The C209/A209 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class is the second generation of the
Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
The Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class is a former series of mid-size or entry-level luxury coupés and convertibles produced by Mercedes-Benz between 1996 and 2010. Although its design and styling was derived from the E-Class, the mechanical underpinnings ...
range of grand tourers, produced between 2001 and 2009. There were two body styles available: a 2-door
coupé
A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and typically with two doors.
The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the Fr ...
(C209) and a 2-door
convertible
A convertible or cabriolet () is a Car, passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary across eras and manufacturers.
A convertible car's design allows an open-air drivin ...
(A209). The latter being assembled at the
Karmann plant in
Osnabrück
Osnabrück (; ; archaic English: ''Osnaburg'') is a city in Lower Saxony in western Germany. It is situated on the river Hase in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest. With a population of 168 ...
. It was also the last complete car made by Karmann before closing the facility.
It was replaced by the
Mercedes-Benz C207/A207 E-Class in 2010.
Development and launch
The C209/A209 CLK is based on the
Mercedes W203 C-Class platform, and uses
rack-and-pinion steering, instead of the
recirculating ball
Recirculating ball, also known as recirculating ball and nut or worm and sector, is a steering mechanism commonly found in older automobiles, off-road vehicles, and some trucks. Most newer cars use the more economical rack and pinion steering in ...
design from the previous generation.
It also uses a
three-link front suspension, and aluminium rear
multi-link suspension
A multi-link suspension is a type of independent vehicle suspension having three or more control links per wheel. These arms do not have to be of equal length, and may be angled away from their "obvious" direction. It was first introduced in th ...
.
Compared to its predecessor, the second generation CLK is longer, wider, and taller.
At introduction, a 3.2-litre
V6, 5.0-litre
V8, 5.4-litre
V8, and 2.7L
inline-5 diesel engine were available, which were all replaced by 2006.
Body styles
File:Mercedes-Benz CLK200 Kompressor rear.jpg, C209 coupé (Japan)
File:2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK 320 Elegance Automatic 3.2 Rear.jpg, A209 convertible (United Kingdom)
Coupé (C209)
The production version CLK was unveiled at the
2002 Geneva Motor Show.
Convertible (A209)
Convertible CLK models feature a three-layered electric
soft top, that can be operated via the keyfob or at speeds up to 8 km/h (5 mph) in 20 seconds. Convertible models were originally manufactured by
Karmann in
Osnabrück
Osnabrück (; ; archaic English: ''Osnaburg'') is a city in Lower Saxony in western Germany. It is situated on the river Hase in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest. With a population of 168 ...
in 2003, but production was later moved to
Bremen
Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (, ), is the capital of the States of Germany, German state of the Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (), a two-city-state consisting of the c ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
in 2004. The CLK Cabriolet was unveiled at the
2003 Geneva Motor Show.
Equipment
Standard equipment includes
antilock brakes
An anti-lock braking system (ABS) is a safety anti- skid braking system used on aircraft and on land vehicles, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses. ABS operates by preventing the wheels from locking up during braking, thereby maintaini ...
,
electronic stability control
Electronic stability control (ESC), also referred to as electronic stability program (ESP) or dynamic stability control (DSC), is a computerized technology that improves a car handling, vehicle's stability by detecting and reducing loss of Tract ...
, power seats, and dual-zone climate control.
Models were also offered in ''Elegance'' and ''Avantgarde'' specification. ''Elegance'' models feature green-tinted glass, a grey coloured grille, 7-spoke polished 16-inch alloy wheels, and wood interior trim, while ''Avantgarde'' models featured blue-tinted glass, a black coloured grille, 5-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels, aluminium interior trim, as well as stiffer springs, thicker
anti-roll bar
An anti-roll bar (roll bar, anti-sway bar, sway bar, stabilizer bar) is an automobile suspension part that helps reduce the body roll of a vehicle during fast cornering or over road irregularities. It links opposite front or rear wheels to a t ...
s, and a lower ride height.
In 2005, a Sports edition, based on the ''Avantgarde'' specification, was introduced and featured six-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels, cross-drilled brake rotors, and bi-xenon headlights. An AMG Sports package was also available, featuring a restyled front bumper, a spoiler lip on the boot, and 18-inch wheels. The ''Elegance'' and ''Avantgarde'' models were also updated, now featuring nine-spoke 16-inch wheels, and five spoke 17-inch wheels respectively.
Models
Petrol engines
*Note: CLK 550 was still marketed as CLK 500 in most markets.
Diesel engines
Special models
CLK DTM AMG (2004–2006)
The CLK DTM AMG is a limited edition high-performance version of the CLK, built to celebrate
the racing version of the CLK winning the 2003
German Touring Car Championship (DTM) season. Only 100
coupés
A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and typically with two doors.
The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the Fr ...
and 80
convertibles
A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary across eras and manufacturers.
A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving ex ...
were built for the European market only, with the coupé version produced for the 2004 model year, and the
convertible
A convertible or cabriolet () is a Car, passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary across eras and manufacturers.
