Ah, we are children of the sun, even on days of heavy rain. Because on such days, the CL 500 can still bring us a good feeling of sunshine. Shortly before the car's 30th anniversary, it accompanied us to Hockenheim as a guest in the "Test Classics" section. Yes, the C140 can do that.
Just when you feel like you're approaching the last foothold, the uphill road really begins. The car snaked up higher. So when the new day breaks away from the night of Sinsheim with its first shade of gray, at less than five o'clock you reach the very top— the top of the ivory tower, where you get sight and feeling that you have never experienced before.
The concept of the ivory tower as a hermitage was proposed by the 19th-century French literary critic Charles Augustine Saint-Beuf. But who can we tell? It was only a few weeks ago that we remembered that the 30th birthday of the 140 Series S-Class coupes would soon be celebrated. Since we couldn't find a suitable place to celebrate the "Test Classic", we called the Mercedes Classic department again.
"Hello, this is a Mercedes classic car..."
"I'm Sebastian..."
"Unfortunately, we can't take your calls personally. Please leave us a message. If it's you again, Sebastian, get ready to pick up the C 140 Coupé 30th Anniversary Edition, which we've got for you, or CL 500, at 9:30 on Tuesday. ”
Too good for the world
So, at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning, it stopped there, its black body shining with brilliance, and its luxurious temperament was elegant and atmospheric. It debuted at the Detroit Auto Show in January 1992, almost exactly 30 years ago, and it must have been a wonderful time. It was an era of creating cars, which were like being developed in an ivory tower, and engineers didn't follow any trends, only their inner quest for perfection.
Engineers began designing the 140 Series in 1981. The new S-Class was supposed to be launched in the fall of 1989 and was already 10 years behind its predecessor, the W 126. But it had to be postponed even later, as BMW introduced the 750i in 1987, the first German-built twelve-cylinder car "after the war" and a point that BMW and the established automotive media have been tirelessly emphasizing. To counter the V12's 7 Series, Mercedes-Benz's board of directors decided to add S-Class sedans, setting an example in terms of size, engine power and cylinders. "The title of top engine should not belong to the 408-horsepower V12 of the 600 SEL, but should fall on the 800 SEL equipped with a 16-cylinder engine and 560 horsepower", such rumors remain.
As a result, the head of the development department at the time lost his job because of a change of strategy and expansion of research and development goals, and Mercedes-Benz not only delayed for a year and a half, but also lost a large amount of money in addition to the cost of 3 billion euros. Finally, at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1991, the 140 appeared. It was arguably the best car in the world at the time, but it was still under attack — "taz" accused the Mercedes of being a climate killer (there were 30 similar insults, and it was almost time for something new) or the gibberish of a Sylt car train. Let's skip the insults and move on to the coupe that was introduced in 1992, when the provocative people had used up their vitriol and meanness.
Originally known as the SEC, the two-door car was called the S Coupé from June 1993 and renamed CL in June 1996. Because it has a raised headlamp, the name "killer pear" has always been used as an alias for it (this is not some kind of pear, but refers to a capable, aggressive African bee, a hybrid bee). However, we advise officials and dignitaries to be cautious about this level of expertise. If people get it wrong, it's easy to become an honorary member of the Fruit and Gardening Association).
Now let's go inside and look at the door first: double-glazed glass, while safe, weighs as much as a safe. At today's level, a metal as heavy as it can make the body of a Smart car. The door slammed and locked so hard that one might be a little worried about whether it could never be opened again. Then, sit back in a large leather armchair. In the modern sense that emerged 30 years ago and continues to this day, people may begin to shake the original idea: this coupe is not an arrogant local tycoon, it is an advocate of democratization. Are you trying to say that Mercedes-Benz has no smaller car today? Okay, but not so!
After all, society always has to progress. The C 140, which we drove in October 1997, has been improved, with side airbags, xenon lights, an ABS system including brake assist, seat occupancy recognition, and parking sensors as standard (replacing the 6.5 cm wide gauge that extends from the rear upwards from the rear of the car, which was used in May 1995). In 1993, the width of the car was extended by 8.5 cm. Detailed knowledge can earn you the chairmanship of the W-140 Fan Club, so it's also worth noting here). In addition, there are optional adaptive shock absorbers, navigation, telephone voice control, and the first-appearance ESP. In order for all of this to become the standard for small cars, there must be an iconic product. That's exactly 140. Heck, we've been chatting, so let's drive the CL 500 to the underground parking lot. Tomorrow we will test it.
