The Mercedes-Benz CL500 was a variant of the C140 CL-Class that was introduced for the 1997 model year. When the C140 was launched, it was originally part of the W140 S-Class, but from 1997, S-Class based coupes were spun off into the CL-Class. The CL 500 was powered by Mercedes' M119 E50 engine, which was a 5.0L V8 that generated 362hp. This power was sent to the rear wheels via a 5 speed automatic transmission. Production of the C140 CL500 ended in 1999, but the model series continued life in the next generation C215 CL-Class as the C215 Mercedes-Benz CL500.