Mercedes-AMG Mythos CLE Coupe Brings Back Extreme V8 Power
The CLE-based halo machine pairs a flat-plane twin-turbo V8 with ultra-wide bodywork, track aero and hyper-rare Mythos status.
Summary
- Mercedes-AMG is developing an ultra-limited Mythos-series coupe based on the CLE, marking a loud return to V8 power in its mid-size performance lineup
- The camouflaged prototype is undergoing cold-weather testing in Sweden with a track-focused aero kit, widened stance and hardware tuned for serious downforce and stability
- Positioned above conventional AMG models, the CLE-based Mythos is expected to pack a new flat-plane-crank 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, huge power gains over the CLE 53 and a price and production run closer to hypercar territory
Mercedes-AMG is using the CLE as a canvas for its next Mythos statement, pushing the coupe far beyond the already-muscular CLE 53 into Black Series-adjacent territory. Spy shots and official winter-testing images show a bespoke wide-body shell, dramatically reworked front aero and a taller, more aggressive grille that feeds a new 4.0-litre flat-plane-crank V8. The second Mythos car follows the SL-based PureSpeed and is being engineered as a collector-grade halo rather than a regular series-production AMG.
Under the skin, the big story is the new 4.0-litre flat-plane-crank V8 that is set to debut in the updated S-Class before being turned up for duty in the CLE-based Mythos. Reports point to outputs clearing 650 horsepower and more than 800 Nm of torque, which would slice the 0-100 km/h sprint to comfortably under four seconds and push top speed toward 300 km/h. The chassis is being overbuilt to match, with a wider track, lower ride height, more aggressive wheel offsets and motorsport-grade aero including a towering fixed rear wing, carbonfibre roof and trapezoidal quad exhausts.
Culturally, the Mythos CLE reads as Mercedes-AMG’s course correction after the lukewarm response to the four-cylinder hybrid C63. It leans hard into the brand’s heritage of loud, overbuilt V8 coupes while slotting into an ultra-luxury space above even traditional Black Series cars. Limited build numbers, bespoke detailing and a stratospheric price tag will keep it in the realm of serious collectors, but its existence signals that AMG still sees a future for dramatic, combustion-led performance at the top of its range.
