Mercedes-Benz introduced a replacement for the former W124 coupe in 1997, but its customers had to wait another two years before they could get its most powerful version, the CLK55 AMG.
The German carmaker built the first generation of the CLK (C208) on the same platform as the C-Class (W202) but with styling elements carried over from the E-Class (W210). It was a premium coupe that deserved a better engine lineup, and the carmaker planned that for a long time before introducing its most potent version, the CKL 55.

Compared to the rest of the CLK range, the AMG version sported a different front bumper with a stretched lower grille from side to side and incorporated the fog lights. Its Xenon headlights featured clear lenses as standard, unlike the rest of the range, which had halogen lamps. The aerodynamically profiled side sills were utterly different, while a set of five-spoke 17” light-alloy wheels matched the sporty appearance.

Since it was based on the same platform as the C-Class, it provided a decent room for the rear passengers, partly thanks to the greenhouse’s shape. Unlike its open-top sibling, which had the rear bench pushed forward, the coupe provided better legroom as well. Its front occupants enjoyed the excellent legroom and headroom but struggled with the seatbelts, which were mounted too back. On the dashboard, the speedometer sported the AMG badge in the middle. Three additional LCDs took the lower part of each of the three dials.

Under the hood, AMG prepared a 5.5-liter, hand-built V-8 engine. It produced 347 hp, which were sent to the rear wheels via a five-speed automatic gearbox improved by AMG over the standard 5G-Tronic Mercedes-Benz gearbox.