This morning's weather has foreshadowed heavy rain during the test. So when the neon lights of our underground parking lot flicker, the new day still hangs in the foothills of the old night. Get in the car, turn the key, and the V8 starts. Its hum reverberated softly between the walls and the columns. The shift lever flicked to D gear, the foot left the brake pedal, and the wheels of the CL 500 rolled politely, then to the roller shutter door, which seemed to be in a hurry to clear its path. The car passes through the twinkling lights of the city and into the darkness of the highway.
The intake camshaft of the four-valve V8 engine (known here as the M 119 E 50) manufactured since 1989 has a two-stage phase and is considered one of the best Mercedes engines ever built. It's always understated, but it's always powerful, it's a really powerful engine that's characterised by endless potential. It gently drives the coupe with the roar of eight cylinders, reaching imperceptible speeds. Remember to find the exit early, otherwise surrounded by the most soft and comfortable environment, you will have walked through the Mountains of Kassel to the Delamétar Triangle before you realize that you have long missed Valdolfo.
Although current fuel consumption indicators generally show around 25 liters, the fuel gauge moves very slowly, and this obvious contradiction is explained at gas stations. It's not so much that the car consumes less fuel than that the 100-liter fuel tank capacity is large enough.
Look, the wind is blowing from the north and it's raining all over the country, so there's no time to joke around at the gas station today, but to hurry to the track.
Strength and order
It wasn't very bright, but it was still dry. First, we weighed it and confirmed that the CL 500 weighs a lot less than most current electric SUVs. It was too dark to take pictures, so we tested and then took pictures. Now quickly install the measuring equipment and head to the test track. First, carefully measure the speedometer, followed by the indoor noise when idling. Now enter the buffer zone for sharp turns. Turn off the ASR, brake a little harder, and you're ready to go.
Maybe some 320-horsepower cars accelerate faster and more noticeably than the 500, but almost no car can be so autonomous. In the absence of a starting tire, the CL simply pushes forward without any jerking of shifts at all, as the five-speed gearbox with torque converter locking with slip control can be electronically controlled to adjust the gear ratio smoothly and quietly.
Wouldn't it be faster if I gave up this good etiquette? Please, don't choose to be brutal and rude in order to save a few tenths of a second. In fact, the CL500 only takes 7.5 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h. The 600 V12 coupe, tested in 1993, was only 0.2 seconds faster than it, and such a slight advantage was humbling. Now talk about the brakes, CL's brakes are very strong. If new tires are installed, the brakes will be more violent.
Just dropped the first drop of rain? Hurry into emergency line change and pile winding tests. Let's see if the first ESP in history will have a jerky brake. Not really. When Otto carefully turns the large steering wheel of the circulating ball steering gear, the electronics adjust with great restraint. It is only when Otto provokes it that it intervenes truly brutally.
How effective is this for CL protection? We'll know right away because now the rain is pouring down on the track. The test track on the south side was completely wet. Yes, we'll try it there. Turn off the ESP and step on the throttle before going downhill. The CL 500 violently pushed the rear of the car outward, and people did not expect this solemn coupe to behave like this. This is not the case on country roads. But that didn't stop the gentleman drivers of the time from rejecting risk control systems, believing that the introduction of ESP would lead to more danger. Well, these are the "heroes" who claimed 20 years ago that they would rather be thrown out of the car from the windshield than tie themselves to the car with a seat belt when an accident occurs.
While sheltering from the rain, we thought: Times are different, at least in terms of safety, people have become smarter. Inside the car, we measured the loose interior space, as well as the compact turning diameter. Now come and take photos on the track after the rain. We put everything together. Packed up his things and went home with a heavy "killer pear".
Even today, when people talk about driving and driving comfort, there's no room for improvement. Oh, and if we were also French critics, we could say, "Bien' ne va plus" (too good to be true).