One of my favorite cars is the 1967 Ford Fairlane coupe, especially the GTA version which had a 427-in.³ V8 under the hood. The Fairlane had Ford’s corporate stacked headlights, horizontal bar grille, raised shoulder line, etc., but looked more tailored and athletic than its larger kin. Similarly, Mercedes’ CLK 500 has the quad oval lights and bar-of-soap-slick shape of the larger Mercedes CL coupe, and a 5.0-liter V8 putting out 302 hp at 4,600 rpm, and 339 lb-ft of torque at 2,700. In other words, it follows the familiar American format of a big engine and big power in a smaller body shell, and loads it with leather, electronics, and technology unavailable when the Ford was built.

Oddly, although the CLK 500 may seem American it doesn’t feel it, but it does look Japanese. Just pull up behind a late model Honda Accord Coupe, and you’ll be staring at a taillight and trunk cut design starkly similar to the CLK’s. Sure, the Mercedes is richer looking, has better detailing, and the fuller body section looks more graceful than the slab-sided Honda’s, but this is cold comfort when you consider the difference in price between a loaded Accord Coupe (approximately $30,000), and the CLK 500 tested (just under $60,000 – and it was by no means loaded). It’s like finding a suit at Men’s Wearhouse that – to the untrained eye – is nearly identical to your Armani at less than half the price. Frustrating? I guarantee it.

Of course, the Accord can’t hold a candle to the Mercedes dynamically. Nor can it accelerate as rapidly or with as seductive a tune. Which brings me back to the Fairlane analogy. In its day, the small Ford was quite subtle. It didn’t scream “speed!” at the top of its lungs with go-faster stripes and the like, but it carried a reputation for holding its own when challenges were laid down – much like the CLK 500. Plus, it had a bad big brother – the GTA – for those times when the standard issue model wasn’t enough. (For a starting price of $70,620 you can get the 362 hp CLK55 AMG if some bully is kicking sand in your face.)

Rolling away from a stoplight, tooling around town, or accelerating at less than light speed are easy and –there’s that word again – subtle. But poke the throttle harder and the unmistakable sound of a high-performance V8 comes through loud and clear, just like in the old days. Only this time, you don’t have to worry about drum brakes, slick surfaces, or cringe at the thought of corners. Modern technology has seen to that. There’s also no need to fear the overbearing, slightly lethargic, feel found in Mercedes of old, though you’ll wish for just a touch more heft to the controls and a more progressive build up of forces through the steering wheel. It’s the only way – other than the price – in which the CLK 500 feels less than subtle.