MERCEDES-BENZ CLS55 AMG

TORONTO, ON –  The breathtakingly beautiful coupe-like car with four doors now boasts a 469-horsepower V8 engine from AMG, the high-performance division of Mercedes-Benz.  AMG has worked its magic on the CLS powertrain, interior and exterior, including AMG sport seats with nappa leather and new-design 19-inch AMG alloy wheels.

More Power and Grace for the Graceful CLS
While the CLS500 debuted in Canada in January with a 302-horsepower 5.0-litre V8, the new CLS55 AMG is powered by the Engine Technology International magazine's "Best Performance Engine" of 2003 – a supercharged 5.5litre V8 that makes 469 horsepower and 516 lb.-ft of torque for eye-popping 0-100 km/h acceleration times of 4.7 seconds! The impressive power of the CLS55 AMG can be attributed to sophisticated supercharger technology that's found in the E55 AMG and SL55 AMG.  A belt-driven Lysholm screw-type supercharger is located between the V8 cylinder banks and works together with a special intercooler to ensure low-temperature, high-density intake air. 

Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a five-speed AMG Speedshift automatic transmission that can be manually shifted from either the conventional shift lever or from Formula-1 style gearshift buttons on the ergonomic AMG sports steering wheel.

To give performance-minded drivers total control of shifting, the manual mode of AMG Speedshift doesn't permit any automatic upshifts – even at max engine speed – or automatic downshifts, even under full load.  AMG Speedshift electronic control provides 35 faster gear shifts and torque converter lockup from 1st gear.

Beauty That Is More Than Skin Deep
AMG engineers developed a new sports suspension for the CLS55 AMG that's based on the Mercedes-Benz semi-active air suspension.  For flatter cornering, the springs, shocks and stabilizer bars are stiffer than on the CLS500.  The CLS55 AMG air suspension includes automatic level control that maintains ride height even when the car is loaded with passengers and cargo, and the driver can choose from three sport-comfort settings as well. 

Speed-sensitive power steering ensures low steering effort for low speed maneuvers such as parallel parking but automatically reduces the steering assist above 100 km/h to provide good road feel.

To make sure the CLS55 AMG stops as fast as it goes, giant vented and perforated disc brakes all around feature 355 mm (14-inch) discs and eight-piston calipers up front and 330 mm (13-inch) discs with four-piston calipers at the rear.  Staggered 19-inch wheels with 8 1/2 and 9 1/2 inch widths carry 255/35 tires in front and 285/30 at the rear.

To help handle all the power, the ESP system can apply the brakes on just one wheel to transfer torque to the wheels with better traction, achieving much the same effect as a limited-slip differential.  Beefier driveshafts, heavy-duty rear suspension parts and a stronger differential housing with cooling fins complete the package.

Powerful Supercharger Nestled in the Notch
The impressive power of the AMG V8 comes through a belt-driven "Lysholm," or screw-type supercharger that spins at over 23,000 rpm, making a maximum pressure of 11.6 psi, or 0.8 bar. 

The supercharger is not spinning all the time.  Depending on engine speed and load, the engine management computer decides whether to engage the supercharger via an electromagnetic clutch.  Imperceptible to the driver, this system provides the best of both worlds – the efficiency of a non-supercharged engine at idle and part-throttle as well as the prodigious power of supercharging whenever it's needed. 

Air-To-Water Intercooler Also Boosts Power
To improve efficiency even further, an innovative intercooler sits between the cylinder banks and operates as an air-to-water heat exchanger, extracting heat from the compressed air and transferring it to the coolant.  Totally independent of the primary coolant circuit for the V8 engine, a separate pump flows water through a special low-temperature cooler located between the air conditioning condenser and the radiator.  Also, an engine oil cooler is housed in the front apron.
Racing Experience Means Reliability
Nearly all the mechanical components from the basic 5.0-litre V8 engine have been modified significantly.  Mercedes-AMG's vast experience in high-performance engines for motorsports shows through:

• crankcase uses special cross-bolted main bearing caps
• crankshaft with a 92-millimeter stroke using modified bearings and more durable material
• pistons specially forged to resist heat and pressure
• oil supply with a new sump and more powerful oil pump
• camshafts with longer-duration valve opening to pack more air and fuel into the combustion chambers
• valve train uses a double spring assembly with lightweight spring retainers
•  
•  "One Man, One Engine"
• To achieve these top power figures, the technicians at Mercedes-AMG build every engine by hand, ensuring precision tolerances.  Individual workmanship and skill are paramount: each technician is responsible for a complete engine.  With the utmost care, the craftsman installs each and every part himself, from the crankshaft, connecting rods and pistons to the supercharger.  When the job is done, a plaque signed by the technician is affixed to the engine.
•  
• The Sound of Power

The AMG engine's exhaust system is just as sophisticated as the rest of the car.  With the exception of the two exhaust manifolds, the complete exhaust systems of each Mercedes-AMG model have been designed specifically for that application.  All four catalytic converters are of ceramic material and feature thin-wall technology.  Larger surface area in the catalytic converters ensure reduced exhaust back pressure and more rapid heating on a cold start, to benefit both performance and exhaust emissions.  The sound emanating from the characteristic, twin-oval AMG tailpipe produces an aggressive exhaust note with a pleasant resonance.

About AMG
AMG has been a subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler since 1999 and is located near Stuttgart in Affalterbach, Germany.  AMG employs 650 specialists in development, production and administrative areas.  AMG develops each of its models, from the engine and driveline to suspension, brakes, chassis and aerodynamics.  Each engine is produced and tested at AMG's headquarters in Affalterbach, and AMG models are assembled at the main Mercedes-Benz vehicle assembly plants. 

About Mercedes-Benz Canada
Mercedes-Benz Canada is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of the three brands within the Mercedes Car Group in Canada; Mercedes-Benz, smart, and Maybach.  Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Mercedes-Benz Canada employs approximately 910 people in 23 locations across Canada.  Through a nationwide network of 19 Mercedes-Benz owned retail operations and 39 authorized dealerships, Mercedes-Benz Canada sold 13,259 vehicles during 2004.

The employees at Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc. are proudly celebrating our 50th anniversary in Canada this year.  As we have been for the past five decades, Mercedes-Benz Canada will continue to strive, first and foremost, to the satisfaction of our customers - making the ownership experience of a Mercedes-Benz the best in the automotive industry. 

For further information, visit our media site at www.media.mercedes-benz.ca or contact us at:
JoAnne Caza  416-847-7550 caza@mercedes-benz.ca
Arden Nerling  416-847-7556 nerling@mercedes-benz.ca