Mercedes-AMG's CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung broke cover about two months ago, but development isn't finished. The Affalterbach engineers are still putting their wildest CLE Coupe through its paces, as shown in a new spy video of the limited-run model tackling the Nürburgring.
Although the car looks largely production-ready, this particular prototype still wears several unpainted body panels, suggesting AMG hasn't quite wrapped up testing. The wide-body coupe looks menacing even in this unfinished state, while its flat-plane-crank V8 delivers an appropriately aggressive soundtrack as it attacks the Green Hell.
The prototype is particularly interesting because it gives us another opportunity to see AMG's second Mythos model in action. Limited to just 30 units worldwide, the CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung had already sold out before its official debut in September for what must've been an exorbitant price tag.
As its name suggests, the extensively reworked coupe packs 646 PS (637 hp) from an upgraded 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8. The M177 EVO engine develops 850 Nm (627 lb-ft) of torque and features a flat-plane crankshaft for sharper responses and a more eager-revving character.
AMG also fitted a bespoke exhaust system developed with Akrapovič, with titanium components helping to reduce weight. The prototype does sound glorious, especially in 2026, when increasingly stringent emissions and noise regulations are slowly strangling big engines and robbing them of their character.
But this car has considerably more than a big engine. AMG ditched the donor CLE 53's all-wheel-drive system for rear-wheel drive, pairing the V8 with a nine-speed automatic transmission.
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