QUINTESSENTIAL SPORT'S CAR

Is the turbocharged, six-cylinder, 449-hp, mild-hybrid Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 all the sports car you need? We took it around town, then headed to the hills and beyond

- Jim Gorde

BRIGHT YELLOW AND GLISTENING IN THE morning sun after an early shower, the AMG CLE 53 looked stunning. Swooping silhouette, large 20-inch wheels, and dark chrome badging—quite a sight to behold. It looks exciting standing still and, yes, the driver appeal box is checked at the very first glance. It just looks like a proper sports car. Let's find out just how accurate that description is.

The CLE is, of course, the replacement model for a fleet of Mercedes cars; from the C- and E-Class Coupé and Cabriolet to the SLC, even. Available in drop-top and fixed-head forms, the former of which is here as the CLE 300, while the latter is this, the 53 4MATIC+ Coupé from the house of Aufrecht and Melcher in GroBaspach, now in Affalterbach.

There is a lot going on in the line-up, understandably so. It is the coolest two-door sports car from Mercedes-AMG below the more focused (and much more expensive) GT 63 Coupé. Yet it slots in perfectly between the two BMWs... wait. What? Yes, the CLE 53’s closest competitor is the BMW M4. However, in India, that’s available only as the 510-hp Competition M xDrive (Rs 1.52 crore) and the more potent CS (550 hp, Rs 1.79 crore). No 480-hp M4 on offer. But there is a 374-hp BMW M340i xDrive with six cylinders and four doors at Rs 74 lakh. So, you see? The CLE 53 is purposefully plonked smack dab in the middle of the arena with a considerable margin on either side. Smart!