2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG To Debut At LA

Unveiled last month in its regular guise at the Paris Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz has this week confirmed it will unveil the 2011 CLS 63 AMG at next week's LA Auto Show.

Little is known about AMG's top-shelf CLS offering, although recent photos - despite the heavy camouflage - offer a few tell-tale hints at what is to come.

The quad-exhaust tailpipes protruding from the rear bumper, additional air vents in the bonnet cladding, and large sports brakes behind 19-inch five-spoke wheels would indicate that this is the CLS 63 AMG model out gathering a little on-road data.

Power is expected to come from the same 5.5 litre engine powering the new CL 63 AMG.

Utilising a more highly-tuned version of Mercedes' new 5.5 litre twin-turbo V8 engine revealed earlier this year, and paired with AMG's seven-speed SpeedShift automatic transmission, the CL 63 AMG produces 400kW at 5500rpm and 800Nm of torque between 2000 and 4500rpm.

For the CL 63 AMG, the 0-100km/h sprint is covered in 4.4 seconds, and top speed is electronically-limited to 250km/h.

A wider track than the current model is expected; the platform underpinning the S-Class flagship to likely sit under the new CLS.

While these heavily-clad spy shots give away few clues, styling will likely be evolved from the regular CLS, with styling and performance features in-line with the CL 63 AMG.