The Incredibly Rare Mercedes CLK GTR Steals the Show Even Today
Carlos Kirby
· 4 min read
If you are a racing car enthusiast, you must have heard of the
Mercedes
CLK GTR or at least played one in your favorite racing game
. Just like some of the rare Ford cars, only a few road-legal versions of the Mercedes CLK GTR were made.The AMG used the CLK GTR to dominate various races between 1997 and 1999. It looks as amazing as it performs on the road. Let us explore the model and the reason why you’ll probably not find one in your hometown.
The Mercedes CLK GTR was miraculously built to conquer the track
According to
Top Gear
, the Mercedes was first designed and produced in 1997 by AMG in collaboration with Mercedes. This vehicle went from the design stage to full production in under 128 days and was ready to compete in the year's FIA GT championships.In something akin to a miracle, the original designs were hand-drawn, polished with CAD, and built into 3D clay models. Both companies achieved a feat with no time for intensive testing or making errors. This did not prevent the CLK GTR from beating more meticulously designed models on the road.
The rules of the competition at the time meant that each participant would have at least 25 road versions of the racing model. For this reason, the model has only 25 units that ever existed.
This CLK GTR went on to win the FIA GT championship in 1997, where it led in 6 of the 11 races. Following the success of the CLK GTR, Mercedes upgraded it to the CLK LM for the 1998 competitions. Again, it beat other competitors with ease to win the FIA GT championship, leading in all 10 races.
The rules changed, allowing Mercedes to sell the road versions of the iconic racer in 1999. Unfortunately, the CLR version that was made for the 1999 championships did not perform well. It had aerodynamic problems that led to a poor show at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
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Number 9 Mercedes CLK GTR went for sale at an auction
MORE: Mercedes-Benz Plans to Go All-Electric By End of Decade
The ninth car of the 25 CLK GTR, the Stassen version, was scheduled for sale at an auction in July 2021. Its name means the 'street version' in German and was based on the 1998 CLK GTR. According to
Motor1
, the first owner was Hermann-Dieter Eschmann from Germany. He was an entrepreneur who loved fast cars. This car changed hands in 2005 when it was sold to a private collector. The collector later sold it to Cheval Trust in 2017. The Cheval Trust is the current owner and has kept the vehicle in Seattle.
This car is in pristine condition, having only traveled 896 miles. All the accessories that were delivered with the model to the first owner are still intact. They include a socket for the wheels, a torque wrench, and a battery charger.
The vehicle is worth over $10 million. This value, combined with the fact that only a few are available, may mean you may not be seeing many around your home.
What is the performance of this street racing car like?
As stated by
MotorAuthority
, the Mercedes CLK GTR comes fitted with an AMG-built, 6.9-liter, naturally aspirated V12 engine. The engine delivers a whopping 604 horsepower and 572 lb-ft of torque. This car is super-fast and can reach a speed of 62 mph from rest in just 3.8 seconds.It has a top speed of 214 mph, with the power being transferred to the rear wheels via a paddle-shifted 6-speed Xtrac sequential transaxle.
Get the best coverage for your high-value car
Even if you do not get a chance to buy the rarer Mercedes CLK GTR due to its cost, you need good insurance coverage for your vehicle. A good car is an investment that should be protected in all ways possible.
In addition to driving carefully, a regular maintenance routine, and regular inspections, consider the coverage package.
The
Jerry
app enables you to compare offers from different car insurance providers. This convenience enables you to get the best prices and coverage options. The insurance broker can also help you cancel your existing policy.
