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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR - AMG FIA GT racing bullet for the road

Name: Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR 1998
Brand: Mercedes-Benz

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Created on July 28, 2018

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

Patrick Ernzen - Courtesy RM/Sotheby's

Daimler AG

Pete Summers (Goodwood)

Patrick Ernzen - Courtesy RM/Sotheby's / Daimler AG (Collage Zwischengas)

Kévin Goudin

Daniel Reinhard

Patrick Ernzen - Courtesy RM/Sotheby's

Daimler AG

Pete Summers (Goodwood)

Patrick Ernzen - Courtesy RM/Sotheby's / Daimler AG (Collage Zwischengas)

Kévin Goudin

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1998) - a comparison of the CLK (1997) and CLK GTR

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1998) - back then, racing cars still had their own aesthetics

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1998) - almost five meters long and two meters wide, a challenge to park

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1998) - ultra-flat, only around 1.1 meters high

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1998) - the racing car for the road

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1998) - significantly wider than the standard CLK, but also much flatter

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1998) - rear view, the view to the rear was not particularly good

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1998) - the road sports car was given a smaller rear wing

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1998) - the butterfly doors are hinged at the front

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1998) - from this perspective it becomes clear how close the road GTR remained to the racing car

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1998) - the road version can also be unleashed like a racing car

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1998) - enormously wide side sills concealing small luggage compartments

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1998) - black leather interior

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1998) - shifting was done with paddles on the steering wheel

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1998) - getting in requires a certain amount of agility

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1998) - the dashboards are reminiscent of the standard Mercedes vehicles from the nineties, only the speedometer up to 340 km/h is probably unique

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1998) - limited edition, here the badge from 9/25

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1998) - the limited edition was already ensured by the high purchase price

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1998) - around seven liters of displacement for over 600 hp

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1998) - the Mercedes star could not be missing, one of the few mass-produced parts

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1998) - headlight design as in the CLK series (C208)

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1998) - Air for the engine is drawn in above the cockpit

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1998) - the rear-view mirrors are electrically adjustable

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1998) - Chassis technology like in racing car construction

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1998) - the rear lights came from the CLK of the C208 series

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1998) - with diffuser and powerful tailplane

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Mercedes-Benz CLK 230 Kompressor (1997) - with the four-eyed face also the design basis for the CLK GTR

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Mercedes-Benz CLK 230 Kompressor (1997) - C208 model series

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Mercedes-Benz CLK 320 (1997) - Coupé of the 208 model series

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Mercedes-Benz CLK 320 (1997) - the coupé was also well received by women

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Mercedes-Benz CLK 230 Kompressor (1997) - four cylinders and forced ventilation for the Coupé

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Mercedes-Benz CLK 320 (1997) - elegant coupé

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Mercedes-Benz CLK 320 (1997) - with sporty add-on parts from AMG

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Mercedes-Benz CLK 320 (1997) - Coupé of the C208 model series

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1997) - the first road-going version of the FIA GT racing car

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1997) - the racing touring car

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1997) - Race at the FIA GT race in Laguna Seca - Bernd Schneider wins

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1997) - the racing engine with a displacement of six liters and 600 hp

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1998) - the team for 1998 - Bouchut, Mayländer, Tiemann, Grounon, Webber, Ludwig, Schneider and Zonta

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1997) - Bernd Schneider in the C297 in 1998

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1998) - Bernd Schneider and Mark Webber win at Silverstone

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Mercedes-Benz CLK LM (1998) - Bernd Schneider and Mark Webber finish second in the final race of the 1998 FIA GT Championship at Lagona Seca

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Mercedes-Benz CLK LM (1998) - the further development of the CLK GTR was also responsible for winning the 1998 FIA GT Championship with Klaus Ludwig

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Mercedes-Benz CLK LM (1998) - Klaus Ludwig and Ricardo Zonta are waved off as winners at the fourth round of the FIA GT Championship in Dijon

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Mercedes-Benz CLK LM (1998) - Klaus Ludwig and Ricardo Zonta finish second at Donington

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1997) - homologation vehicle for the GT Championship, 25 cars were produced in 1998 and 1999

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1997) - homologation vehicle for the GT Championship

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Mercedes Benz CLK GTR (1997) - at the Techno Classica 2014

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Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1997) - GT1 Legends - Goodwood Members' Meeting 2017

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Summary

This article contains the following chapters

Record-fast development time
Racing technology at its best
Fast right from the start - champion in 1997 and 1998
No success at Le Mans
Road version close to the racing version
Only a few drove it
Expensive rarity
Superlative for a short time
Actually too good to stand still ...
Further information

Estimated reading time: 8min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Racing fans remember the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR above all for its flying performances at Le Mans. However, Webber and Dumbreck drove the modified CLR prototype version and no longer the original model. For homologation reasons, road versions were also produced, which at the time held the record as the most expensive production car and brought racing to the road for almost two dozen buyers. In fact, the racing car that underwent its first tests at the end of March 1997 still had the plate on which the license plate could be affixed. After all, the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR was a sports car that also had to be available to buy as a road vehicle, at least in very limited numbers. However, Mercedes-Benz's goal was to participate in the FIA GT Championship and in the GT1 category.

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