The term “racecar for the road” is seldom more literal than in the case of the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR. Built to homologate the automaker’s FIA GT Championship-dominating car, the “Straßenversion” added some leather, air conditioning, and almost nothing else. However, a total of just six examples had something taken away, the roof, and one is now up for sale.
Designed to compete in a new FIA racing series in the late ’90s, the GT Championship allowed large-displacement GT1 cars to race in series with relaxed regulations. For its entrant, Mercedes chose the CLK-Class (a sporty offshoot of the C-Class) as a nominal basis for its racecar. However, the CLK GTR shared almost nothing in common with the street car. Instead, it got an aluminum honeycomb frame, carbon fiber body panels, and monocoque architecture.
To power it, Mercedes chose a modified version of its 6.0-liter M120 V12 that had previously been used in the S- and SL-Classes. For the street legal version CLK GTR, it modified the engine again, upping the displacement to 6.9 liters, which gave it 622 hp (464 kW/630 PS) and 539 lb-ft (731 Nm) of torque — more even than the racecar was rated for.
Read: Extraordinarily Rare Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR May Fetch $10 Million At Auction
Unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1997, just 20 Straßenversions were planned, in addition to two prototypes. Mechanically identical to the racecar, the only real differences were the addition of an ABS system, air conditioning, an audio system, and three upholstery options to make it a little more comfortable.
Initially, the road cars were coupes, like the racecar. However, Mercedes built a single roadster version of the CLK GTR, and it was such a hit that another five were approved for production. This one, chassis number 000034, was the third out of a total of six.
It was finished in silver over a black and gray leather interior, and by the early 2010s, had been imported to the U.S. Since then, it has done a tour of the country, with its ownership history showing that it stopped in Wisconsin, Arkansas, and North Carolina. However, it didn’t drive to any of those locations, and the odometer shows just 170 km (106 miles) today.
Although the car shows exceedingly well, it has been just that, a show car, for quite a few years now. That means that a full service is recommended before if its next owner plans to take it for a road trip. And since it’s less than 25 years old, it can only drive as a “show or display” vehicle, which limits how many miles it can cover per year.
However, no one was expected to drive this car very much anyway. Especially not since RM Sotheby’s, which is handling this auction in Las Vegas, estimates that it could sell for as much as $13,000,000.
