'Special' Mercedes CLK GTR set to smash £1m barrier at auction

 A supercar widely regarded as one of the craziest Mercedes ever built is expected to fetch £1 million when it is sold at auction later this month.

The 1998 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR is a limited edition race car for the road boasting one of the German company's boldest designs.

This particular model, which has done just 1,335 miles, was the first of 25 road cars built by Mercedes.

It is powered by a massive 7.3-litre V12 engine which develops a staggering 720bhp.

With the power, the wild Mercedes can accelerate from 0-60mph in 3.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 197mph.

The Mercedes will appear at RM Auctions' Monterey sale in California on August 17 with the hammer expected to go down at around the £1 million mark.

Under homologation rules, Mercedes had to build 25 road legal versions of its GTR race car which it would then sell to the public.

Each model was built in Affalterbach, Germany, which is home to the company’s high-performance AMG division.

Experts say the CLK GTR behaves like a “bona fide race car” on the road with lightning-quick gear changes courtesy of the paddle-operated six-speed sequential manual gearbox lifted directly from the GT1 cars. 

Owners were given very little creature comforts so they could get as close a feeling to that experienced by the race drivers competing in the GT1 race class.

To make it more practical, bosses at Mercedes fitted the CLK GTR with two small storage compartments under the mad-looking doors which open upwards.

Lizzie Pope, editor Mercedes Enthusiast, said: "The CLK GTR Roadster is just an incredible car, the most over the top car you can imagine - and then you remember it is 15 years old and road legal.  

"The astounding V12’s blare is raw and exhilarating, it is a truly special, exceptional car."