Mercedes-AMG CLE 646 swaps comfort for a 646-hp V8 — and all 30 units are already sold

Mercedes-AMG has revealed the CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung, a track-focused coupe developed at Affalterbach under the newly created Mythos series, which is reserved for high-end collectors. Only 30 examples will be built worldwide, and the company confirms every one of them has already been sold.

Power comes from a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 delivering 646 hp and 86.7 kgfm of torque between 2,500 and 4,500 rpm, assisted by a mild-hybrid system that contributes a modest 23 hp at low revs. The big mechanical change is the complete removal of all-wheel drive: all output now reaches the road through the rear axle alone, via a nine-speed automatic and an electronically controlled limited-slip differential. That costs some initial traction — 0-100 km/h takes a relatively leisurely 3.9 seconds — though top speed climbs to 310 km/h.

The weight-saving program is drastic: rear seats, most sound deadening and the parking assistant have been deleted, while polycarbonate glazing and extensive carbon-fiber panels make the car roughly 170 kg lighter than the standard CLE. Air suspension gives way to KW-developed coilovers with manually adjustable compression and rebound, and a manually deployable front diffuser plus a large carbon rear wing generate over 250 kg of downforce at top speed. The cabin is deliberately spartan, with microfiber bucket seats and a roll bar that also stiffens the chassis.

The body is 6 cm wider at both axles, and the 20-inch forged wheels cover 42 cm ceramic front discs with six-piston calipers. Mercedes has not announced a price, but the degree of hand-built customization points to a figure well above AMG's regular catalog sports cars.