Mercedes CLK GTR Race Car was Developed in Just Four Months
Who would have guessed that one of the most dominant race cars of the 1990s was developed so quickly?
If you’re a fan of motorsport, like most of us at MBWorld, you could be surprised by a new revelation about the iconic CLK GTR. Mercedes’ winningest sports car prototype was developed in just 127 days. What’s equally amazing is that they had to scrap the successes of the Sauber C9 and C11 and start fresh with a new car.
Evolution of the CLK GTR continued after its debut year, resulting in the CLK GTR LM. With improved aerodynamics, it also benefitted with a V8 engine taking place of the V6. This change propelled drivers (including F1 driver Mark Webber) to an unchallenged championship win. Unchallenged describes the entire 1998 season, where a CLK GTR won every race on the 10 race calendar. Competition wasn’t light either, with factory efforts from McLaren, Porsche, and Lotus.
Mercedes and AMG slightly circumvented the rules by making 25 road-going CLK GTRs after the car began racing. The road car had just as difficult a development process. Detuning the purpose-built racer wasn’t easy, but all 25 customers can look at their GTR as an investment. A full-fledged pedigree investment, that is.
