're looking at one of the best long-distance cruisers ever. Torque in abundance, effortless speed and the sort of all-encompassing refinement that makes long journeys a pleasure rather than a chore. The 2007 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG has it all.

The CL65 AMG is the latest in a long line of insanely powerful Mercedes-Benz models. The rear-wheel-drive coupe packs 95 horsepower more than the already seriously rapid CL600 for a total of 604 hp at 5,000 rpm.

The Baritone Boom of 604 Horses
Sitting up front beneath the CL's long, contoured bonnet is a slightly modified version of the twin-turbocharged V12 power plant featured in the previous CL. Derived from the seriously potent 24-valve, 5.5-liter V12 engine used in the Maybach limousine, this engine has a slightly larger 86.5mm bore and a significantly longer 93.0mm stroke, taking displacement up to 6.0 liters.

The modifications include forged pistons with improved oil cooling, stronger main bearings, revised combustion chambers, high-lift camshaft profiles, an industrial-strength oil pump, a sizable air-to-water intercooler and twin, large-capacity turbochargers that deliver about 7 psi of boost.

Thumb the starter button atop the gearlever and there's a barely audible rumble. Prod the throttle and the AMG-built engine becomes slightly more vocal, but not in an obtrusive way. Which is a pity, actually, as this turbocharged V12 sounds delicious when you do finally get to wind it up in anger. The quartet of chrome tailpipes produces a memorable baritone soundtrack up around the redline at 6,200 rpm.

Not that much winding up is required anyway, since there is 738 pound-feet of torque between 2,000 and 4,000 rpm. This is the kind of power that keeps the CL65 strong well into triple-digit speeds, yet only the buffeting of wind around the exterior mirrors and some distant road noise being thrown up from underneath the CL65 AMG's 275/35ZR20 rear tires gives you any hint of the indecently rapid progress being made.

Hitting the Gaps in Traffic
To cope with the massive power reserves, Mercedes-Benz has forgone the standard CL's seven-speed automatic gearbox in favor of an older five-speed arrangement, and it adds a heavily reinforced torque converter plus beefed-up driveshafts. The CL transmission also incorporates AMG's latest SpeedShift electronics package, which features shift paddles mounted on the steering wheel and a different, more intuitive shift schedule. The transmission reacts well on the upshifts with a crisp action, but it doesn't match engine revs during downshifts, so the action is a little tardy, holding onto gears too long as you whip off speed.

Despite tipping the scales at a portly 4,938 pounds, the big new coupe is claimed to blast its way to 62 mph from a standstill in just 4.4 seconds, which places it 0.2 second inside the time achieved by the CL63 AMG with its normally aspirated 525-hp 6.2-liter V8.

It is the new Mercedes-Benz's midrange muscle that really grabs your attention, however. Indeed, it's stunning to see the way it can be made to pull away from surrounding traffic the moment there's a gap to exploit. Overtaking? No problem. Simply ease in some added throttle and whoosh... The CL65 romps down the road, shrinking vast distances into a few short moments, and open corners on the highway suddenly seem treacherously tight as you arrive at them at speeds well above what seems probable.

As with all standard AMG models, the CL65's top speed is limited to 155 mph. Too bad, because this new Mercedes-Benz is apparently geared for an unrestricted 212 mph when it's flat out. The downside to all this, of course, is fuel consumption. With a European-calibrated combined average of 15.9 mpg, the CL65 AMG is hardly going to win any environmental prizes.

Treat It With Respect
Dynamically, this new car is a vast improvement over the old CL65 AMG, offering added stability, sharper reactions and, crucially, a heavier, more reassuring amount of steering effort at speed. But remember, this is a big and heavy car, and such is its penchant for speed that you must treat it with the utmost respect when the road turns twisty.

Pushed hard, the CL65 AMG proves competent but hardly nimble, and it makes time by relying chiefly on its explosive acceleration and big brakes rather than the finesse of its rear-wheel-drive chassis or the communicativeness of its steering. The inclusion of Mercedes-Benz's latest iteration of Active Body Control (a system of interlinked hydraulic dampers to limit body roll, a technology Mercedes introduced with a previous-generation CL) means there's precious little body lean when you're committed in a corner, but this artificial control tends to cloud the dynamic boundaries of the car, imparting the CL with a slightly remote feel the faster it goes.

We don't have any qualms about the ride quality, though. It remains cosseting and controlled whatever the surface. Despite the inclusion of just about every driving aid offered by Mercedes-Benz, including a specially calibrated ESP (electronic stability program), the CL65 AMG's engine serves up enough grunt to break traction in lower gears. As a result, you find yourself adopting a traditional approach to cornering: slow in/gentle on the power/fast out.

Presence That Matches Performance
Still, it's not only the performance that sets the CL65 AMG apart. This car also possesses undeniable presence in the metal thanks to its AMG body kit, which includes a deep front spoiler with enlarged air intakes and round foglamps, chiseled rocker-sill extensions, a reprofiled rear bumper and a set of seriously cool, five-spoke, 20-inch alloy wheels.

The interior with its four-seat layout is beautifully finished, detailed in the style that you'd expect from a car that competes against the likes of the Bentley Continental GT. Where this car really impresses, though, is in its comfort. The front seats incorporate active bolsters, heating/cooling functions and even a massage feature.

Generous accommodation also means you never feel cramped. Indeed, with a trunk capacity of nearly 17 cubic feet, this is a hugely practical car. Yes, the CL65 AMG makes for an awesome cruiser. But it is also much more besides, and without doubt a far better proposition than its predecessor.

The Ultimate Benz
It's important to keep from getting too carried away with practicality, though, as the CL65 AMG is really about something else, especially since it's priced far beyond the $137,000 2007 CL63 AMG at nearly $200,000.

You can see it in the special, limited-edition 40th anniversary edition of the CL65, which celebrates AMG's 40th year in business. Finished in AMG Alubeam, a treatment seen before only on Mercedes-Benz show cars, this CL gleams as if it were wearing a thin skin of liquid metal. The paint is complemented by a two-tone interior with quilted-leather upholstery for the front seats.

The 2007 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG is as close as the Mercedes people ever get to a car that's about style, not substance. Though they talk about practical performance, they're really just showing off. The result is a car so ambitious and so well made that it makes the exotic midengine supercars seem like little more than toys for children.