This Mercedes is one of the most expensive production cars in history

Some cars are notorious for their insane price. This is, for example, the case of certain creations from Ferrari, Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce. At auction, the most expensive model ever sold is the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe, which left in 2022 for more than 130 million euros. But what about the most expensive production car in history?

This record was long held by another Mercedes-Benz model, la CLK GTR. This sports car was developed in just 128 days to compete with Porsche 911 GT1 and the McLaren F1 GTR in the FIA ​​GT championship. It was a success, as the CLK GTR dominated these races in 1997 and 1998. It was then adapted into a road version which for a long time proved to be the most expensive production car in the history of the automobile.

The Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR, an impressive sports car from the 1980s

The Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR comes from one of Mercedes-Benz’s most incredible development programs. It was designed especially for FIA GT competitions. In reality, it is the result of a collaboration between Mercedes and AMG. And given the short time frame the engineers had, they started with a used McLaren F1 GTR.

The rest was done entirely by Mercedes and AMG. The CLK GTR was developed around a monocoque chassis in carbon fiber and aluminum. The racing version was equipped with a 6.0 liter V12 engine. This car was then manufactured in small numbers in a road version, called Straßenversion. In total, only 28 copies left the factories.

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The most expensive production car in history

The Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR was produced in a road version so that the manufacturer respected approval criteria FIA GT races. A few notable differences distinguish the racing version from the road version. The engine of the latter is more powerful, since it had been increased to 622 horsepower compared to 592 horsepower for the competition.

This engine was then used in Zonda Pagani models. The racing version is, of course, more comfortable. However, its price has long been the highest in history for a production car. As recalled Silodromeit was sold for 1,547,620 US dollars in 1998, the equivalent of 2,922,333 US dollars in 2023 and more than 2.6 million euros. The Guinness Book of Records recognized the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR as the most expensive production car in the world. A title that she retained until the release of the Ferrari FXX-K in 2015.