By Anthony Henson, April 3, 2025
I’m not sure if Mercedes realizes this, but the era of the truly well-engineered, luxurious Mercedes is over. When I say well-engineered, I mean over-engineered—back when they built cars as if cost-cutting were a foreign concept. Sure, they still employ some of the best engineers in the world, but like every other automaker, they’re now shackled by the realities of microeconomics, macroeconomics, and, of course, shareholder appeasement.
Having driven the latest generation of Mercedes—aside from the sacred S-Class—everything feels like a step down from its predecessor. The fit and finish? Let’s just say that in today’s Mercedes, luxury feels more “mid-range Skoda” than “bank vault on wheels.”
And then there’s the interior—oh, the interior. Designed with all the restraint of Liberace in his 1970s prime, it’s a spectacle of over-styling that seems more interested in dazzling than delighting. But hey, at least owning a Mercedes is still special, right? Well, not really—but that hasn’t stopped Mercedes from trying to convince you otherwise.
To distract from the wear-prone materials and the leather that seems to age faster than fine milk, Mercedes has graciously unveiled a “special edition” of the AMG CLE Coupe. Because, of course, what better way to celebrate mediocrity than with an overpriced badge and a marketing campaign? No one buys a 3.0-liter straight-six with 449 bhp and 560 Nm of torque for fuel efficiency, but Mercedes insists it’s a “dream car”—even though, let’s be honest, the dream of owning a Mercedes faded long ago, in a world far, far away.
The so-called “Limited Edition” is little more than a greatest-hits compilation of existing options, a masterclass in repackaging the ordinary as exclusive. It’s like a shampoo brand claiming their latest formula miraculously reverses hair loss—despite using the exact same ingredients as the regular bottle.
And yet, marketing done right has an almost magical effect on those willing to be fooled. After all, marketing is the world’s oldest profession—yes, even older than that one—and I truly pity the soul who falls for the illusion of exclusivity in the Mercedes-AMG CLE Coupe… or Cabriolet.
