The Birth of the Four-Door Luxury Coupe
The truth hit with clarity, and it did so at about 70 mph on the highway near my hometown. That truth is this:
the 2006 Mercedes CLS500 is worth every red cent (red Euro, really) that Mercedes-Benz engineers spent on wind tunnel testing the sweet exterior lines of this remarkable "four-door coupe."
And that slippery shape of the all-new CLS isn't just pleasing to the eye -- the car literally slices through the air. And cleanly. So cleanly, in fact, that with the sunroof open and all four windows down during that highway ride, my riding companion and I carried on a normal conversation with absolutely no wind noise and absolutely no wind buffeting in the well-appointed cabin. Our hair wasn't even blowing! At 70 mph!
I was already sold on the merits of this new sedan before our windless
epiphany, if you will, so after that I was convinced I had a new object of desire for my 'what if I won the lottery' daydreams. With a price tag just under $65K -- or over $85K if you add up all the options -- I'm afraid only the wealthy will be able to afford the windless sensation.
According to Mercedes-Benz press notes, "the CLS500 is the first vehicle to combine the emotional design of a coupe with the comfort and functionality of a sedan." While Mazda and those that designed and engineered the RX-8 - which actually uses clamshell rear doors so may not comply with Mercedes' self proclaimed "four-door coupe" status - might not agree, there is no denying the CLS fits that bill.
The truth hit with clarity, and it did so at about 70 mph on the highway near my hometown. That truth is this:
 |
| The 2006 Mercedes CLS500 is worth every red cent (red Euro, really) that Mercedes-Benz engineers spent on wind tunnel testing the sweet exterior lines of this remarkable "four-door coupe." (Photo: Mercedes-Benz U.S.A.) |
And that slippery shape of the all-new CLS isn't just pleasing to the eye -- the car literally slices through the air. And cleanly. So cleanly, in fact, that with the sunroof open and all four windows down during that highway ride, my riding companion and I carried on a normal conversation with absolutely no wind noise and absolutely no wind buffeting in the well-appointed cabin. Our hair wasn't even blowing! At 70 mph!
I was already sold on the merits of this new sedan before our windless
 |
| According to Mercedes-Benz press notes, "the CLS500 is the first vehicle to combine the emotional design of a coupe with the comfort and functionality of a sedan." (Photo: Mercedes-Benz U.S.A.) |
According to Mercedes-Benz press notes, "the CLS500 is the first vehicle to combine the emotional design of a coupe with the comfort and functionality of a sedan." While Mazda and those that designed and engineered the RX-8 - which actually uses clamshell rear doors so may not comply with Mercedes' self proclaimed "four-door coupe" status - might not agree, there is no denying the CLS fits that bill.