2005 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG Kleemann

We think there are three Kleemann CL65 AMGs in the UK, so if you haven’t seen one before, it’s nothing personal, you just weren’t in the right place at the right time. This one’s only had two owners since 2016, and The Market sold it to its current custodian, who bought it knowing that it had some faults that needed sorting. With this done, he’s enjoyed the car enormously but lives in central London and has to travel through the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) regularly, which is an unfortunate mismatch with the fire breathing CL65 AMG Kleemann.

So having enjoyed the wild performance on offer from this tuned CL65 for a number of years, it’s now time for a re-shuffle.

The previous owner confirmed that the car has the Kleemann intercooler pump fitted, but the car now has the full tuning package, with the ECU upgrade and cat removal. This took things from 635bhp to 780 – this is not a car for the faint hearted (or daily trips in the ULEZ area).

The included V5 document shows that the car was first registered on the 13th of June 2005 and that it’s had a total of six owners from new. There’s a good service history with the car and the service book shows a wide spread of stamps, particularly in recent years.

Please note that the owner is retaining the number plate shown in the pictures, and the car will come with a regular 2005 registration plate – KN05 VHM.

When the current owner bought this Kleemann the bodywork was starting to show its age, but this has now been rectified. On top of this the alloy wheels have been totally stripped and restored to their former glory, and they really set off the Obsidian Black paintwork beautifully. The paintwork itself now has the same deep, lustrous shine that Mercedes intended. Black is a very unforgiving finish and will expose any minor bodywork faults, but that’s academic in this instance – the Kleemann looks stunning.

With the side windows down, nothing beats the pillar-less look of a Mercedes-Benz coupé. It’s exudes cool effortlessly. The additional Kleemann badges and AMG body kit just add to this particular car’s imposing aura.

Inside you get all the luxurious appointments you’d expect from a flagship Mercedes: electric heated massage seats; air-conditioning; cruise control; airbags; telephone connection and antenna; satnav; rear window electric roller blind; AMG leather; and burr walnut wood trim. Those seats are worth a mention – not only will they warm you when it’s cold and blow cool air on you when it’s hot, they also respond to g-forces and help keep you firmly in place when cornering.

The trim is all in superb condition too, with just the merest hint of use on the driver’s seat bolster, although you have to look hard to spot it. And like many a top line Mercedes, the CL65 has aged very well indeed – this still feels like a distinctly high-end cabin. The dashboard itself is free from any illuminated warning lights.

Contemporary road tests stated that the CL65 AMG Kleemann was devastatingly fast and beautifully controlled. Particular praise was lavished on the turbine-like 6-litre V12, which is so powerful that running out of road becomes a real problem.

As you can hear from the video, the exhaust tone shifts from a smooth burble to a belligerent roar when you open the throttle. Hold tight.

The engine fires without hesitation and on the road it’s everything you’d expect it to be: sorted, thunderous and smooth. The autobox shifts nicely and is slop-free. The brakes offer pulverising stopping power and the suspension feels taut, with no irregular noises.

The history file is relatively succinct. There’s a data card from Middlesex-based specialist Trident Mercedes that details all standard specifications. From the same company you’ll also find an invoice from April 2014 for a service and replacement of the front forward suspension arms, and drive belt (£738.51).

There are also a number from 2014/15 from Fleet Road Garage, Spalding Lincolnshire, for consumables and fitting of some replacement ball joints. The next jump is to 2020 with a new Yuasa Battery fitted by Motor Masters, Hayes, for £162.88, a full service and MoT carried out – with new rear brake pads fitted (£444.72). Importantly it also fitted a new ABC pump and washer pump on the 11th of December (£1,228.20).

As well as the aforementioned service book you’ll find numerous expired MoT test certificates, some original handbooks and the leather owner’s wallet.

In the last 12 months alone, the current owner has spent more than £6500 on dedicated maintenance work, so this car has been very well looked after. The owner says:

‘I bought the car from The Market as a project, and I’ve had it restored to this condition. There are now no warning lights showing on the dash, and thanks to all the other work I’ve had done it now drives like a dream with its 780bhp.'

‘It’s a matching numbers car and I think there are just three of these in the UK. Unfortunately, due to London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone, I sadly have to say goodbye to it.’

A CL65 AMG is a fine car in its own right, but just 38 CL65 AMG Kleemann Bi Turbos were made for the UK market. This really is the peak of not only Mercedes performance from this period, but also very likely one of the last of the uber-power production cars before the shift to hybrid and electric vehicles. As such it really is one of the last of its kind.

Those in the know will understand what the exterior badges represent in terms of sheer brutality and those that don’t, will when you disappear into the far distance. This is a car for the Mercedes-Benz connoisseur.

We estimate this vehicle to reach between £20,000 - £30,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.