Life begins at 40 for the Mercedes CL65 AMG

Two digits instead of three on the back of a modern Mercedes Benz mean only one thing: enhanced performance courtesy of AMG, Mercedes' in-house tuning arm. To celebrate 40 years of souping up cars (first as a standalone company, then as a part of Mercedes-Benz), AMG is building a super-limited-edition version of the Mercedes CL dubbed the CL65 AMG 40th Edition. The car, which makes its debut here at the 2007 New York auto show and which will have a production run of just 40 units, boasts a hand-built 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 engine that produces 604 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque, capable of catapulting the four-door coupe from standing to 60mph in 4.2 seconds.

The CL65 AMG has a whole host of exclusive design elements, including a "liquid metal" paint job: according to Mercedes, the paint used to coat its body has significantly smaller pigment particles, which show off the car's lines better than conventional paint. Inside, the car features Nappa leather seats and an ocean of carbon-fiber trim, onto which is emblazoned numerous reminders that this is a very limited edition model, including a badge that announces it is "one out of 40". For perhaps your only chance to see some more shots of the CL65 AMG, check out our roundup of all the new models in New York.