In the 1997 season, Mercedes-Benz in cooperation with AMG entered GT racing and competed in the FIA GT championship. The CLK-GTR developed for this purpose was the first production racing car from Mercedes-Benz with a mid-engine. Externally the vehicle was inspired by the CLK Coupé of the C 208 series, but it featured advanced racing technology and its V12 engine developed around 441 kW (600 hp) with a displacement of six litres. Bernd Schneider won the driver’s title of the 1997 FIA GT Championship in the CLK-GTR, while the brand championship went to AMG-Mercedes.
In Detail
| submitted by | Richard Owen |
| type | Series Production Car |
| built at | Affalterbach, Germany |
| engine | V12 |
| valvetrain | DOHC 4 Valves / Cyl |
| displacement | 6898 cc / 420.9 in³ |
| bore | 89.0 mm / 3.5 in |
| stroke | 92.4 mm / 3.64 in |
| compression | 10.5:1 |
| power | 456.4 kw / 612.0 bhp @ 6800 rpm |
| specific output | 88.72 bhp per litre |
| bhp/weight | 396.12 bhp per tonne |
| torque | 775 nm / 571.6 ft lbs @ 5250 rpm |
| redline | 7800 |
| body / frame | Carbon Fibre body over Carbon Fiber & Aluminum Honeycomb Tub Chassis |
| driven wheels | Mid Engine / RWD |
| front tires | 295/35ZR18 |
| rear tires | 345/35ZR18 |
| front brakes | Vented Carbon Fibre Discs |
| rear brakes | Vented Carbon Fibre Discs |
| front wheels | F 45.7 x 55.9 cm / 18.0 x 22.0 in |
| rear wheels | R 45.7 x 66.0 cm / 18.0 x 26.0 in |
| steering | Rack & Pinion w/Power Assist |
| curb weight | 1545 kg / 3406 lbs |
| wheelbase | 2670 mm / 105.1 in |
| front track | 1600 mm / 63.0 in |
| rear track | 1600 mm / 63.0 in |
| length | 4855 mm / 191.1 in |
| width | 1950 mm / 76.8 in |
| height | 1164 mm / 45.8 in |
| transmission | 6-Speed Manual |
| gear ratios | 2.71:1, 2.20:1, 1.80:1, 1.52:1, 1.33:1, 1.18:1 |
| final drive | 2.88:1 |
| top speed | ~307.4 kph / 191.0 mph |
| 0 – 60 mph | ~3.4 seconds |
| 0 – 100 mph | ~5.7 seconds |
| 0 – 1/4 mile | ~9.4 seconds |
| drag | 25 Cd |
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tMHPnqmcmaKoe6%2Bx02iZpaeXZH56hZZmpJ6qk5qxpr%2BMm5ynsl2Yuax5xq2paA%3D%3D