Used 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK 55 AMG Cabriolet for Sale near Chicago, IL

The CLK55 AMG does not shout "Look at me!" But when you do, you whistle said one article as well as calling it the perfect gentleman's hot rod which is my taute to my friends driving Corvettes, Porsches, Vipers and the like. The CLK55 AMG combines luxury, power and performance with looks and innovative technology. Something akin to if a car was James Bond in a word. It is a CLK that has been hot rodded by AMG, Mercedes' high-performance partner and the group that builds and campaigns the sports racing cars. Note here that the CLK55 AMG was the Formula 1 racing series' safety car 2 years running. It takes a lot to look good in the lead of a pack of F1 Series speed demons and the CLK does it in style. It has a 5.5-liter V8 built and hand-assembled by AMG, producing 342 horsepower and a more than ample 376 foot-pounds of torque. What you cannot see under the black engine cover is a super-stiff forged steel crankshaft inside the pressure-cast aluminum block of the chain-driven single overhead-cam V8 with two intake and one exhaust valves per cylinder. It also has 16 coils and 16 spark plugs if you ever are inspired to take the engine cover off and give it a back yard tune up. The dual-resonance intake manifold with tuned runners is responsible for most of the torque, which requires a manlier differential and four-bolt driveshaft that's four inches in diameter and has a 10.5:1 compression ration that quickly responds when pressure is applied in vigor to the accelerator pedal. There is a five-speed automatic transmission from the gearbox used in the V-12 S-class models, because that gearbox can accept all the torque coming from this sleeper car. Along with that you have an upgraded suspension, with stiffer springs, tighter shock valving, thicker stabilizer bars and firmer suspension bushings. It rides on AMG alloy wheels, 7.5" front and 8.5" rear, draped in 225/45ZR17 and 245/40ZR17 rubber. The front vented discs are 13.2 inches in diameter and the rears 11.8, which increases the braking area by just over 7.5% over the standard CLKs with pin-mounted rotors. Note, this technique is used in racing to keep the system cooler. The CLK55 AMG is worth the price of admission if you never turn a corner at breakneck speed if nothing more than to exercise your right to put your foot in the gas tank when entering an on ramp. Zero to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds will do that for a car and 10 times out of 10 you will be breaking the speed limit before you can actually get to the expressway. The 6000rpm rev limiter comes up in a blink with peak output at 5500. You can hit the rev limiter at six grand in a heartbeat so let the automatic do the work until you are in 3rd gear as you can barely shift fast enough to keep up with this car. The thrumming of the 5.5 liter V8 is audible, and quiet delicious to the ear even if its not the size of your grandpa’s Cadillac for it will pull twice as hard. When you tromp the pedal, it will light the tires up in in traction control mode so roll it from a stop or be prepared to buy lots of tires. It likes to be flicked into a turn, meaning it’s fun to flick it, but a hard flick doesn't always end exactly at the end of the flick. On an uneven surface in a sweeping corner, the CLK may twitch just enough to keep you honest and under control and more importantly… out of jail. If there were a flaw in the CLK-55 AMG it is it does everything well. Yes there are faster, yes even ones that corner better but to do so in a Mercedes, with the top down… right before you pull up to the valet is hard to match.