Given the huge backlog of cars that I have, there may be a likelihood that some cars which I have seen before are no longer here, and this 2000 Mercedes Benz C215 CL55 AMG is unfortunately one of them...
Launched at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1999, the C215 was the second generation of Mercedes’ luxury coupe (CL comes from Coupe-Luxury). The CL name had appeared in June 1996 (1997 for the American market) on the W140 series on the CL 500 and CL 600 models.
It was the first car in the world with Active Body Control active suspension, which minimises rolling, pitching, and squatting movements of the body. Designed by Bruno Sacco, it also featured a unique pillar-less design with no B-pillar. It was also the first car in the world with both low beam and high beam High Intensity Discharge headlamps. Various engine types were offered with the lowest capacity in the CL500; there was also exclusive versions such as an F1 Limited Edition of the CL55 AMG, featuring carbon-ceramic brake discs. The C215 had a facelift in 2002, featuring a revised grille and taillights, along with engine upgrades.
Production of the C215 ended in 2006 where it was replaced by the C216 generation; 47,984 were made of which 6,380 were the CL55 AMG. CL55 AMGs were brought in by the Mercedes dealer Cycle and Carriage, though it did not appear to be advertised openly.
This unit is a pre-facelift model and was the last unit left here before it was most likely exported. C215s are considered rather obscure, especially so when they were also very expensive upon release: the open market value of a CL500 was S$123,617 in 2000, which was only overshadowed by the Ferrari 360, Porsche 911 and Aston Martin DB7 at that time. I last saw it in 2019 and it was one of the cars that I wanted to write about, just that I didn't have the time previously. While this car may not be here anymore, I hope that this will be a lasting snapshot of this unicorn that used to roam our shores!
