Those of you Defgrip readers who are automobile enthusiasts are probably already well-acquainted with the Mercedes CLK 63 AMG Black Series. About a year ago I saw one of these on the 405, knowing that it was some race or DTM version of the very familiar CLK, but at the time it took some research to figure out exactly what it was. At first I thought maybe I just loved it because it’s right up my alley as a semi-practical, front-engined everyday Benz with unreal performance and exclusivity, but in the last year this car has risen to worldwide acclaim.

A few months ago Harrison and I were riding bikes around my neighborhood and were blown away when we came across a white one parked on the curb. No back seats, 505 horsepower, neck-breaking torque, subdued styling, daily driveability, ultra-minimalist interior, 7-speed auto, bad ass.

I’ll spare you all the car-nerd research and just let you check out UK automobile connoisseur, Top Gear‘s Jeremy Clarkson and his in-depth review of the car.

What you don’t see in this video is that it’s really just the very end of a much longer video where Jeremy reviews a long list of heavy-hitting cars, most of them far more expensive and exotic than the Black Series, finding something negative to say about each and every vehicle, except for “The Black” which wins the battle hands down. Clarkson loved the car and ended up buying one himself.

Thanks to the current economy The Black, which cost $130k when it came out, can be had for around $70k now.

WATCH HERE.