Beschreibung:

Building on the foundations of its hugely successful domestic and international touring car competition programmes of the mid-1990s, Mercedes-Benz re-entered international sportscar racing in 1997 with the fabulous CLK GTR. The decision to switch from touring to sports cars had been taken at the end of the 1996 season, leaving precious little time to develop a challenger for the FIA’s new GT Championship. The latter’s regulations stipulated that ‘GT1’ category cars had to be production based, and although the racer used the same ‘CLK’ designation as the existing road car, it was in fact all new. Development was entrusted to Mercedes-Benz’s official performance division, AMG. Amazingly, just 128 days after design work had commenced in December 1996, the first Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR took to the track at Jarama in April 1997 for its initial test. Like Porsche’s 911 GT1, the CLK GTR bore a passing resemblance to its road going namesake - the front-engined CLK saloon - but was mid-engined and powered by an SL600-based 6.9-litre V12 producing 600bhp. Mated to a transverse six-speed sequential gearbox, the engine formed a stressed member of the chassis, supporting the rear suspension. The monocoque tub itself was constructed of a mixture of carbon fibre and Kevlar. Unsurprisingly, M-B failed to get the road version homologated in time, but were allowed to race anyway, a dispensation that angered its rivals. The CLK GTR first won at the Nurburgring in June 1997, going on to win five more of the 11 rounds to take the GT Championship in its debut year. With a new CLK LM (Le Mans) waiting in the wings, the CLK GTR raced just twice in 1998, winning the GT Championship’s first two rounds at Oschersleben and Silverstone, before being retired from active duty after little more than a season’s racing, but with an impeccable record. During 1998 and 1999, Mercedes-Benz duly completed 25 road going CLK GTRs. These closely resembled the racing version but developed ‘only’ 550bhp and dispensed with the racer’s separate rear wing in favour of a body-integral design. They were also better equipped and kitted out with more creature comforts than the Spartan racer. With a headline-grabbing price tag of over $1,000,000, the CLK GTR’s exclusivity was surpassed only by its stupendous performance. Chassis number ‘16’, that offered here, was supplied new in Germany to the vendor, its sole owner. Finished in Mercedes-Benz’s silver racing livery, this CLK GTR is no.5 of 25 limited Edition examples built with the special ‘300 SLR’ grey-blue cloth interior. The car has covered a mere 100-or-so kilometres only and is offered with original Mercedes-Benz documentation and German Fahrzeugbrief. En 1998 et 1999, Mercedes-Benz acheva la fabrication de 25 CLK GTR version route. D'un aspect très proche de la version course, les routières qui ne développaient « que » 550 ch avaient perdu leur aileron séparé en faveur d'une forme intégrée à la carrosserie. Elles étaient aussi mieux dotées en équipements de confort que les spartiates machines de course. Avec un prix astronomique de 1 000 000 dollars, l'exclusiviré de la CLK GTR n'était dépassée que par ses extraordinaires performances. Le châssis n°16 présenté ici fut vendu neuf en Allemagne à son actuel et unique propriétaire. Revêtu de la livrée argent des Mercedes de course, elle est prête à parcourir des kilomètres sur les routes de notre beau continent. Cette CLK GTR est la numero 5 de la série limitée en hommage à la célèbre 300 SLR et son intéreur écossais bleu-gris. La voiture qui n'a parcouru qu'une centaine de kilomètres est accompagnée de sa documentation d'origine Mercedes-Benz et de son titre de circulation allemand.