The 6.2-litre V8 in the CL63 replaced the supercharged 5.4 litre in the old CL55 Kompressor. The newer engine doesn’t quite match the level of low down pulling power available from the old one, but it comes with a seven-speed automatic transmission in place of a five-speed gearbox on the old car. It also revs higher and has more bhp, making it livelier in the mid to top-end of the rev range.

It covers the 0-62mph benchmark in just 4.6 seconds and is limited to a maximum speed of 155mph. Although the automatic transmission has a manual shift mode, it’s best left in ‘sport’ mode for spirited driving which pre-empts hitting the limiter and changes up by itself. If that wasn’t enough, the CL65 is faster than the 63, and has immense pulling power.

Power for the top model is channelled through a five-speed automatic gearbox and it will race from 0-62mhp in a blink-of-the-eye 4.4 seconds. When you realise it weighs more than two tonnes, this appears even more incredible.

Both models are heavy so the chassis and electronics have their work cut out to keep these AMG models on an even keel. However, the CL offers a pretty impressive drive for the enthusiast. Electronic stability control prevents the rear of the car stepping out of line while the AMG sports suspension has active damping control. This helps eliminate pitching and diving under heavy acceleration and braking plus reduces body roll significantly when cornering.

The steering is fairly communicative, although you’re always aware of its size (the CL is more than five metres long), so it never feels quite as nimble as a smaller sports coupé. AMG versions of the CL have uprated brakes over the standard models, and the 65 comes with 20-inch wheels as standard (optional on the 63).