Going under the hammer at RM Sotheby's auction in Monterey will be a very special 1998 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLK GTR, which is chassis number 9 out of a production run of just 25. The car dates back to the late 1990s, shortly after the marriage between Mercedes-Benz and AMG was made official, a partnership that would prove staggeringly successful. It was also the time when the FIA announced it was launching a new top-tier GT racing series; to be eligible to compete the cars would have to be based on very limited production runs of road-going models.
With an estimated sale price of between $4.25million and $5.25million, this ninth car of the 25-unit production run represents a rare chance to own a 1998 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLK GTR. The CLK GTR was clearly designed for performance rather than good looks, but Mercedes-AMG knew what they were doing. The race version of the car went on to win no less than 17 of the 22 races it entered, and won both the driver's and teams' championships in 1997 and 1998.
Powering both the track and road versions of the car was a naturally-aspirated 6.9-liter V-12 engine capable of producing 604 horsepower and 572 lb.-ft. of torque. That might sound relatively modest by some of today's standards, but at the time that was a seriously potent powerplant.
Some 20 of the 25 cars produced were coupes, while the other five were roadsters. This particular coupe was originally sold to a customer in Germany, and sold again in 2005 to a customer in Hong Kong. The car eventually ended up in the United States in April of this year after being imported under the Show and Display exemption. And it's likely to find another new owner when it goes under the hammer atthe annual sales at Monterey car week, which runs August 24-25, 2018.
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