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You can't help but love the 2008 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG for its awesome features and more.

Two significant events make 2007 a particularly significant year for Mercedes-Benz and the AMG: first, it was the introduction of a new top model – the Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG high-performance coupe with its 612-hp V12 engine – which rounds out the unique AMG range and also marks a special anniversary: the high-performance brand of the Mercedes Car Group (MCG) celebrates its 40th birthday in 2007.

The 2008 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG is another dream automobile in the AMG model lineup. In the unique high-performance coupe, the strong AMG 6.0-liter V12 bi-turbo engine, which is also found in the Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG and Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG twelve-cylinder models, provides a really outstanding driving experience. The Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG achieves 62.14 mph in 4.4 seconds and reaches 198 mph in 13.3 seconds, thanks to its maximum power of 612 hp and maximum torque of 737.56 Ibs-ft. It can go up to 155 miles per hour (electronically limited).

Standard features include AMG body styling, 20-inch AMG forged wheels, the unique AMG interior and highly advanced technology, such as AMG sports suspension, based on the Active Body Control system, and the anticipatory occupant protection system PRE-SAFE®. The AMG high-performance brake system with double-frame sliding calipers, new for 2008, offers maximum deceleration without fading.

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The initials A and M represent for the names of the company's founders, Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher, respectively, while the G stands for Aufrecht's hometown of Grossaspach. Aufrecht and Melcher started a racing and tuner company forty years ago, in 2008. They took over an old mill as their headquarters. Their small business has developed into a 750-employee high-performance automotive manufacturer.

Mercedes-Benz 300SEs competed in European touring-car races, and AMG's initial racing vehicles were based on them. When an AMG-built 300SEL won its class in the 1971 24 Hours of Spa, it was a watershed moment. AMG has won five German Touring Car Championships and one International Touring Car Championship since then. In 1997, AMG won the first FIA GT championship, and the following year, it won all 11 races. AMG has also provided Formula One with safety and medical vehicles for almost a decade.

AMG expanded its road-car business along the way, and its first great hit was the 190 in 1983, which put AMG, which was already well-known among racers, on the map with Mercedes production-car buyers. Another watershed moment occurred in 1990, when AMG and Mercedes-Benz agreed to sell and service AMG-built Mercedes automobiles at Mercedes dealerships. Mercedes-Benz debuted the C36, the first automobile it co-developed with AMG, in 1993. In 1999, Aufrecht sold a majority stake in the company to DaimlerChrysler, which then bought the entire company in 2001.

The CL-Class, on the other hand, is a big luxury coupe that serves as Mercedes-flagship Benz's model for technological features. For 2007, the Mercedes-Benz CL-Class was totally revamped, with new aesthetics, technical upgrades, more powerful engines, and more opulent (and nerdy) equipment than ever before. For 2008, the CL65 is also available in a Liquid Metal 40th Anniversary Edition. The CL65 AMG competes with exotic sports vehicles while maintaining the comforts and technological innovations seen in previous CL-Class variants.

Related: The 2000 Mercedes-Benz CL600 Is One Of The Cheapest V12's You Can Buy Today

The 6.0-liter twin-turbo V-12 engine produces 604 horsepower and is coupled to an AMG Speed-shift five-speed automatic transmission with sport, comfort, and manual modes, as well as shift paddles on the steering wheel. The top speed is electrically controlled to 155 mph, as is customary. Mercedes claims 4.4 seconds to 60 mph, which is about the same as the SL65, but we'll probably be able to do it in the high trees.

The tires are 255/35 ZR-20s in the front and 275/35 ZR-20s in the back, all mounted on AMG forged wheels. Up front, twin sliding calipers combine the benefits of floating calipers (less heat transfer, for example) with the performance of fixed calipers, according to AMG. A big sliding caliper is used on the rear brakes. The cross-drilled discs are made of composite material. If a normal CL65 AMG isn't enough exclusivity for you, there's also a 40th-anniversary variant that celebrates four decades of AMG.

The car comes with an AMG body kit that includes larger air intakes, side air outlets, and round fog lamps, as well as 20-inch AMG forged wheels, an exclusive AMG interior, and an Active Body Control sport suspension that uses sensors to adjust the suspension's hydraulics in response to road imperfections, with the goal of reducing body motions during acceleration, braking, and cornering. Mercedes claims the brakes are huge, measuring 15 inches in diameter in front and 14 inches in back, and capable of stopping the car from 62 mph in 116 feet.

The "AMG Alubeam" paint, which has only been seen on a few show cars before, is exclusive to this model run of only 40 cars globally. Mercedes claims that the new paint process employs nano-particle technology. For better resistance to car washes and such, the particles form a tight connection. Minuscule pigment particles reflect light significantly more intensely, giving the illusion of molten metal plating on a vehicle. It's stunning, but it's also pricey. The interior features nappa leather with an Alcantara headliner, as well as "40th Anniversary" inscription on the center console.

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