One of the most impressive supercars to have come out of the ‘90s is heading to auction. The corveted ’98 supercar is one of just 25 in existence.
The rarity in question is a 1998 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLK GTR Strassenversion. While its name is quite the mouthful, this high-octane beast represents the pinnacle of German auto engineering and has quite the backstory.
The sleek two-door is actually a riff on the automaker’s formidable CLK GTR racecar, which dominated the FIA GT championships in 1997 and ’98. The Strassenversion or “street version” was limited to just 25 and is especially sought-after among collectors. This particular model, which will go under the gavel during Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach Auction, was the ninth model to roll of the line and is presented in pristine condition.
Under the hood, the car sports a naturally-aspirated 6.9-liter V-12 mated to a paddle-shifted 6-speed Xtrac sequential transaxle and can churn out 604 hp and 572 ft lbs of torque. The road rocket has a top speed of 214 mph and can soar from a standstill to 62 mph in just 3.8 seconds. The car has the same wishbone suspension as its track twin but includes softer springs and dampers plus a higher ride height to make it more conducive to the streets.
The 23-year-old ride has changed hands only a few times and has just 896 miles on the dial. It also retains all its original finishes, including a retro dash with analog gauges. As such, it’s likely to fetch a pretty penny. Gooding & Company expects the car to hammer for between $8.5 million and $10 million at the upcoming sale, which is running August 13-14.
This four-wheeler is no stranger to eye-popping sums. When it was released in ‘97, it broke the record for the most expensive production car ever made thanks to its $1.5 million price tag.
The auction house says the seminal Benz comes to auction at a time when enthusiasm for homologation specials could not be stronger. Surely, that’s reason enough to put a bid in.
For more information visit: https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/
EuropeanLife Magazine 2021