The Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR | a mechanical legend

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 19:55:06 +1300

A Race Car With Number Plates
When it comes to hypercars, few names strike awe like the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR. Born out of necessity, bred on the racetrack, and homologated just enough for the road, the CLK GTR is one of the rarest and most outrageous Mercedes ever built. With an estimated price tag north of $10 million USD, it’s not just a car—it’s an icon.

From its Formula One-inspired V12 engine to its razor-sharp aerodynamics, the CLK GTR is as close as you can get to piloting a Le Mans prototype on the street.

But how did it come to exist? And why is it still one of the most valuable hypercars on the planet?

The GT1 Arms Race of the 1990s
To understand the CLK GTR, we need to rewind to the golden age of FIA GT1 racing. In the mid-1990s, car manufacturers were battling for dominance in endurance racing, and the rules allowed road-legal versions of race cars—as long as you built a few dozen for the public.

Mercedes-Benz wanted in, and they weren’t going to settle for second place.

In 1997, they unleashed the CLK GTR, a mid-engined monster disguised under the badge of a humble CLK coupé. But this was no luxury cruiser. It was pure motorsport DNA, designed to conquer circuits like Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps.

Built to Dominate—and Did
The CLK GTR destroyed the competition in FIA GT Championship. It won 6 of the 11 races in its debut season and clinched the team and driver championships for AMG-Mercedes.

Key specs from the race version:

6.0L V12 engine (AMG-built)
600+ horsepower
0–100 km/h in 3.5 seconds
Top speed: 320+ km/h
Carbon fibre monocoque chassis
Sequential 6-speed transmission
But here’s where it gets insane: Mercedes had to build road versions to meet the homologation requirements.

Only 25 Ever Made: The Road-Legal Legends
In total, just 25 CLK GTR road cars were made:

20 Coupés
5 Roadsters (even rarer and more valuable)
The road version received a slightly larger 6.9L V12 engine producing around 604 hp, with some units tuned up to 650+ hp. Despite small comforts like leather upholstery and air conditioning, it’s still a brutal, barely-tamed machine.

And yes—it’s mid-engined, despite the front-engined look. The entire body is carbon fibre, and access to the engine requires basically taking the whole rear of the car apart.

What’s It Like to Drive?
In a word? Unforgiving.

You don’t drive the CLK GTR as much as you wrestle it. There’s no ABS. No traction control. The clutch is stiff, the gearbox is aggressive, and visibility is near-zero.

But when you get it right, it rewards you with a driving experience closer to a Le Mans prototype than any street car. The roar of the V12 is operatic. The steering is razor-sharp. And the downforce makes you feel glued to the asphalt at triple-digit speeds.

As Doug DeMuro famously said in his viral review:

“It’s the craziest, rawest, most extreme car I’ve ever driven—and also the rarest.”

Value: Why It’s Worth $10 Million (or More)
The CLK GTR regularly appears at Sotheby’s and Gooding & Co. auctions, and each time it breaks its own records. In recent years:

2022: A CLK GTR Roadster sold for $10.2 million USD
2023: A coupe model fetched $9.5 million USD
Reasons for its sky-high value:

Extreme rarity (25 units total)
Proven racing pedigree
V12 naturally aspirated engine (a dying breed)
True homologation special
Built by HWA and AMG at the peak of analog engineering
Simply put: they’ll never make something like this again.

More Than a Car—It’s Automotive History
The CLK GTR stands at a crossroads in car history:

Before hybrids and turbos took over
When race cars walked among us
When brands built cars not for profit, but for pride
It’s a tribute to the raw, untamed spirit of racing—wrapped in a carbon-fibre shell and powered by an angry V12 symphony.

Final Thoughts
The Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR isn’t just a hypercar. It’s a mechanical legend, a relic from the last great era of analog supercars. With only 25 in existence, it’s rarer than a Ferrari F40, faster than a McLaren F1 in some aspects, and more hardcore than any Lamborghini ever produced.

If you ever see one in the wild, consider yourself lucky. And if you ever drive one... well, you’ve experienced one of the rarest thrills in automotive history.