George Russell Drives the New Mercedes-AMG CLE 646 to Madring, Feels “Gutted” About Not Buying ItMotorBiscuitSaajan JogiaSun, September 13, 2026 at 10:00 AM UTCAdd us on GoogleMercedes F1 driver George Russell took the new AMG CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung coupé to the Madring and came away seriously impressed. He admitted he was "gutted" that he didn't buy one, despite being offered one of the 30 examples built for the global market. Russell revealed that he had other financial priorities at the time, as he was buying a flat and a wedding ring, leaving little room in his budget for the bespoke AMG. While the price of the car has not been announced, it is expected to be over $1 million.As F1 heads to the Madring this weekend for the new venue's first Spanish Grand Prix, Russell was given one of the 30 examples to drive to the track, with his reaction to the coupé captured on camera and shared on social media. After admitting he regretted not buying one, Russell unintentionally spun the rear wheels when the traffic light turned green, catching him by surprise.He then went on to describe the driving experience, saying it felt more like a GT3 car, before taking the opportunity to create some pops and bangs from the exhaust while driving through a tunnel. Russell also remarked that he could still smell the tires after unintentionally spinning them at the traffic light.AdvertisementAdvertisementAt one point, he revved the car in front of the police and jokingly pretended to cover his face with his hand as the officers stared at him. After reaching the circuit, Russell stepped out and walked around the car, examining its bodywork and various details. MotorBiscuit shared another report in which Russell and Antonelli took the cover off the Mercedes-AMG CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung coupé, but struggled to pronounce the 'Spezialanfertigung' bit properly, prompting Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff to step in and correct them.Despite the complicated name, both drivers were mighty impressed by the 646-hp high-performance coupé, prompting Antonelli to question if they could still buy it. The car is equipped with an "extensively enhanced" AMG M177 EVO 4.0-liter V8 biturbo engine, producing 850 Nm of torque from 2,500 to 4,500 rpm. It also features several bespoke elements, including a high-performance exhaust system. With its rear-wheel-drive layout and track-focused performance, the CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung certainly has enough to appeal to an F1 driver.George Russell Drives the New Mercedes-AMG CLE 646 to Madring, Feels “Gutted” About Not Buying ItThe AMG CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung started as an internal project to push the CLE further toward outright driving performance. What began as a prototype evolved into a comprehensive redesign combining higher output, a bespoke chassis, extensive weight reduction and significant bodywork changes. Around 170 kilograms were shed compared with the standard coupé, while the bodyshell was extensively reworked, resulting in a highly customized build produced to Affalterbach's manufactory standards.The rear-wheel-drive system gives the car a more focused and dynamic character while keeping weight down. Its electronically controlled limited-slip differential helps manage controlled drifts, while the Launch Control system has been tuned specifically for the rear-driven layout. Together, these upgrades help the car accelerate from 0 to 200 km/h in just 11.4 seconds.