A convertible car's design allows an open-air drivin ...
version made for the 2006 model year. The road version features a
supercharged
In an internal combustion engine, a supercharger compresses the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to produce more power for a given displacement. It is a form of forced induction that is mechanically powered (usually by ...
SOHC
An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine in which the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combus ...
3 valves per
cylinder
A cylinder () has traditionally been a three-dimensional solid, one of the most basic of curvilinear geometric shapes. In elementary geometry, it is considered a prism with a circle as its base.
A cylinder may also be defined as an infinite ...
V8 engine
A V8 engine is an eight- cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.
Origins
The first known V8 was the Antoinette, designed by Léon Levavasseur, a ...
rated at at 7000
rpm
Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or r⋅min−1) is a unit of rotational speed (or rotational frequency) for rotating machines.
One revolution per minute is equivalent to hertz.
Standards
ISO 80000-3:2019 def ...
and at 3500 rpm of
torque
In physics and mechanics, torque is the rotational analogue of linear force. It is also referred to as the moment of force (also abbreviated to moment). The symbol for torque is typically \boldsymbol\tau, the lowercase Greek letter ''tau''. Wh ...
, with power sent through a
5G-Tronic automatic transmission to the rear wheels, capable of a top speed of . Weighing , the CLK DTM AMG goes from in 3.9 seconds.
2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG Coupé.jpg, CLK DTM AMG Coupé
Mercedes CLK DTM C209 3.jpg, CLK DTM AMG Convertible
CLK 63 AMG Black Series (2007–2009)
The CLK 63 AMG Black Series is a high-performance version of the CLK 63 AMG
coupé
A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and typically with two doors.
The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the Fr ...
, produced between 2007 and 2009. 500 examples were produced in total, with 349 headed to the United States and only 120 examples built with right-hand drive. It is powered by the
M156 V8, producing at 6,800 rpm and of torque at 5,250 rpm. It uses
Pirelli
Pirelli & C. S.p.A. is an Italian multinational tyre manufacturer based in the city of Milan, Italy. The company, which has been listed on the Borsa Italiana since 1922, is the 5th-largest tyre manufacturer, and is focused on the consumer pro ...
P-Zero Corsa tyres and features Mercedes'
SpeedShift 7G-Tronic transmission. Additional features also include a manually adjustable suspension system designed and manufactured by
KW, a
limited-slip differential
A limited-slip differential (LSD) is a type of differential gear train that allows its two output shafts to rotate at different speeds but limits the maximum difference between the two shafts. Limited-slip differentials are often known by the ...
, larger air
intake
An intake (also inlet) is an opening, structure or system through which a fluid is admitted to a space or machine as a consequence of a pressure differential between the outside and the inside. The pressure difference may be generated on the ins ...
s,
bucket seat
A bucket seat is a car seat contoured to hold one person, distinct from a flat bench seat designed to fit multiple people. In its simplest form, it contours somewhat to the human body, but may have a deep seat and exaggerated sides that partially ...
s, 19-inch
alloy wheels, a
spoiler
Spoiler or Spoilers may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Spoiler (media), something that reveals significant plot elements
* The Spoiler, DC Comics superheroine Stephanie Brown
Film and television
* ''Spoiler'' (film), 1998 American ...
,
diffuser
Diffuser may refer to:
Aerodynamics
* Diffuser (automotive), a shaped section of a car's underbody which improves the car's aerodynamic properties
* Part of a jet engine air intake, especially when operated at supersonic speeds
* The channel bet ...
, and wider
fenders made of
carbon fibre
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers ( Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon comp ...
. The rear seats have also been removed in order to save weight, and the top speed has been increased to .
F1 safety car

In 2003, the CLK 55 AMG was used as an
F1 safety car. The CLK 63 AMG was also used as an F1 safety car for the 2006 and 2007 seasons.
Model year changes
2004
* Handling improvements in the form of modified axle bearings and more direct steering
2005 facelift
A facelift was introduced in June 2005. Major changes include:
* Exterior design changes including: redesigned front and rear bumpers, grille with three louvres instead of four, and restyled taillights
*
COMAND 2.0 upgraded to DVD-based
COMAND-APS system, introducing iPod integration
* Updated center console with improved layout and switches
* New
7G-Tronic automatic transmission replaces the old
5G-Tronic
5G-Tronic is Mercedes-Benz's trademark name for its 5-speed automatic transmission, starting off with the W5A 580 and W5A 330 (Wandler-5-Gang-Automatik bis 580 oder 330 Nm Eingangsdrehmoment; converter-5-gear-automatic with or maximum input torq ...
system
* The CLK 240, CLK 320, and CLK 55 AMG are replaced by newer models
2007
* Introduction of CLK 550 and CLK 63 AMG models
* Introduction of Sports and AMG Sports package
Sales figures
The following are the sales figures for the CLK in Europe and in the United States:
Motorsports
The
Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM was a race version of the CLK that raced from
2002 DTM season and won the
2003 DTM season.
References
External links
{{Mercedes-Benz vehicles
C209
C209
Cars introduced in 2002
Cars discontinued in 2010
Rear-wheel-drive vehicles
Grand tourers
Coupés
Convertibles