The Mercedes CLK GTR has never needed much help attracting attention.
Built at the sharp end of the late-1990s homologation era, it remains one of the clearest examples of a racing programme spilling onto the road with minimal softening.
Yet one example sits in an even narrower category, because among the 26 road-going CLK GTRs produced, just one was completed by the factory in dark blue.
At a glance
- The Mercedes CLK GTR in dark blue is understood to be the only factory example in that colour.
- It pairs a 6.9-litre naturally aspirated V12 with a six-speed sequential manual gearbox and rear-wheel drive.
- Only 26 road-going CLK GTRs were built, making any example rare before colour is even considered.
The solitary dark blue CLK GTR
Colour can be a minor detail on a production car, but on a machine as scarce as the CLK GTR, it becomes part of the car’s identity.
This dark blue example stands apart because it isn’t simply an unusual specification, it’s the only road-going CLK GTR known to have left the Mercedes factory in that finish.
That matters because the CLK GTR already exists in exceptionally small numbers.
With just 26 road cars built, the model sits in the same conversation as the most coveted homologation specials, where specification, provenance and originality carry enormous weight.
A road car shaped by FIA GT racing
The CLK GTR was created because Mercedes needed road cars to support its FIA GT racing ambitions in the late 1990s.
The result was not a grand tourer in the conventional Mercedes sense, but a competition-bred machine adapted just enough to be driven away from a circuit.
Its proportions, packaging and atmosphere make that clear before the engine is even started.
The cabin is sparse, outward visibility is limited, and refinement was never the brief.
That uncompromising nature is central to its appeal today, especially in an era when many modern hypercars try to balance huge performance with everyday civility.
V12 performance with little concern for comfort
Power comes from a 6.9-litre naturally aspirated V12 producing around 604 hp and 539 lb ft of torque.
Drive is sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential manual gearbox, a layout that keeps the CLK GTR closely tied to its racing origins.
Performance remains serious by modern standards, with 0-62 mph taking roughly 3.8 seconds and a top speed beyond 199 mph.
Still, the appeal isn’t just in the figures.
The CLK GTR is prized because it feels like a car from a narrow window in performance history, when manufacturers were willing to put something deeply impractical into customers’ hands simply because the rulebook demanded it.
Details & Specifications
| Brand | Mercedes-Benz |
|---|---|
| Model | CLK GTR road car |
| Production | 26 road-going examples |
| Colour | Factory dark blue, one known example |
| Engine | 6.9-litre naturally aspirated V12 |
| Power | Approximately 604 hp |
| Torque | 539 lb ft |
| Transmission | Six-speed sequential manual gearbox |
| Drive | Rear-wheel drive |
| 0-62 mph | Approximately 3.8 seconds |
| Top speed | Beyond 199 mph |
As a dark blue one-of-one within a run of 26, this CLK GTR is the kind of car that turns rarity into something more specific than production numbers.
It’s a reminder that the most compelling collector cars aren’t always the easiest to live with, but the ones that preserve a moment when racing ambition made road cars stranger, louder and far less ordinary.
