"Not many race cars dominate their first season of competition the way the Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR did, but low-slung stylish racer won the closely fought FIA GT Championship first time out in 1997 despite tough competition.

The GTR is based on Mercedes’ sleek new CLK road-going coupe, but uses a high-tech carbon-fiber body and a 6 liter, 600 horsepower Mercedes V12 engine similar to that used in the famed German automaker’s flagship S-Class sedan.

Perhaps it's no surprise that Mercedes was so successful with its new race car - the company has a history of competition laurels that goes all the way back to the very first Benz automobiles of the turn of the century. Mercedes dominated Grand Prix racing in the 1930s, and again in the 1950s. Today (1999) the fabled Stuttgart company still leads the way with winning engines for Formula One and kart race cars.

A direct descendant of those great Mercedes racers of the past, the CLK-GTR boasts many leading-edge technological features, including carbon fiber vented disc brakes similar to those used on Grand Prix cars. Safety is also a critical consideration, and the CLK-GTR is one of the very few race cars fitted with life-saving airbags." From the Need for Speed High Stakes description