The 2003 Mercedes-Benz CLK hits the market as the best luxury coupe in the world. The CLK marks a gracious return to a design philosophy that demands that a coupe make a special statement about style and elegance, rather than simply being a truncated sedan.The CLK marks a further evolution of the specialty coupe, one that rises above some of the limitations that undid the coupe market in the past. The CLK can't match a small sport sedan for passenger room, but it does not have the crippling impracticality and cramped cockpit of older coupes.
The CLK is a rolling statement of style and taste, and a design that's likely to age well. The Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class should only get better as more models join the lineup. The company struggled to meet demand for the outgoing CLK, but the lines that will probably form for the new model are likely to dwarf what Mercedes dealers have seen until now.