Mercedes CLK coupe: Million dollar racer

By Russell Williamson

MERCEDES-BENZ has launched a performance version of its new CLK coupe.

But this is no ordinary car and the connections with the C- Class-based 2.3-liter coupe are, at best, tenuous.

The CLK-GTR has primarily been developed by Mercedes -- together with its performance partner AMG -- to compete in the FIA GT Championship.

The GT Championship is run in Europe and features the same sort of cars that compete in the Le Mans 24 Hour, which is held in France each year in June.

However, like most production car series racing, the cars must also be able to be sold as road cars and meet all the usual regulations.

Road-going versions of the CLK-GTR are available in limited numbers for anyone with a spare US$1 million.

The monocoque body of the two-door, two-seater coupe is constructed of carbon-fiber and wrapped around a steel safety roll-over cage and front and side crash boxes.

Driving the rear wheels and mounted behind the cabin is a version of the S-Class V12 engine bored out to 6.9-liters capacity. It generates 412kW of power and an astonishing 720Nm of torque, ensuring a somewhat swift acceleration.

Drive to the wheels is via a six-speed sequential transmission, while stopping power comes from extra large 380mm front and 355mm rear discs.

Keeping the car firm and steady on the road is a double- wishbone suspension setup front and rear with manually adjustable stabilizers.

To ensure maximum grip and power transfer to the tarmac, the CLK-GTR rolls on 18" wheels shod with wide low-profile 295/35 rubber.

Just the car you need for a quiet cruise down Jl. Sudirman on a Sunday afternoon really!