The V12 sounds angry upon start-up; it is as though the monster has been awakened. At idle, the 6.0L burbles and forces the exhaust gasses out the tailpipes with absolute authority. The 6.2L V8 is, by comparison, docile at turn over but quickly shows its teeth and rumbles to life when the GO pedal is depressed. It is also difficult to assess the ride of these vehicles on regular roads but what I can say is that I again found the same

Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre

numbness in the steering that I found in the regular Mercs. Precision is unquestionable but feedback is nearly non-existent. In every case, the brakes were excellent. Not once did they fade (difficult to do when they are wet...) or even show any signs of weakness. In fact, the more I pushed, the harder I could push as the deep threshold for the powerful brakes allowed me to brake later and further as I got acquainted with the track and the conditions. The other point that I noted was the fabulous quality of the seats in every single car. Lateral and lumbar support was perfect as was the level of comfort. The Drive-Dynamic multicontour seats in the S 65 felt more gimmicky than actually useful on the track. Perhaps in a more sedate drive through the county could they prove to be more useful.

For the rest of the small events, I found the SLK 55 to be the most fun

Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre

when tearing up the track. The reasons are very simple: It is the lightest, the shortest and therefore the most nimble. During the lapping sessions, the SLK was very responsive and perhaps a little twitchy. The normally aspirated V8 made short work of exiting corners and of the long straight before re-entering corner 1. The CLS and CLK also impressed by their high levels of traction (when possible) and the ease with which I was able to position the car in the direction that I wanted without large body movements and undesirable grip-affecting weight transfers. I unfortunately was unable to drive the ML 63 but I must say that the new aggressive body has created a soft spot in the SUV section of my mind. As f

Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre

or the R 63, I think it is a funny product. I am not saying this because the R is laughable; I am imaging someone in their Camaro Z28 at a stoplight getting their roof blown off by a family vehicle hauling 4 passengers and their gear for a weekend to grandma's.








The following is a breakdown of the 2007 AMG vehicles that are or will shortly be in Mercedes showrooms:

Photo: Mercedes

SLK 55 AMG
$85,500
(+ optional $8,500 Performance Package (larger brakes, interior trim, etc))
24-valve 5.5L V8
AMG Speedshift 7-speed automatic with paddles
355 hp and 376 lb/ft of torque
0-100 km/h in 4.9 seconds