Only 80 Mercedes CLK DTM Drop-Tops Were Ever Made, and Now One’s for Sale
This low-mileage, former museum piece can be yours for $500K, give or take. The post Only 80 Mercedes CLK DTM Drop-Tops Were Ever Made, and Now One’s for Sale appeared first on The Drive.
A rare and beautiful sight has been listed for auction during next month’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este Broad Arrow Auction. Equipped with a supercharged V8 is a 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM Convertible, one of 80 examples ever built.
The CLK DTM AMG was introduced in 2004 to commemorate Mercedes-Benz‘s 2003 championship in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM) racing series. Initially, only available as a coupe, all 100 of the AMG vehicles were quickly snapped up. The cabriolet version followed in even smaller numbers.
Making a hardcore race model that’s also a convertible is odd, and also what makes this thing unique and exceptionally awesome.
Featuring a 5.4-liter supercharged V8, the DTM models produced 582 horsepower and 800 nm (590 pound-feet) of torque. Its zero-to-100 km/h (62 mph) time was a mere four seconds, but that’s probably with the soft-top up. With a 300 km/h (186 mph) top speed, the CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet was the world’s fastest four-seater convertible at the time.
All that performance was paired with AMG ceramic brakes for the staggered-sized 19- and 20-inch wheels in the front and rear, respectively. The black-on-black cabriolet features an aggressive exterior design that resembles the DTM race car and includes carbon fiber body panels and a rear wing. The interior is a mix of luxury and necessity.
The AMG front bucket seats are leather-wrapped and feature a four-point seat belt. The racing steering wheel is covered in suede. But instead of the standard ashtray (this was the aughts) is a panel of switches for the traction control, stability control, and transmission settings for whenever a spirited driving mood struck.
This particular vehicle makes its way to Northern Italy by way of South Korea, where it lived as a museum display. Upon returning to Europe in 2016, the convertible had just 19,471 km on the odometer. After being serviced by Mercedes-Benz Eberbach, the current owner took possession of the car, driving it only for “selective road use.”
Adding roughly 2,000 km, the CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet was serviced again in 2021, this time by the owner’s in-house mechanic. The most recent service took place last year by a Mercedes-Benz dealer in France, with the odo just shy of 22,000 km.
Included in the auction are two keys, the original owner’s manual, and a service book. The 2006 CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet is valued between 420,000 and 550,000 Euros ($478,000-$625,000) and will cross the auction block on May 25.
If you don’t feel like dropping half a million, YouTuber Tedward did a POV driving video of one of these a while back:
Got a tip? Send us a note at tips@thedrive.com.
The post Only 80 Mercedes CLK DTM Drop-Tops Were Ever Made, and Now One’s for Sale appeared first on The Drive.
