We’re condo shopping in Miami. Mercedes-Benz is the latest automaker to add its logo to a super-luxe condo tower about to reach for the skies in the Magic City, and we’ve come to take a look.
And we have the perfect ride to cruise in style to the new Mercedes-Benz Places Miami development in the bustling Brickell neighborhood; the just-launched 2025 Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Cabriolet.
If you’ve been following Miami’s crazy car-condo world, you’ll know that car makers Porsche, Aston Martin, Bentley, Pagani and Pininfarina have already put their name to high-end condo towers to add a little extra glitz and glam.
The Mercedes-Benz Places mega-development will consist of a pair of towers, each over 60 stories tall and containing 800 apartments, ranging from studios to three beds, with prices starting at around $750,000 and going up to over $3.5 million.
When it’s completed in 2027, it’ll come with such cool Mercedes features as a residents-only Silver Arrows rooftop lounge, a Mercedes Formula 1 simulator to drive, lots of three-pointed star logos, and a fleet of Mercedes cars to drive.
One of those will likely be this stunning new $85,000 Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Cabriolet. Here’s a droptop that oozes as much Miami “cool” as Don Johnson in a white linen suit.
You can step into a CLE Cabriolet from around $70,000 with the four-cylinder entry CLE 300. Or there’s the CLE 450 with six-cylinder power and a roughly $76,000 sticker.
But for the full, top-of-the-line Miami experience, Mercedes has just added this AMG-tuned CLE 53 with a Teflon-smooth turbocharged 3.0-liter in-line six mild-hybrid making 443 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque.
It’s paired with a smooth-shifting nine-speed automatic and 4Matic all-wheel drive, along with AMG-massaged sports suspension for carving curves. Not that you’ll find too many in traffic-snarled Miami.
But this new CLE 53 certainly looks the part to fit in with the hip South Beach crowd. That oversized Mercedes Panamericana grille and air-gulping corner vents give the car a suitably angry face. Add to that, wider fenders front and rear that cover absolutely-gorgeous 20-inch rims, plus trademark AMG power bulges on the hood.
Want to spin heads all along Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue? Have your CLE 53 painted in this molten-lava-like shade called Patagonia Red Metallic like our test car. Just magnificent.
And, of course, the whole point of the CLE 53 Cab is to drop the top and cruise with the wind in your hair and sun on your face. Press a button, and that tight-fitting canvas roof will descend (or ascend) in just 20 seconds, and at speeds up to 37 mph.
What I also love about the CLE is that it’s a proper four-seater, so you can head to Coconut Grove with family or friends. And while that rear seat is on the tight side for grown-ups, there’s just enough legroom to make it comfortable enough for short drives. For kids, it’s perfect.
Mercedes has also done a great job of cutting down the wind buffeting inside the cabin at speed. There’s a funky pop-up mesh wind deflector on top of the windshield – Mercedes calls it an “air-cap” – that does a great job of quelling turbulence.
While you can enjoy top-down CLE cruising with the entry-level CLE 300, it’s the power of the AMG-tuned turbo six that sets the 53 apart.
Red light to green and those 443 horseys can catapult the car to 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds accompanied by the most delicious engine growl. Lift off the gas and there’s that lovely snap, crackle and pop from the exhausts.
And while the closest thing to a curvy road in Miami is in Georgia, the 53’s laser-precise steering, tight AMG suspension and those grippy 20-inch gumballs at each corner make every traffic circle and freeway on-ramp a blast.
The CLE’s cabin is also a wonderful place to be. The front seats grip you like a Hulk Hogan body lock, while the 12.3-inch digital instrument display and 11.9-inch center touchscreen make you feel like Tom Cruise in Top Gun.
With fewer and fewer automakers offering convertibles these days, full credit to Mercedes for producing such a drop-top knock-out as this AMG CLE 53. Think of it as Miami “nice”.
