Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR: История гоночного автомобиля

German Grand Touring race car

The Mercedes Benz CLK GTR (chassis code C297) is a GT1 sports car built and produced by Mercedes Benz in conjunction with their then motorsport partner AMG. Intended for racing in the new FIA GT Championship series in 1997, the CLK GTR was designed primarily as a race car. As such, the production of road cars necessary in order to meet homologation standards of GT1 was a secondary consideration in the car's design, i. e. the CLK GTR was a homologation special. After its successful campaign in the 1997 FIA GT Championship, the car was also entered in the first two rounds of the 1998 FIA GT Championship, before being replaced for the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans. Its successor, the 1998 Mercedes Benz CLK LM, concluded Mercedes' GT1 program. For 1999, Mercedes introduced the Mercedes Benz CLR, a sports car built to the Le Mans Grand Touring Prototype (LMGTP) regulations. This sports car was a purpose built racecar that did not have to abide by the homologation rules of the previous GT1 cars.

Following the 1955 Le Mans disaster, Mercedes Benz had withdrawn its factory backed race team from all motorsport activities. It was not until 1985 that Mercedes reintroduced itself to motorsport, entering the 1985 World Sportscar Championship. Starting off as an engine supplier to Sauber, this partnership bloomed into a full time factory backed effort. Despite Mercedes winning the World Sportscar Championship twice in 1989 and 1990, they eventually withdrew at the end of 1991 following disappointing results. However, Mercedes saw success elsewhere, with a burgeoning touring car program in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft, where the 190 E and its Evolution I and II siblings were climbing up the ranks. The 1991 season would see the 190 E Evo II take the honours in the constructors' championship. Klaus Ludwig piloted the car to the 1992 drivers' championship, with the 190 E being replaced by the W202 C Class following the conclusion of the 1993 season. The C Class went on to dominate both drivers and constructors championships from 1994 to 1996; as a result of the domination the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft/International Touring Car Championship folded in late 1996, with both remaining competitors Opel and Alfa Romeo withdrawing due to the rising costs. Without a top series to compete in, Mercedes Benz looked towards the BPR Global GT Series, which had recently become an FIA sanctioned championship, the FIA GT Championship, where Mercedes Benz saw an opportunity to go against manufacturers such as Porsche and McLaren. The McLaren F1 GTR was the dominant car in this series, and in order to defeat it fellow German marque Porsche built a dedicated racecar, the 911 GT1. It became the first of the manufacturer’s “homologation specials”, with Norbert Singer modifying a Porsche 962 chassis to accommodate the front fascia of a Porsche 993, leaving other things such as the suspension and engine largely intact. Only two units of the 993 based 911 GT1 were actually completed by the end of 1996. Seeing this, AMG was tasked by Mercedes Benz with creating a car akin to the 911 GT1, an almost purebred racing machine with a resemblance to a road car. The CLK GTR was the result, sharing nothing mechanically except the headlights, rear taillights and grille with the road going Mercedes Benz CLK. The CLK GTR was developed in a mere 128 days, this development time hastened by the purchase of McLaren F1 GTR chassis #11R from then reigning FIA GT Championship champions Larbre Compétition. The car served as AMG's mule, the F1's bodywork was replaced by AMG's own, and the BMW S70 engine replaced by Mercedes' own powerplant, a M120 V12. The car was eventually restored to its original mechanical condition, and was auctioned off in Monaco in 2000 by RM Sotheby's.

The engine was stroked out to by Ilmor, resulting in a power and torque bump to at 6,500 rpm and at 5,250 rpm. Owners had the option of fitting their seats with tartan, leather, or Alcantara, with four point harnesses for safety. one roadster was also produced and held onto by AMG until 2002, when it was purchased by Mark Johnston. Johnston attempted to sue DaimlerChrysler in 2006, claiming that when he had taken it for a test drive with a customer, the oil gauge lit up and the transmission promptly failed. The next five would be converted from coupés to roadsters based on existing GTR chassis by HWA, and were made available in 2006. Modifications to the coupé included moving the engine intake from the roof to the sides, door mounted mirrors, an integrated rollbar behind the seats, a revised front grille and rear wing which resembled the fixed rear wing of the race cars. Of the six roadsters built, one was painted black and sold in 2015 by Bonhams, and now resides at Dutton Garage in Melbourne. Another was painted dark silver with a purple interior, for the Sultan of Brunei, and was sold to Indian businessman Vijay Mallya in 2009.

Two chassis would also leave the AMG factory in SuperSport specification. The original E69 engine was superseded with the larger, more powerful E73 M297. This same engine was also found in the Pagani Zonda and Mercedes Benz R129, albeit now producing at 6,500 rpm and at 5,250 rpm.

At the time of manufacture, Guinness World Records named the CLK Straßenversion and its siblings the world's most expensive production car, retailing for US$1,547,620 ($1547620.0 in 1998 is equivalent to about <calculated amount> in recent years in 2021). This record stood until the introduction of the Ferrari FXX K in 2015. Along with its GT1 siblings, the Porsche 911 GT1 and McLaren F1 GTR, the trio were known as the "holy trinity" of Group GT1, and formed what several publications deemed a "golden era" or "pinnacle" of 90s sportscar racing.

Year Entrant Class Drivers No. (Car number) Rds. (Rounds Driven) Rounds Pts. (Total points collected by team entries during the season) Pos. (Final position of the team in the championship standings) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1997 Team AMG Mercedes [[Group GT1 Alessandro Nannini Marcel Tiemann Klaus Ludwig Bernd Schneider 10 1–10 1–2, 4–10 3 7 HOC 13 SIL 13 HEL 11 NÜR SPA 11 ZEL SUZ DON MUG SEB LAG 8 110 1st Bernd Schneider Alexander Wurz Klaus Ludwig Aguri Suzuki 11 1–11 1–3, 5–9 4, 10–11 7 HOC SIL HEL 8 NÜR SPA ZEL SUZ 7 DON MUG SEB LAG Klaus Ludwig Bernd Mayländer Ralf Schumacher Alexander Wurz Greg Moore 12 4–9 4, 6–9 5 10–11 10–11 NÜR SPA ZEL SUZ DON MUG 9 SEB 7 LAG 7 1998 Team AMG Mercedes [[Group GT1 Bernd Schneider Mark Webber 1 All All OSC SIL 146 1st Ricardo Zonta Klaus Ludwig 2 All All OSC SIL Team Persson Motorsport Christophe Bouchut Bernd Mayländer 11 All All OSC SIL 7 HOC 10 DIJ HUN SUZ DON 8 A1R 10 HOM LAG 24 3rd Marcel Tiemann Jean Marc Gounon12 All All OSC SIL HOC DIJ HUN SUZ 7 DON A1R HOM LAG 7Source:Bold – Pole positionItalics – Fastest lap