Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG Shooting Brake

Someone is in a lot of trouble over at Mercedes-Benz. The automaker accidentally put up a few images and details about the upcoming CLS63 AMG Shooting Brake on its German consumer site, and our friends at Car and Driver gleaned what they could before all the information disappeared again.

Word has it the longroof will make use of the same twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V8 found behind the headlights of the four-door variant. That means buyers will get to enjoy 518 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. Should those numbers be to skinny, Mercedes-Benz will also offer a performance pack that nudges the figures toward 550 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. A seven-speed Speedshift automatic transmission will handle gear swapping duties, though the traditional torque converter has been scrapped in favor of a computer-controlled clutch.

As magical as all that sounds, there's still little chance we'll see the machine on our shores. Mercedes-Benz has made it clear the standard CLS Shooting Brake is not meant for U.S. buyers, so it follows the CLS63 AMG will remain similarly forbidden.