Would you struggle to pick between the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR coupe or roadster? You don’t have to, thanks to RM Sotheby’s.
The auction house is set to auction off hard- and open-top versions of the racing-derived supercar before this month’s Las Vegas Grand Prix. The vehicles aren’t being sold as a set, but if you want to add both to your collection, here’s your chance.
Mercedes and motorsports partner AMG (this was before the former had bought the latter) designed and developed the CLK GTR in the mid-1990s to compete in the brand-new FIA GT Championship. It’s fair to say that the V-12-powered beast was a success, claiming the team championship in the competition’s first two years. Because of this, the muscular racer is considered part of the revered “GT1 Trinity,” alongside the also-spectacular McLaren F1 and Porsche 911 GT1. FIA homologation rules also meant that Mercedes had to build a road-going version of the vehicle. Only 28 street-legal “Strassenversion” examples would be built between 1998 and 1999, with the production run consisting of 20 coupés, six roadsters, and two prototypes. At the time of its release, it was the world’s most expensive production car, with a price tag of nearly $2.6 million.
The Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR roadster
The coupe on offer is the seventh example to roll off the line. It’s finished in Mercedes trademark racing color Iridium Silver Metallic over a blue-gray tartan fabric-trimmed interior. It’s not as brutish as the competition car it’s based on, but its mid-mounted, naturally aspirated V-12 still pumps out 622 horses and 539 ft lbs of twist. The mill is mounted to a six-speed manual that sends power to the rear axle. Despite not being a race car, the road version can still rocket from zero to 62 mph in 3.8 seconds and has a top speed of 199 mph. RM Sotheby’s expects it to sell for between $8 million and $9 million.
The roadster was the third example built. It’s also finished in silver, though its interior is covered in black and gray leather. Its V-12, which is also mated to a manual, isn’t as powerful as the one in the coupé, but it still produces a respectable 592 hp and 516 ft lbs of torque. In addition to being the more exclusive of the two CLK GTRs, it also has just 106 miles on the odometer, which helps explain why it’s expected to sell for between $10.5 million and $13 million.
Inside the CLK GTR coupé
Unsurprisingly, the CLK GTRs are the highlights of RM Sotheby’s Las Vegas Grand Prix sales event, which will be held on Friday, November 17. The cars are being sold as different lots, but that’s not stopping you from bidding on both. Just be prepared to spend over $20 million if you want to take them both home.
Click here for more photos of the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Coupé and Roadster.
