By the mid-2000s, Mercedes-AMG was in a very particular mood. Not the restrained, Nürburgring-lap-time-chasing AMG we know today, but the slightly unhinged, torque-drunk division that believed the correct answer to every engineering question was “add two more cylinders and a pair of turbochargers.” The CL65 AMG was the purest expression of that mindset, and one impossibly preserved example has just proven that the world is finally ready to pay for it.
This Alabaster White 2005 CL65 AMG crossed the auction block for more than $300,000, a figure that would have sounded ridiculous a decade ago but now feels eerily logical. When new, this coupe already carried a stratospheric $182,280 sticker, which inflation turns into roughly the same $300K it just fetched. In other words, this car didn’t just hold its value—it completed a 20-year financial round trip back to its original altitude.
That alone would be impressive. The real story is what this thing is.
A Bentley in Disguise, a Supercar at Heart
Under the pillarless, yacht-like body of the C215 CL-Class sits AMG’s most excessive production engine: a twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V12. Officially, it made 612 horsepower and 1,000 Nm (738 lb-ft) of torque, although everyone knew those numbers were conservative. In 2005, that put this Mercedes in the same power neighborhood as a Ferrari Enzo—except the CL65 could also heat, cool, and massage your back while doing it.
All of that thrust flows through a five-speed AMG SpeedShift automatic to the rear wheels, because at the time Mercedes hadn’t yet invented a transmission brave enough to handle that much torque with more ratios. Even so, the CL65 could catapult its nearly two-ton body forward with an effortlessness that bordered on absurd.
And yet, this wasn’t some stripped-out AMG special. It was a full-blown luxury coupe, complete with Active Body Control suspension, cross-drilled AMG brakes, and a cabin that feels more like a private jet than a sports car.
The Spec That Shouldn’t Work—but Does
This particular car was ordered new by Michael Fux, the philanthropist and serious collector known for his bold specifications, and it shows. The exterior is finished in Alabaster White, paired with a Java leather interior and chestnut wood trim. It’s an unusual combination, slightly flamboyant, and completely unforgettable—exactly the kind of thing that turns a production AMG into a one-off-feeling collector car two decades later.
The condition is where things really get wild. The odometer reads just 3,300 miles (5,300 km), which means this CL65 has averaged roughly 165 miles per year since new. That explains why it presents today as a near-museum piece, right down to its Michelin Pilot Sport tires with 2024 date codes and its still-immaculate interior.
And yes, it’s loaded. Heated and ventilated multi-contour AMG sport seats with massage, Keyless Go, Bose surround sound, COMAND navigation, Parktronic, a power rear sunshade, and even a trunk-mounted CD changer for those who miss the golden age of physical media. The instrument cluster tops out at 220 mph, a subtle reminder that this was never meant to be a mere luxury cruiser.
Why $300,000 Suddenly Makes Sense
For years, the CL65 AMG lived in the shadow of more obvious icons: the McLaren-engined SLR, the SL65 roadster, and the modern hyper-AMGs that followed. But tastes are changing. Collectors are rediscovering the era when AMG was gloriously unfiltered, building cars that made no apologies for their size, weight, or fuel consumption—only for their lack of restraint.
The CL65 represents the peak of that philosophy. A V12, twin turbos, no pillars, no compromises, and enough torque to bend space-time. Combine that with ultra-low mileage, a high-profile original owner, and a rare spec, and you get a perfect storm for value.
In 2005, this car was an outrageous indulgence. In 2026, it’s a rolling monument to a lost era of Mercedes-AMG madness—and now, officially, a six-figure collectible.
And honestly? That feels exactly right.
Source: Bring a Trailer
