Brenda Priddy's spy photogs caught the 2011 Mercedes CLS 63 AMG absent of nearly all heavy camouflage. The quad-tip exhaust, AMG wheels, high-performance tires, larger brakes and cross-drilled brake rotors suggest this is no ordinary CLS. Underhood, the current CLS 63 AMG shares its engine with the previous-generation E63 AMG, and both deliver over 500 horsepower.
If the same holds with the next generation, expect to see a new 525-horsepower 6.3-liter V8, with Mercedes' Speedshift MCT 7-speed gearbox driving the rear wheels. And like the E63 AMG, standard wheels should be 18 inches, with the 19-inch size listed on the options menu.
Sales of the CLS 63 AMG should begin in 2011 and rivals now include the new Porsche Panamera Turbo and the high-performance version of Aston Martin's new Rapide. Audi will also enter the four-door "coupe" segment with the S7.
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