Mercedes-AMG will build just 30 examples of the AMG CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung, and every one drives only its rear wheels. To get there, the company pulled the all-wheel-drive system out of the CLE coupe. As a result, a twin-turbo V8 now sends 637 horsepower to the back axle alone.
That makes it a very different car from the CLE most buyers know. Mercedes-Benz USA announced it on Sept. 10, 2026. However, nobody can order one now, because Mercedes says all 30 cars sold before the world premiere.
The name tells part of the story. Meanwhile, the spec sheet tells the rest. Here is what Affalterbach changed, what it removed and what the numbers say.
How the AMG CLE 646 lost its all-wheel drive
According to the Mercedes-Benz USA release, the car sits on the CLE 53 platform. AMG builds each one by hand at its headquarters in Affalterbach, Germany. Then it removes the AMG Performance 4MATIC+ system, so power goes only to the rear axle.
In fact, WardsAuto reports that each car starts life as a CLE 53 4Matic+ before the rework. An electronically controlled limited-slip differential now sits at the rear. Meanwhile, a nine-speed AMG Speedshift TCT 9G automatic handles the shifts.
The drivetrain change is part of a broader diet. Mercedes says the coupe weighs about 375 pounds less than the donor CLE Coupe. Even so, its curb weight is 4,178 pounds, with a 56/44 front-to-rear split.
Mercedes says the “Spezialanfertigung” label reflects a full rebuild to the standards of its Affalterbach manufactory. That’s why the release reads more like a race-car brief than a trim package.
The V8 behind the 637-hp rating
Under the carbon hood sits the 3,982-cc AMG M177 EVO twin-turbo V8. It uses a flat-plane crankshaft and an integrated starter generator. Mercedes rates it at 646 PS, or 637 hp, between 6,000 and 6,250 rpm.
Torque peaks at 627 lb-ft from 2,500 to 4,500 rpm. On top of that, the starter generator adds 23 hp and 151 lb-ft of its own, according to the release. WardsAuto adds that the 646 PS figure is where the “646” in the name comes from.
WardsAuto also calls this the CLE’s first V-8 gasoline engine. For performance, Mercedes quotes 0 to 62 mph in 3.9 seconds and 0 to 124 mph in 11.4 seconds. Top speed is 193 mph. The company did not publish a 0-to-60 time.
A wider carbon body and a stripped cabin
The body grows 2.4 inches wider at both the front and the rear. Carbon fiber covers the widened front fenders, front fascia, side sills, hood and roof. It also forms the trunk lid, the rear apron with its diffuser and the rear wing. Polycarbonate replaces glass in the rear side windows and the rear window.
Aerodynamics got just as much attention. First, a manually adjustable rear wing with a carbon center section rides on two trapezoidal supports. Then a front diffuser switches between “Street” and “Race” positions. Fender louvers, front-apron flics and underbody fins add downforce, and Mercedes says the package makes well over 550 pounds of downforce at top speed.
The drag figures move with the setting, at 0.402 in Street mode and 0.417 in Race. Inside, AMG removed the rear seats and the acoustic insulation. Instead, lightweight racing buckets and a roll bar come standard, and six-point harnesses are optional with the Performance Package. Mercedes even deleted the Parktronic parking assistant.
Coilovers, ceramic brakes and 20-inch wheels
Mercedes-AMG and KW co-developed the steel coilover suspension, which has four-way adjustable dampers. Ride height drops 0.9 inch in front and 0.6 inch at the rear. Also, a roll bar and extra bracing stiffen the bodyshell.
Ceramic brakes do the stopping. Up front, 16.5-inch discs work with six-piston calipers, while the rear discs measure 14.2 inches. Forged 20-inch wheels are 11 inches wide in front and 12 inches wide at the back, on 305/30 ZR 20 and 335/30 ZR 20 tires.
Because all the power now goes rearward, traction control matters. For that reason, AMG Traction Control offers nine stages of rear-axle slip with ESP switched off.
Where the CLE 646 fits in the Mythos series
The CLE 646 is the second model in the Mercedes-Benz Mythos Series. According to WardsAuto, the first was the Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed, a 250-car model based on the SL 63 4Matic+. By comparison, the new coupe is limited to 30 cars.
Every car wears a two-tone finish. The front section is Mojave Silver Magno, and Obsidian Black Magno runs from the B-pillar back. AMG crests sit on the doors, and gold calipers peek through the wheels.
Dr. Stefan Weckbach, chairman of the Mercedes-AMG management board, put it this way in the release: “For me, the Mercedes-AMG CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung represents the very essence of AMG.” WardsAuto notes that the price hasn’t been shared. Still, Mercedes says all 30 cars found buyers before the coupe’s world premiere.
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This article was created with the help of AI and was reviewed and edited by Fast Lane Only editors before publication.
