Mercedes-Benz and their former motorsports partner AMG collaborated to design and manufacture the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR, a GT1 sports car. The CLK GTR, a homologation special intended for racing in the new FIA GT Championship series in 1997, was conceived primarily as a race car, with the road cars required to achieve homologation regulations being secondary in the car’s design. CLcompany is delighted to feature the facts about the 1998’s Classic Mercedes – Benz CLK GTR.
Flashback
To obtain the FIA homologation number for the CLK GTR AMG, Mercedes-Benz had to produce and sell at least 25 cars, and the road version was more of a dressed-up race car.
Mercedes-Benz targeted the GT1 Class in the 1990s as it sought to return to racing in style. However, it had two issues: the McLaren F1 and the Porsche 911 GT1, a vehicle designed to outperform it. The three-pointed star brand therefore covertly purchased a racing McLaren F1, disassembled it, and the engineers learned how to create a superior vehicle in order to defeat both of them. While AMG prepared the engine, Lola Composites in the UK designed the chassis.
Years in production – 1998 to 1999
The Design
The body was designed in a way to serve a function. The Mercedes-Benz production coupe that gave rise to the CLK designation only had headlights, a grille, and taillights in common with the street car. The front and rear pieces of its lightweight, carbon-fiber, and aluminum shell were detachable. The automaker mounted a fixed air inlet for the powerful V-12 behind the cabin on the roof. The GTR AMG’s engine was centered, unlike the normal CLK coupe.
The CLK GTR was difficult to enter because of its small cockpit, fixed seats, and broadside sills. To make things simpler, the automaker built a detachable steering wheel that boasted aluminum paddle shifters at the back. The car’s number was lettered inside the huge speedometer in the center of the instrument panel. The fuel gauge and the coolant temperature indication were placed on the right dial, and AMG positioned the tachometer on the left side. The sound system and the ventilation controls were located in a small middle stack.
Top Specifications of Mercedes – Benz CLK GTR
1. Displacement – 6898 cm3
2. Power – 612 HP @ 6800 RPM
3. Torque – 770 Nm @ 5250 RPM
4. Transmission – 6-speed manual
5. Top speed – 320 km/h
6. Kerb weight – 1,440 kg
7. Wheelbase – 105.1 inches
Interesting facts
- The CLK GTR was developed in a mere 128 days.
- At the 1997 FIA GT Hockenheim 4 Hours, the CLK GTR made its racing début at Mercedes’ home track, the Hockenheimring.
- Former racing driver and motoring journalist Paul Frere described the car as a “real work of art” in Road & Track magazine.
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