The 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR Roadster stands as a monumental achievement in automotive history, embodying extreme rarity and unparalleled performance. With a mere 22 kilometers marking its journey, this particular model remains virtually untouched, a pristine specimen from a private collection in Saudi Arabia. Its exclusivity is amplified by the fact that it is one of only six roadsters ever crafted, making it not just a car, but a remarkable artifact of engineering and a direct descendant of one of the most celebrated race cars of the late 1990s: the legendary Mercedes-benz Amg Clk Gtr.
The genesis of the Mercedes-Benz AMG CLK GTR lies in Mercedes-Benz’s relentless ambition to dominate the FIA GT Championship. The regulations of this prestigious racing series mandated that manufacturers produce a minimum number of street-legal versions of their GT1 race cars. This homologation rule ensured that the competing race machines were fundamentally based on production models, rather than being entirely bespoke prototypes. Mercedes-Benz embraced this challenge, giving birth to the CLK-GTR.
To meet these homologation requirements, Mercedes-Benz meticulously crafted a limited run of 26 cars, comprising 20 coupes and an exceedingly rare series of just 6 roadsters. The first street-legal CLK-GTR coupe emerged in late 1998, immediately setting a new benchmark for performance and exclusivity. The roadster variant, unveiled subsequently, elevated this exclusivity even further. Its open-top design distinguished it as a truly unique iteration within the already scarce CLK-GTR lineage, appealing to collectors and enthusiasts seeking the ultimate in open-air driving exhilaration combined with racing pedigree.
Both the coupe and roadster versions of the Mercedes-Benz AMG CLK GTR were engineered to be remarkably similar to their racing counterparts. The transition from track to road involved only minor adjustments, primarily focused on enhancing road usability. These modifications included a slightly increased ride height to navigate public roads and the incorporation of comfort features to make the car more amenable to street driving. However, beneath these concessions to road legality lay the heart and soul of a GT1 champion.
Powering the Mercedes-Benz AMG CLK-GTR Roadster was a formidable 6.9-liter V12 engine. This powerhouse was directly derived from the racing engine, meticulously tuned to deliver a staggering 612 horsepower for the road-going version. This immense power translated into breathtaking performance figures. The CLK-GTR Roadster could launch from 0 to 60 mph in just over 3 seconds, an astonishing feat for its time, and achieve a top speed of approximately 208 mph. It was, and remains, one of the most potent and fastest road cars ever conceived, offering a driving experience that blurred the lines between road and race track, a sensation that few automobiles could even approach.
The Mercedes-Benz AMG CLK-GTR was originally conceived for the 1997 FIA GT Championship. From its debut, it asserted its dominance, quickly becoming the car to beat. Equipped with a 6.0-liter V12 engine in its initial racing form and boasting cutting-edge aerodynamics, the race-spec CLK-GTR clinched the championship title in its very first year of competition. This victory cemented Mercedes-Benz’s reputation as a force to be reckoned with in the GT1 category and highlighted the exceptional engineering capabilities of Mercedes-AMG. Remarkably, the CLK-GTR was developed in a mere 128 days, a testament to the speed and efficiency of the AMG engineering team. The CLK-GTR continued its reign in 1998, securing a second consecutive FIA GT Championship title, although it began to face increased competition from rivals such as Porsche and Toyota, signaling the escalating intensity of the GT1 battles.
Following the FIA GT Championship’s decision to discontinue its GT1 category after the 1998 season, Mercedes-Benz shifted its focus towards the pinnacle of endurance racing: the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This ambition led to the development of the Mercedes-Benz CLR, a car that was intended to be a refined evolution of the CLK-GTR, specifically engineered for the grueling demands of long-distance racing. However, the CLR’s Le Mans campaign in 1999 is unfortunately remembered for a critical flaw – aerodynamic instability. The car became infamous for spectacularly taking flight at high speeds during both practice sessions and the race itself, resulting in dramatic and concerning crashes. These incidents ultimately led Mercedes-Benz to withdraw from top-tier endurance racing for a significant period, marking a somber chapter in their otherwise illustrious racing history.
This particular Mercedes-Benz AMG CLK-GTR Roadster, with its incredibly low mileage of just 22 kilometers, represents a virtually new example of the road-going manifestation of Mercedes’ GT1 racing legacy. The open-top configuration of the roadster variant further accentuates its rarity, adding another layer of desirability to what was already an extraordinarily limited-production, high-performance supercar. For discerning collectors and automotive aficionados, the CLK-GTR Roadster is more than just a car; it is a rolling piece of motorsport history.
With its profound roots embedded in racing heritage, the Mercedes-Benz AMG CLK-GTR Roadster unequivocally stands as one of the most significant homologation cars ever produced. The confluence of its extreme rarity, its direct lineage to a championship-winning race car, and its remarkably untouched condition elevates it to the status of a highly coveted collector’s item. Encountering a CLK-GTR Roadster in such pristine condition is akin to stepping back in time to the golden era of GT1 racing, offering a tangible connection to a thrilling and pivotal period in motorsport and automotive engineering.
