The first CLS63 AMG Shooting Brake was released 2012, and for 2015, Mercedes Benz has already released a new and updated version of this pavement devouring wagon. The Shooting Brake is a wagon based on the CLS->ke539, and the 63 AMG signifies that this version has been fettled by Mercedes in-house skunk works division. It boasts more than 500 horsepower courtesy of a force-fed V-8, making it one of the most powerful five-door cars on sale in the world.

Coming into 2015, the car sees increased luxury and technology features, and AMG->ke8 also found a lot more power hiding in that 5.5-liter V-8 to make this thing even faster. Some of the upgrades include a nine-speed transmission and Multibeam LED lighting.

The CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake was already a dramatic and exciting wagon, but with the upgrades to the 2015 model, Mercedes-Benz->ke187 is making sure that no other wagon in the world can compete with what the CLS offers. Audi->ke14 and Cadillac->ke18, you have just been put on notice.

Click past the jump to read more about the 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG Shooting Brake.

2015 Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG Shooting Brake

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG Shooting Brake
  • Engine/Motor: V8
  • Horsepower: 557
  • Torque: 531
  • Transmission: Seven-Speed Auto
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Spy shots

December, 27 2013 - First testing session

As you can see, the prototype caught testing today wears camouflage only on the front and rear bumpers, meaning of course that only these part will receive most of the updates. The front bumper will get bigger air intakes just in the same style as on the new S63 AMG, while the rear bumper will also get a new design, new air-outlets and a new diffuser.

Exterior

Visually, very little has changed for the overall shape 2015 CLS Shooting Brake. The same swooping profile and short overhangs are present, giving the car an aggressive stance. If you pay attention, you’ll spot the new bumper with its large intakes and the grille has been changed to the new corporate diamond radiator grille.

One of the biggest changes to the Merc’s front end is the newly available Multibeam LED headlamp assembly. The system uses 24 high-performance LEDs and a camera system to continually and automatically adjust the lighting as many as 100 times per second to provide the absolute highest level of brightness and illumination without blinding other drivers. The system also features active adaptive lighting by allowing the lighting path to be swiveled by as much as 12 degrees.

The rear of the CLS Shooting Brake sees far fewer changes with only a mild nip and tuck to the body work and slightly darkened tail lamp housings.

Obviously, all these changes are on top of the mean and angry looking body work that AMG fits to all of its specific cars that feature more performance oriented body work.

Interior

The interior sees a more thorough refresh than the exterior. The dash is now dominated by a large eight-inch display unit that sits in a free-standing manner above the dash. This design allows the screen to be closer to the driver’s normal field of vision without having to bring the dash line any higher. It provides the best combination of usability and forward visibility.

The layout and arrangement of some of the functional buttons on the center console have been revised to increase usability, and Mercedes paid special attention to the colors and materials it uses in the interior. There are a total of five interior color options and six trim finishes. The three-spoke sports steering wheel has also been modified slightly.

Drivetrain

Almost every major change to the CLS63 Shooting Brake has been under the sheetmetal. The 5.5-liter, V-8 engine with its pair of turbochargers remains, but AMG has found a way to crank the power up to 11. On the standard CLS63 AMG, horsepower now sits at 557 raging ponies with torque ringing in at 531 pound-feet. That is enough grunt to hustle this wagon to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds. Like many of the Germans, top speed is limited to a very normal and boring 155 mph.

If you upgrade the S-Model version, it comes with 585 horsepower and 590 pounds of twist. That helps drop the 0-to-60 sprint time to 3.6 seconds. Mercedes has also seen fit to raise the speed limiter on S-Model cars to 186 mph. Now we are reaching supercar territory.

To help better manage this massive well of torque and horsepower that Mercedes is calling an engine, your shiny new CLS Shooting Brake comes standard with the 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system. Just think of this car as the most bad-ass Subaru Impreza WRX of all time.

Helping manage getting all that power from the engine to the wheels is Mercedes’ 7G-Tronic transmission. Non AMG cars are graced with a new nine-speed auto. This slushbox comes with a hydrodynamic torque converter to reduce sluggishness while improving overall speed and usability.

Mercedes CLS 63 AMG

Mercedes CLS 63 AMG S-Model

Type

AMG 5.5-liter V-8 biturbo

AMG 5.5-liter V-8 biturbo

Horsepower

557 HP

585 HP

Torque

531 LB-FT

590 LB-FT


Prices

The current quoted MSRP from Mercedes Benz puts the CLS63 AMG Shooting Brake at £86,500. At today’s (6-20-2014) exchange rate that equates to about $147,000. Ouch. The E-Class Wagon currently costs just a shade over $100k here in the U.S., so if Mercedes does ever bring the CLS63 to our shores, expect the cost to start somewhere closer to $115k.

Competitors

Audi RS6 Avant

Audi's entry into this party is the RS6 Avant. When this car first debuted it marked a new high point in five-door performance. With 560 horsepower bellowing from a force-fed 4.0-liter V-8 the RS6 could give most supercars a run at the lights. When you combine that power with Audi's legendary quattro AWD system, you are looking at a machine with a rare level of performance. Sadly, Audi has seen fit to neuter the car slightly by capping its top speed at 155 mph.

Thankfully that limiter is purely electronic, and it can be removed if you know the right people with the right equipment. It is far form official (obviously), but word is the RS6 can pass 180 when that limiter is gone.

Cadillac CTS-V Sports Wagon

Cadillac has yet to give us any solid plans about the future of the CTS Wagon now that the new car has been released. As it stands, the current-generation car is still being sold in CTS-V Wagon trim. That means a 6.2-liter, small-block V-8 that has a supercharger strapped to the top, giving this wagon 556 horsepower. Compared to most wagons, that number sounds astronomical, but now that the CLS Shooting Brake has up to 585 horsepower, the Caddy looks a little underwhelming.

I still have hope that GM will de-tune the 650-horsepower V-8 in the new Corvette Z06 a bit and drop that into an all-new CTS-V Wagon for 2015. Finger's crossed.

Conclusion

The CLS63 AMG Shooting Brake is an interesting beast. It combines one of the most powerful AMG engines with one of the most practical body styles available. It is incredibly expensive though, and its not inherently faster or more practical than the cheaper E63 AMG Wagon. It is the prettiest wagon I have seen in years, and with nearly 600 horsepower on the S-Model, there will be few five-doors that can match it in speed, but I would have a hard time justifying it over its E-Class cousin. I don’t think exterior looks matter enough for me to pay the cost and sacrifice the space.

As an exercise in design and engineering it is a marvelous thing. As a real car to buy, it will only fill a very tiny niche market. I am glad it exists in this world, but it doesn’t exist for me.