Mercedes-AMG has revealed the CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung, the second model in its ultra-exclusive Mythos series. Production is limited to 30 cars, and Mercedes says every example was sold before the official world premiere. Although the car starts with the CLE platform, its mechanical and aerodynamic changes go far beyond a conventional appearance-led special edition.
At its core is the M177 EVO 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with a flat-plane crankshaft. It produces 475 kW, or 646 PS, and 850 Nm. All of that output is sent exclusively to the rear wheels through a nine-speed AMG Speedshift MCT transmission. Removing 4MATIC+ is one of the defining decisions in the project because AMG's most powerful contemporary road cars generally rely on all-wheel drive.
Mercedes-AMG claims 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and 0-200 km/h in 11.4 seconds, with a 310 km/h top speed. The CLE 646 is also around 170 kg lighter than the comparable CLE 63 S 4MATIC+, helped by carbon-fibre components, polycarbonate glazing and the removal of selected comfort equipment.
The body is substantially wider, with track increased by 60 mm at both axles. Its aerodynamic package can be configured in Street or Race form. In the most aggressive setting, Mercedes-AMG says the car produces more than 250 kg of downforce at maximum speed. Four-way adjustable KW coilovers and carbon-ceramic brakes reinforce the track-focused specification.
The cabin has been simplified as deliberately as the chassis. The rear seats and several comfort and assistance systems have been removed, keeping the emphasis on driving rather than luxury equipment. Each example is hand-assembled and finished in Affalterbach.
What makes the CLE 646 interesting is not simply the size of the production run. At a time when high-performance AMG models are increasingly heavy, electrified and all-wheel drive, this car moves in the opposite direction: V8 power, rear-wheel drive, lower mass and a highly restricted build. The result reads more like an engineering exercise than a collectible trim package.