CLK LM

STORY

Built by Mercedes with AMG to attack the new FIA GT Championship, the CLK GTR was a GT1 racer wearing only the loosest resemblance to a road CLK. Extraordinarily, it was developed in just 128 days. The task was hastened by buying a McLaren F1 GTR to use as a development mule while AMG fitted its own bodywork and a 6.0-litre M120-derived V12.

It was instantly dominant. In its 1997 debut season it swept the FIA GT Championship, taking both titles with Bernd Schneider, then repeated the feat in 1998. To satisfy homologation rules, AMG and HWA built at least 25 road-going "Straßenversion" cars with an enlarged 6.9-litre V12 producing over 600 hp.

Guinness recorded the road CLK GTR as the most expensive production car in the world at the time, a fittingly outrageous end to the GT1 era.