When describing the development of the new-for- 2007 Mercedes-Benz CL550 coupe, lead designer Holger Hutzenlaub was quoted as saying,”we may have been a little too timid with the design of the previous-generation CL, this time around we wanted to make the car look more assured, more powerful, more…confident..” Hutzenlaub was perhaps right about the previous-generation CL500. Its exterior styling was inconspicuous to say the least. The fact that it was an otherwise impeccable coupe wasn't always enough. The new-for-2007 CL550 has a more memorable shape.

This black with tan interior example is amply powered by a 5.5-liter, 382-hp V-8 engine that is mated to a six-speed automatic. Air conditioning, AM/FM radio, power steering, power four-wheel disc brakes and the inherent Mercedes-Benz reputation for excellence.

The CL can be comfortable on roads that rarely complement its size, and most that experience this luxuriously fitted coupe have a hard time finding anything with the big two-door that doesn’t match expectations. It is said by those close to the project that it looked better, went faster and was reported to feel more comfortable than its nearly perfect predecessor. It period writings, it was written that the “CL550 is as good as any car on the road.”