Forget everything you ever thought about station wagons: Mercedes has built what might be the ultimate wagon for the family enthusiast: a special “Edition 1″ CLS63 AMG Shooting Brake with a 557 horsepower V8 engine built by AMG with the help of racing legend Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg, a driver for the Mercedes GP Formula One team who is currently sixth in the standings.
The car made its debut at Daimler’s “Night of the Stars” event at Hockenheim on Saturday evening before Sunday’s running of the German Grand Prix (Fernando Alonso won for Ferrari, Schumacher finished seventh and Rosberg was tenth.)
The “Night of the Stars” was presented like a fashion show. First on the runway were DTM drivers Roberto Merhi, Christian Vietoris and Robert Wickens in the new A 250 Sport “engineered by AMG” version of the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class. They were followed by DTM and Formula One driver Susie Wolff in the SLK 55 AMG, Ralf Schumacher in the SL65 AMG “45th Anniversary” model, and Gary Paffett and Jamie Green at the wheel of the new G63 AMG SUV.
AMG brand ambassadors David Coulthard and Mika Häkkinen then introduced the first public appearance of the “Edition 1.” In true star fashion the car was driven down the catwalk before stopping on a revolving stage where it remained on display.
The highlight of the special “Edition 1″ is the AMG 5.5-litre V8 biturbo engine, which was assembled by Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg during a visit to the Mercedes-AMG facility in Affalterbach last week. For this one time, Schumacher and Rosberg changed AMG’s “one man, one engine” tradition to “one team, one engine”, as they helped to assemble the M157 engine. The fact Schumacher and Rosberg were new on the job shouldn’t be any concern: they worked under the expert guidance of AMG master engine builder Jens Zeitke. Then engine features the signatures of Schumacher, Rosberg and Zeittke.
This one-of-a-kind wagon won’t be on any dealer lot. The special CLS63 AMG Shooting Brake “Edition 1″ will be auctioned off during a TV fundraising event “A Heart for Children,” that will air on December 15, 2012. No idea what the car will bring, but a plain, old, everyday CLS63 AMG Shooting Brake “Edition 1″ will carry a sticker price of €128,639 (about $155,700) when it goes on sale in Germany this October. If that’s a bit rich, a plain, old, everyday CLS63 AMG Shooting Brake is just €117,512.50 (about $142,230), a $13,470 savings!
