A rare and powerful Mercedes-AMG cabriolet is up for auction
The car heading to auction has covered only 1,997 kilometers since its release in August 2006. It recently underwent a service costing almost 10,000 euros ahead of the lot listing by auction house RM Sotheby’s. Its 5.4-liter supercharged V8 engine produces 582 hp, surpassing the figures of the modern BMW M4 Competition.
Has the AMG tuning company lost its edge? As the Mercedes-Benz division expanded its model range to increase sales, many believe it has shed some of the manic energy characteristic of its early years.
Of all the incredible cars built by AMG, including the legendary SL65 AMG Black Series, the CLK DTM Cabriolet stands out as one of the most spectacular.
Produced between 2006 and 2007, only 80 such examples hit the roads, continuing the series of 100 coupes created to celebrate Mercedes-Benz’s victory in the 2003 DTM championship.
An exclusive lot at an auction in Germany
Given how few CLK DTM Cabriolets were made, it is very rare to have an opportunity to purchase one. However, RM Sotheby’s is offering one example at its auction at Lake Tegernsee in Germany in July, and its estimate could reach $650,000.
This car was delivered in August 2006 and is painted in “brilliant silver metallic” with an interior in shades of black and anthracite. Its mileage is only 1,997 km, which likely makes it one of the least used CLK DTMs in the world.
Technical specifications and unique design
The heart of the car is a 5.4-liter supercharged V8 engine producing 582 hp with 800 Nm of torque. These figures are impressive when compared to the modern BMW M4 Competition, which has 523 hp. Power is sent only to the rear wheels, allowing acceleration up to 300 km/h.
The cabriolet’s design is perhaps the most expressive in AMG’s history, with widened wheel arches front and rear and a fixed rear spoiler. The interior is also special: it is equipped with lightweight front bucket seats, and the rear seats are integrated directly into the carbon fiber partition.
While there is hope that AMG is regaining its form by abandoning the controversial four-cylinder hybrid version of the C 63 and potentially returning to a V8, it is unlikely it will ever return to the level of models like the CLK DTM. This auction lot vividly demonstrates what half-a-million-dollar, uncompromising automotive passion looks like.
Similar auction events for collector cars, especially with such low mileage and service history, often become an indicator of the market value of legendary models. The CLK DTM Cabriolet embodies an era when AMG engineers focused on pure emotion and extreme performance, unconstrained by strict emission norms or mass preferences. Its potential value underscores that car enthusiasts and investors continue to revere such unique projects, which remain iconic symbols of automotive history even two decades after their creation.