Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class Coupé (C208) · CLK Coupé

C208

The original CLK — compact luxury coupé.

Production: 1997–2002
Built: 233,367
Body: Coupé
Chassis: C208

Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class Coupé (C208) (C208)

Mercedes-Benz needed a coupé that felt younger than the E-Class and less exotic than the SL — the C208 CLK answered with compact proportions, a soft-edged body, and a name that would define the brand's mid-size two-door line for more than a decade.

Launched in 1997, the first-generation CLK Coupé shared its platform with the W202 C-Class but wore entirely distinct styling — rounded flanks, oval headlamps, and a pillarless glasshouse on later variants. Engines ranged from a 2.0-liter four-cylinder through six-cylinder and V8 options, with the CLK 55 AMG establishing AMG credibility in the segment. The C208 paired with the A208 cabriolet to create Mercedes-Benz's first modern CLK generation.

Production ran from 1997 to 2003, establishing the CLK as a core Mercedes-Benz nameplate and setting the design and packaging template that the C209 would refine and extend.

C208 interior — Cabin details of the C208, as preserved in period photography.

Every model.

11 model designations across 1997–2002 — engines, chassis codes and production figures for the C208.

Modell	Modelljahre	Baumuster	Motor	Gesamt
CLK 200	1997–1999	208.335	111.945	45,890
CLK 200	2000	208.335	111.945	oben enthalten
CLK 200 Kompressor	1997–1999	208.345	111.944	15,985
CLK 200 Kompressor	2000	208.345	111.944	oben enthalten
CLK 200 Kompressor	2001–2002	208.344	111.956	24,639
CLK 230 Kompressor	1997–1999	208.347	111.975	37,479
CLK 230 Kompressor	2000	208.347	111.975	oben enthalten
CLK 230 Kompressor	2001–2002	208.348	111.982	14,555
CLK 320	2000–2002	208.365	112.940	oben enthalten
CLK 430	2000–2002	208.370	113.943	oben enthalten
CLK 55 AMG	2000–2002	208.374	113.984	3,381

* Die veröffentlichte Produktionszahl umfasst alle Serien dieses Modells; die Quelle schlüsselt sie nicht weiter auf.

Studio profile of the C208 — the proportions that defined this chassis.

C208 rear three-quarter view — Rear three-quarter view of the C208.

Engines.

The M113 as fitted to the C208.

M113

113.9434.3 L · 4,266 cc
279 PS
205 kW · 275 hp bei 5,750 U/min
400 N·m
295 lb·ft bei 3,000 U/min
113.9845.4 L · 5,439 cc
347 PS
255 kW · 342 hp bei 5,500 U/min
510 N·m
376 lb·ft bei 2,000 U/min