The Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR is a GT1 sports car built by Mercedes-Benz with its motorsport partner AMG. Designed for the new FIA GT Championship of 1997, it was a racing car first and a road car only because the rules required one.
Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR at a glance
| Class | GT1 |
|---|---|
| Built by | AMG with Mercedes-Benz |
| Season | 1997, plus two races in 1998 |
| Development time | 128 days |
| Engine | M120-derived V12, 6.0 litres |
| Power | 441 kW (600 PS) at 7,000 rpm |
| Torque | 700 Nm at 3,900 rpm |
| Top speed | 330 km/h |
| 0–100 km/h | 3.8 seconds |
| Gearbox | six-speed sequential manual |
| Chassis | carbon-fibre monocoque with aluminium honeycomb, by Lola Composites |
| Titles | 1997 FIA GT constructors’ and drivers’ championship |
This article is based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR.
History of the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR
After the Le Mans disaster of 1955 Mercedes-Benz left motorsport, returning only in 1985 as an engine supplier to Sauber. The partnership won the World Sportscar Championship in 1989 and 1990, but Mercedes withdrew at the end of 1991. Success came instead in touring cars, where the 190 E Evolution took the constructors’ title in 1991 and Klaus Ludwig the drivers’ title in 1992, and the W202 C-Class dominated from 1994 to 1996 until the series folded.
Looking for a new top-level series, Mercedes-Benz turned to the FIA GT Championship, where the McLaren F1 GTR was the car to beat and Porsche had answered with the 911 GT1. AMG was asked to build something similar: an almost pure racing machine that resembled a road car. The result shared nothing mechanical with the road-going CLK except the headlights, tail lights and grille, and was developed in only 128 days. To save time, AMG bought McLaren F1 GTR chassis 11R and used it as a mule, replacing its bodywork and BMW engine with its own.
The chassis was a carbon-fibre monocoque with an aluminium honeycomb frame, built by Lola Composites. The engine was derived from the M120 V12 of the R129 SL and W140 S-Class, with titanium connecting rods and a compression ratio raised from 10.0 to 12.0:1, giving 441 kW (600 PS) and 700 Nm. Mounted behind the driver as a stressed member, it drove the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential gearbox. Electronic aids were banned apart from fore-and-aft brake bias. The CLK GTR debuted at Hockenheim in 1997, took its first 1–2 at the Nürburgring and won the constructors’ and drivers’ titles in its first season with Bernd Schneider. It raced twice more in 1998 before the CLK LM replaced it.
Design and features
- Rapid development: designed and built in 128 days, helped by a bought-in McLaren chassis as a mule.
- V12 engine: a 6.0-litre M120 derivative with titanium rods and 600 PS.
- Carbon monocoque: built by Lola Composites with an aluminium honeycomb frame.
- Homologation special: road cars were made only to satisfy GT1 rules.
Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR versions
- CLK GTR race car: the 1997 FIA GT car.
- CLK GTR road car: the homologation version.
- CLK LM (1998): the successor for Le Mans.
- CLR (1999): a purpose-built LMGTP car that replaced the GT1 programme.
The CLK GTR followed the C11 and C291 sportscars and was based on the CLK. More in the Mercedes-Benz collection.
Video: Top Gear Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR
Video by YouTube on YouTube.
Sources
- Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR, English Wikipedia: development, engine, chassis, race results
