Mercedes Benz CLK-GTR – the Unique RHD versions

• Update September ’09: It looks like these rare RHD Mercedes CLK-GTRs didn’t sell, and are now due to be auction by RM in October.

The Mercedes Benz CLK-GTR is a rare beast indeed. In fact, it’s a fair bet that even real petrol heads won’t recognise it. But exist it does, in very small numbers (just 25 made) and not surprisingly these cars have become real collectors items.

The CLK-GTR is a by-product of Mercedes’ involvement in the FIA GT1 class in the late ’90s. A condition of entry for cars was that road-going versions had to be made, so Mercedes (along with Porsche, who built the even rarer Porsche 911 GT1 to compete in the series) bit the bullet and produced a very limited run of the GTR.

Despite a passing resemblance to a CLK, the only parts that were actually CLK were the grill and the dash housing. The GTR used the Mercedes LS600, 6.0 litre V12 engine which delivered over 600bhp through a 6-speed sequential ‘box and was, to all intents and purposes, a track car that could just about muster road-legal status.

Rare though the GTR is, there are rarities amongst the rarities. A handful of Roadster versions were produced by HWA (which is the specialist division of AMG – yes, even specialist divisions have specialist divisions!), all in LHD – apart from one. Which means just one RHD Roadster exists. And coincidentally, just one RHD coupe exists as well (built for the Sultan of Brunei – there’s a surprise).

But the big surprise to us, when we heard it through the grapevine, is that both these RHD Mercedes supercars are actually on the market at the moment. Not advertised, of course, but up for grabs, none the less. Which begs the question – Is there anybody left in a RHD market who can actually afford to stump up the asking price? What is the asking price, I hear you say. Well, it would be unfair of us to say, as this is a private sale, but don’t turn up to the table unless you have pockets deep enough to consider a Bugatti Veyron!