Mercedes-AMG has revealed the CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung, a road-legal, track-focused coupe built around a single goal: driving dynamics.
The car pairs a 646 hp (475 kW) V8 biturbo engine with pure rear-wheel drive, a roughly 170kg weight reduction, a wide-body carbon-fiber design and a chassis tuned for precision, with each example comprehensively rebuilt at AMG’s Affalterbach headquarters to manufactory standards.
Dr. Stefan Weckbach, Chairman of Mercedes-AMG’s Management Board, described the car as capturing the essence of AMG — the product of engineers turning an admittedly irrational idea into a fully realized, uncompromising driving experience. Chief Design Officer Bastian Baudy pointed to the extensive carbon-fiber bodywork and oversized grille as evidence of a car built deliberately around extremes.
From Internal Idea to Complete Performance System
The project began not as a formal product brief but as an idea within AMG’s engineering team, who built an initial prototype with the goal of reimagining the CLE Coupe as a complete performance system rather than a collection of upgrades or a standard special edition.
Starting from the current CLE Coupe, AMG’s Affalterbach engineers increased power output, retuned the chassis, pursued aggressive lightweight construction and reworked the bodywork extensively enough to earn the “Spezialanfertigung” designation.
A Reworked V8 With Track-Ready Cooling
At the car’s core sits an enhanced AMG M177 EVO 4.0-liter V8 biturbo engine, its 646 hp (475 kW) output reflected directly in the model name, alongside 850 Nm of torque available from 2,500 to 4,500 rpm.
A flat-plane crankshaft cuts rotating mass for sharper revving and throttle response, backed by dedicated engine mapping, while three separate cooling circuits — one high-temperature loop for the engine and two low-temperature loops for charge-air/transmission-oil cooling and the 48-volt system — were specifically upgraded for intensive track use and high ambient temperatures.
A bespoke high-flow exhaust system, with a cold-end section developed alongside Akrapovič and extensive titanium content, adds both sound character and further weight savings.
Rear-Wheel Drive Only
One of the most significant changes is the complete removal of the donor car’s AMG Performance 4MATIC+ system, sending power exclusively to the rear wheels — a shift that cuts weight and fundamentally changes the car’s handling character. An electronically controlled limited-slip rear differential varies locking action to optimize torque distribution, improving traction and stability while allowing for controlled drifting under the right conditions.
Power runs through the standard AMG SPEEDSHIFT TCT 9G nine-speed transmission, tunable via AMG DYNAMIC SELECT and capable of rapid multi-gear downshifts, with launch control specifically adapted for the rear-wheel-drive layout. AMG quotes a 0-200 km/h time of 11.4 seconds and a 310 km/h top speed.
Suspension and Brakes Built for the Limit
A steel coil-over suspension developed jointly with KW Automotive uses four-way adjustable dampers with independently tunable low- and high-speed rebound and compression, letting the car be dialed in for braking and turn-in behavior as well as response to bumps and surface irregularities.
Braking comes from an AMG Ceramic High-Performance Composite system built for sustained track abuse, backed by a dedicated cooling concept using large front air intakes; the front axle runs 420x40mm ventilated, perforated ceramic discs with six-piston fixed calipers, while the rear uses 360x32mm discs with single-piston floating calipers, finished in gold-painted calipers that also help cut unsprung weight.
A Wider, Lighter, More Aerodynamic Body
The reinforced bodyshell adds 60mm of width at both the front and rear axles, accommodating wider wheels and improving stability. Carbon fiber covers the widened front fenders, redesigned front apron, side sills, hood, roof, rear apron with diffuser, boot lid and a manually adjustable rear wing, while polycarbonate rear windows and a lighter starter battery trim further weight.
The car rides on exclusive AMG Performance forged wheels — 11.0Jx20 front, 12.0Jx20 rear — wrapped in 305/30 ZR20 and 335/30 ZR20 tires derived from technology developed for the Mercedes-AMG ONE.
Exterior finish pairs Mojave Silver Magno up front with Obsidian Black Magno from the B-pillar back, and the car sits 22mm lower at the front and 16mm lower at the rear than the standard CLE. Additional structural reinforcement and an integrated roll-over bar boost torsional rigidity for sharper feedback under hard driving.
Adjustable Aerodynamics for Street or Track
A fully integrated aero package — front diffuser, fender louvers, underbody elements and rear wing — can be manually reconfigured between “Street” and track-only “Race” settings. In Race mode, the front diffuser generates a Venturi effect that boosts front-axle downforce and sharpens steering feedback at speed, while the adjustable rear wing balances that load at the back.
Additional louvers, air channels and underbody fins manage wheelhouse ventilation, brake cooling and airflow acceleration, together producing more than 250kg of downforce at top speed. On closed circuits with stability control off, a dedicated AMG Traction Control system lets drivers dial in wheel slip at the rear axle across nine stages based on tire temperature and desired handling margin.
A Stripped, Driver-Focused Cabin
In pursuit of the most direct driving feel possible, AMG cut comfort and assistance features extensively, removing PARKTRONIC parking assistance along with the rear seats, acoustic insulation and much of the standard infotainment and sound system.
The AMG Performance steering wheel, wrapped in DINAMICA microfiber with a flattened motorsport-style rim, carries fewer controls as a result of the deleted drive modes and assistance functions. Standard equipment includes ultra-lightweight racing bucket seats, a roll-over bar and carbon-fiber door panels, with six-point harnesses available through an optional Performance Package.
A Limited, Already Sold-Out Collector’s Car
Each CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung is hand-built in Affalterbach on a CLE 53 platform, continuing AMG’s manufactory tradition that produced past icons like the AMG 300 CE 6.0 “The Hammer.”
It becomes the second model in the exclusive Mercedes-Benz Mythos Series of strictly limited collector cars, following the roofless, windscreen-less Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed (limited to 250 units). Limited to just 30 examples worldwide, the CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung had already sold out before its world premiere.