A one-of-a-kind and beautiful sight will be auctioned in the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este Broad Arrow Auction next month. A supercharged V8 engine powers this one of only 80 Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM Convertibles ever made. To honor Mercedes-Benz’s win in the 2003 Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM) racing title, the CLK DTM AMG was released in 2004. At first, they were only offered as coupons, but all 100 AMG cars were quickly taken away. After that, even fewer different kinds of cabriolets were made. It’s not often that a strong race model is also convertible, but that’s what makes this car great and special. The DTM versions had a 5.4-liter supercharged V8 engine that made 582 horsepower and 800 nm (590 pound-feet) of torque. With the soft top-up, it was quick to go from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph). At the time it came out, the CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet was the fastest four-seater convertible in the world, with a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph). To accompany all of this power, AMG ceramic brakes were installed on the front and back wheels, which were 19 inches and 20 inches apart, respectively. The all-black cabriolet has aggressive bodywork, including carbon fiber plates and a rear wing, just like the DTM race car. Inside, there is both luxury and usefulness. The AMG front bucket seats have a leather cover and a four-point seatbelt. The race steering wheel is suede. This is the 2000s, so there isn’t a normal ashtray. Instead, there is a panel of controls for the transmission settings, stability control, and traction control for when you really want to drive. This exact truck made its way from South Korea to Northern Italy and was then put on display in a museum there. When it was sent back to Europe in 2016, the convertible’s clock only showed 19,471 kilometers. Mercedes-Benz Eberbach took care of the car before giving it to its current owner. Who uses it for “selective road use.” In 2021, the CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet was repaired again after about 2,000 kilometers. This time, the owner’s mechanic did the work. A Mercedes-Benz dealer in France repaired it last year when it had a little less than 22,000 kilometers on it. The sale includes a repair book, the original owner’s manual, and two keys. The 2006 CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet is expected to fetch between 420,000 and 550,000 euros ($478,000 and $625,000) at auction on May 25.
