Perhaps I should be a little more specific. I was rather wearied by obscenely-powerful Mercedes models that sported the AMG badge.

After a conversation to this effect with a senior Mercedes executive he chuckled and said he had something in store that would change that opinion.

The car he had in mind is the latest CLK63 AMG. Just another car with an overstuffed engine bay or does it have more
thoroughbred characteristics?

Instead of twin turbochargers that pour an unmanageable tsunami of torque AMG has instead resorted to good old-fashioned normal aspiration in the CLK63 AMG, a car which uses a big 6.3-litre V8 engine to make the figures. In this case it's a full 481bhp, up from the 362bhp of the old 5.5-litre V8.

That's still thunderous power, but control is aided by the excellent AMG SPEEDSHIFT 7G-TRONIC transmission. With seven forward speeds and the most spectacularly clumsy name, this is probably the best auto transmission currently made. No, scrub that – it's undoubtedly the best. Paddles behind the steering wheel allow you to control up and downshifts so that the engine isn't turning on the taps just when you want to rein the car in. Talking of which, the CLK63 AMG also features high-performance AMG composite brakes to guarantee retina-detaching retardation.

The engine remains the real star. This is a very different powerplant from those which have gone before. Instead of using forced induction or relying on low-end lugging power, this 6.3-litre unit is like a scaled-up version of a hot hatch engine. Mercedes call it the high-revving concept and that gives you a clear idea of the character of this engine.
Maximum torque doesn't arrive until 5,000rpm at which point you get a generous 630Nm and maximum power arrives at a nosebleed 6,800rpm.

The raw figures are impressive, the CLK hitting 60mph in 4.3 seconds and running into its electronic limiter at 155mph.The CLK63 AMG marks a new direction for powerful Mercedes models. A full track test awaits but the portents look very good indeed...