Uncommon automobiles demand uncommon portions of {dollars} to be spent. Such was the case for a Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Roadster that crossed the public sale block at RM Sotheby’s sale that passed off final week in Las Vegas.

The ultimate worth paid together with the client’s payment was $10,235,000.

We’re coping with a automobile that’s one in every of simply six examples constructed (it is automobile quantity three), and it is primarily a race automobile for the highway that is had its roof chopped off. And like most uncommon automobiles, it is barely been pushed. In accordance to the itemizing, it has simply 170 km (105 miles) on its odometer, regardless of being 20 years previous.

The CLK GTR was constructed across the flip of the century as a part of a homologation deal required of Mercedes-Benz when it got down to compete within the GT1 class in top-level endurance racing. That class was really discontinued in 1999, however Mercedes-Benz made guarantees to people who raised their arms with fistfuls of money to purchase stated homologation specials.

Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Roadster – Picture credit score: RM Sotheby’s

The plan was to construct 25 coupe variations however solely 20 have been constructed, plus an additional roadster. Nonetheless, HWA, the motorsports outfit based by AMG co-founder Hans-Werner Aufrech following the sale of AMG to Mercedes in 1999, constructed 5 extra roadster examples within the early 2000s utilizing leftover chassis.

The complete racing model of the CLK GTR competed in each the 1997 and 1998 FIA GT seasons. In 22 races, the Mercedes staff noticed 17 wins and walked away with each the drivers’ and constructors’ championships in each seasons.

The CLK GTR Roadster was stronger than each the race automobile and the coupe, because it featured the most recent evolution of the V-12 fitted to all variations of the CLK GTR. The V-12 displaces 6.9 liters and delivers 622 hp within the roadster, up on the 592 hp of the coupe. The race automobile had even much less attributable to rules like air restrictor necessities and a smaller 6.0-liter displacement. Energy is routed to the rear wheels by way of a 6-speed sequential transaxle.

This CLK GTR Roadster wasn’t the costliest Mercedes bought throughout the current RM Sotheby’s sale. That honor goes to a 2013 Mercedes Components 1 race automobile pushed by Lewis Hamilton to his first victory at Mercedes, which passed off on the 2013 Hungarian Grand Prix. The worth paid together with the client’s payment was a cool $18,815,000.