Clash of the coupes

> See the comparative specs

Mercedes-Benz' CLS changed all that was true to coupe lovers' hearts by squeezing two extra doors back into a genuine two-door sloping-back design ? and now no one seems to know what to make of it.

So complicated has the coupe concept become that we decided to add two rivals to the mix, offering varying ideas as to what a coupe should or could look like.

Our two rivals, the BMW 654Ci and Maserati Quattroporte are fine examples of the concept. The 645Ci is a coupe in the truest sense ? it's all there. Two doors and the sloping (well, almost) back. The sleek lines of the sports coupe are visible everywhere from front to rear, including the high waistline and low-height side windows.

But the Maserati Quattroporte is a four-door with coupe overtones graciously dialled into its shape ? a limousine design that delicately alludes to being a coupe.

And then the Mercedes-Benz CLS could be a refreshed Chev Fleetline, but with a sports-coupe shape. It must have been quite simple to achieve such a shape, though: just design a genuine coupe and stick two doors into the rear. Result? Well, that's the point, What is it really?

But before things get out of hand, let's get one thing straight: these three cars are shamelessly beautiful. Parked in the lot at Kyalami in the setting sun the fascinating designs are a scene to be remembered, with the all-new CLS the centre of attraction.

Attractive bodies

The Merc's shoulder line rises from the dynamic, rounded form of the front wheel arch, extends across the entire body side and ends in the attractively contoured rear light cluster that gently continues the flowing line into the rear bumper. With this feature the designers created a fine balance between lines and surfaces. At the same time it helps to extend the bodywork in visual terms and emphasises sporty elegance.

The Maserati instead has a most glorious GT nose ? a feature that perhaps offers its most powerful illusion to resembling the coupe theme with its more sculpted and curved forms. The 645Ci perhaps is the most contemporary of the three in design terms, and possibly Bangle's only high point in his BMW designs. Both the German cars are smoother and sleeker than the Maserati, which is more linear in form.

Power put to the test

And there were some surprises during testing. The Merc's SOHC V8 with its three-valve per cylinder layout may be antiquated, but damn it's quick off the mark. Its 6.1-second dash to 100km/h was surprising seeing it has the same outputs as the SL 500 ? but it's lighter. And over the most important test, the standing quarter mile, the CLS was tops again with its sub-15-second time.

However overtaking times of the Maser were somewhat better than both rivals here, its Duoselect 'box performing admirably. Another feature that impresses is the fact that the Italian car is not hamstrung by a controlled top speed ? its top end is 275km/h.

Both Germans are regulated at 250 ? no doubt an indication of the Maserati's racing pedigree and heritage as a producer of refined and fast GT, sports and single-seater cars since the early 1900s.

Naturally the Maser sounds like a Maserati should, something the Germans have omitted to a degree from their two engines, the 645Ci sounding the more sonorous of the two.

Lifting the bonnet

And when the bonnets are lifted this philosophy continues. A Darth Vader mask is in place on both the 645Ci and CLS 500, hiding what could be two great-looking engines, especially the quadcam in the Bee-Emm. Lift the Maser bonnet and what do you see? Mechanical art! Two Italian racing red cam-covers and black, curved, glossy inlet tracts ? enough to gladden the heart of any petrol head. And there are many around.

Who of these buyers will ever see the engine-bays, though? But the point is the Maser's engine says something for the philosophy of Maserati. It's a car built mostly by people rather than machines...

Road manners

The Merc's road manners are a surprise ? I've seldom found big Mercs to my liking in this area. I'm not sure whether it's to do with the lighter weight but this time around the CLS is more positive in response, something lacking in earlier Mercs. In fact it's as good as the AMG optimised versions.

Its five-link rear suspension is in forged aluminium ? some 30 percent lighter than when manufactured in steel, while the Airmatic suspension switches off when cornering with verve ? offering the more positive response in so doing. That slight suspension bump-back response when driven hard over rough surfaces is also a thing of the past.

However the road holding characteristics of its two rivals are just slightly more positive, with the Maser seeming a trite better even than the 645Ci. Its Skyhook set-up automatically adjusts suspension that responds to changing road and driving conditions quicker than almost any rival on the market.

Driving the three cars proved an experience of note, although I stayed away from the BMW's Star Wars-like computerised i-Drive system. Though it may be a trend into the future ? with perhaps computer boffins able to navigate through the system rapidly at present ? I want to know how long it takes a middle-aged-and-over buyer to come to terms with this silly system...

Selecting the top dog

Testing a new car such as the CLS against such rivals as these in class, finesse and almost never-ending equipment levels, the top dog is difficult to select. Naturally in such matters you need take into consideration the last-one-in-the-pond situation, which in this case is the CLS with its up-to-the-present equipment levels.

Individualism and snob value are difficult ideals to serve when attempting to select one from this trio with so little to differentiate them. But its strange rendition on the coupe, even stranger looks and that odd looking dash aside, the comparative price of the CLS is mouth-watering, is it not?