The 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR Roadster stands as a monumental piece of automotive history, renowned for its extreme rarity and unparalleled exclusivity. With a mere 22 kilometers on its odometer, this particular model remains in an essentially untouched state, a true testament to its collector status. Housed within a private collection in Saudi Arabia, this remarkable vehicle is one of only six roadster variants ever brought into existence. This scant production number elevates it to an echelon of automotive icons, directly descended from one of the most celebrated race cars of the late 1990s: the Mercedes-benz Clk Gtr.
The genesis of the CLK-GTR lies in Mercedes-Benz’s unwavering ambition to dominate the FIA GT Championship. Regulations stipulated that to compete, manufacturers had to produce a minimum number of street-legal versions of their GT1 race cars. This homologation rule ensured that the racing machines were fundamentally rooted in production models, rather than being purely prototype creations.
Mercedes-Benz duly complied, crafting a total of 20 coupes and the exceedingly rare 6 roadsters. The inaugural street-legal CLK-GTR coupe emerged in late 1998, setting the stage for the roadster, which followed as an even more exclusive iteration. The open-top design of the roadster amplified its uniqueness within the already limited CLK-GTR lineage. Both coupe and roadster versions maintained near-identical engineering to their racing counterparts, with only subtle modifications to accommodate road use, such as a slightly elevated ride height and the addition of comfort-oriented features.
Beneath the skin, the Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR Roadster housed a formidable 6.9-liter V12 engine. This powerhouse, derived from the racing version, unleashed an impressive 612 horsepower. This immense power propelled the car from 0 to 60 mph in just over 3 seconds, achieving a top speed of approximately 208 mph. At its time, the CLK-GTR stood as one of the most potent and fastest cars globally, delivering a raw, racing-inspired driving experience on public roads that very few vehicles could rival.
The Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR was initially conceived for the 1997 FIA GT Championship, where it swiftly asserted its dominance. Equipped with a 6.0-liter V12 engine and cutting-edge aerodynamics, the race-spec CLK-GTR clinched the championship title in its debut year, firmly establishing Mercedes-Benz’s prowess in the GT1 category. Remarkably, the car’s development was completed in a mere 128 days, a striking demonstration of Mercedes-AMG’s engineering capabilities. The CLK-GTR continued its reign in 1998, securing another FIA GT Championship title, although it began to face increased competition from rivals such as Porsche and Toyota.
Following the FIA GT Championship’s decision to discontinue its GT1 category after the 1998 season, Mercedes-Benz pivoted its focus towards the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. This shift led to the development of the Mercedes-Benz CLR, an evolution of the CLK-GTR specifically engineered for endurance racing. However, the CLR’s Le Mans campaign in 1999 is unfortunately most remembered for critical aerodynamic instability issues. The cars became infamous for spectacularly taking flight at high speeds during both practice sessions and the race itself, resulting in severe crashes. These incidents prompted Mercedes-Benz to withdraw from top-tier endurance racing for several years thereafter.
This particular CLK-GTR Roadster, boasting only 22 kilometers on the clock, represents a virtually untouched specimen of the road-going manifestation of Mercedes’ GT1 racing heritage. The open-top configuration of the roadster variant further accentuates its rarity, adding an additional layer of exclusivity to what was already an exceptionally limited-production, high-performance supercar.
With its profound roots embedded in racing history, the Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR Roadster unequivocally stands as one of the most significant homologation cars ever created. The confluence of its extreme scarcity, direct lineage to a championship-winning race car, and pristine, as-new condition solidifies its status as a highly coveted collector’s item. Witnessing a CLK-GTR Roadster in such immaculate condition offers a unique glimpse back into the golden era of GT1 racing.
