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Mercedes-Benz CLK LM

(Redirected fromMercedes-Benz CLK-LM)

TheMercedes-Benz CLK LM(chassis code C298) was aGroup GT1sports car designed and built byMercedes-Benzin partnership withAMGto compete in theFIA GT Championship.To satisfy the requirements of competing in the FIA GT Championship, a road-legal version had to be built tohomologatethe car. That car was known as the Mercedes-Benz CLK LM Straßenversion, and Mercedes-Benz assembled two chassis, one of which was destroyed for crash-testing. The CLK LM went on to win every single championship event in the1998 FIA GT season,retiring only at the1998 24 Hours of Le Mans,which was a non-championship event.[3][4]The removal of the GT1 class from the FIA GT Championship due to the lack of entrants and rising costs meant that Mercedes' GT1 program was brought to a close at the end of 1998. Mercedes instead focussed their efforts on the newly introducedLMGTPclass for the 1999 season, which produced theMercedes-Benz CLR.

Mercedes-Benz CLK-LM
A Mercedes-Benz CLK LM in motion at the 2010 Goodwood Festival of Speed
The Mercedes-Benz CLK LM at the 2010Goodwood Festival of Speed
CategoryGT1
ConstructorMercedes-AMG
Designer(s)Gerhard Ungar[1]
PredecessorMercedes-Benz CLK GTR
SuccessorMercedes-Benz CLR
Mercedes-AMG One(Straßenversion)
Technical specifications[2]
ChassisCarbon-fibremonocoque
SuspensionDouble wishbone suspensionwithpull-rodactuated coil springs over dampers
Length4,900 mm (192.9 in)
Width1,999 mm (78.7 in)
Height1,112 mm (43.8 in)
Wheelbase2,670 mm (105.1 in)
EngineMercedes-Benz GT108B4,986 cc (304.3 cu in)V8naturally aspirated,mid engined
Transmission6-speed sequential
Power600 PS (441 kW; 592 hp)
Weight940 kg (2,072 lb)
FuelMobil
LubricantsMobil
BrakesAP Racingventilated steel calipers
TyresBridgestone
Competition history
CompetitionFIA GT Championship
Notable entrantsMercedes-AMG
Notable drivers
List of drivers
Debut1998 FIA GT Hockenheim 500 km
Last event1998 FIA GT Laguna Seca 500 km
RacesWinsPolesF/Laps
9898
Constructors' Championships1 (1998 FIA GT)
Drivers' Championships1 (1998 FIA GT)

Background

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Mercedeswas left without a series to race in after the1996 International Touring Car ChampionshipandDeutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaftfolded in 1996, with their competitorsOpelandAlfa Romeopulling out of the series, leaving Mercedes as the sole entrant.[5]The elevation of theBPR Global GT Seriesto anFIA-sanctioned event, theFIA GT Championship,piqued the interest of Mercedes who instructedAMGto construct a car to theGroup GT1regulations. To speed up the development process, AMG purchasedMcLaren F1 GTRchassis #11R from French privateersLarbre Compétition,which was then fitted with AMG's own bodywork along with substituting the F1 GTR'sS70/2engine for Mercedes' own, theLS600.[6][7]This accelerated development process meant that the CLK GTR was ready for competition just 128 days after work on the design had begun.[8]

The CLK GTR debuted at Mercedes' home track, theHockenheimring,whereBernd Schneiderqualified on pole. However, he later retired with brake problems, and the sister car finished 27th.[9]Despite the setback, theCLK GTRwould prove to be successful in the1997 FIA GT Championship,winning six out of eleven races, the constructor's and the driver's championship by a large margin.[9]

Following the success of the CLK GTR, Mercedes-Benz modified the CLK GTR to suit the long straights of theCircuit de la Sarthe,constructing a new chassis with revised bodywork.[10]AMG also had doubts over the reliability of the V12 engine of the CLK GTR, opting to replace it with anon-turbochargedversion of theM119engine found in theSauber C9andMercedes-Benz C11,dubbed the GT 108B.[10][11][12]The engine featured a revisedcrankshaft,with the GT 108B replacing the previouscrossplanecrank of the V12 with aflat-plane crank.[13]Changes to the bodywork included removing the two front brake cooling ducts, the removal of the frontfendergills, alterations to the roof scoop, and a lower roofline and nose.[10][11]

The CLK GTR would race the first two rounds of the1998 FIA GT Championship,where it won the championship's first two races atSilverstoneandOscherslebenbefore being replaced by the CLK LM.[14]

Racing history

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The No. 35 CLK LM at the1998 24 Hours of Le Mans

At the1998 24 Hours of Le Mans,Bernd Schneiderqualified the No. 35 CLK LM on pole in the third of four qualifying sessions, setting a time of 3:35.544, just over a second ahead of the worksToyota GT-One.The sister No. 36 CLK LM would round out the top three.[15][16]The engine ultimately proved to be Mercedes'Achilles' heel,with both cars retiring before the halfway mark.[17]Problems with thepower steeringoil pump caused the CLK LM's entire lubrication system to fail, with Schneider pulling over on the pit straight on the 19th lap, and Gounon pitting a few laps later with the same problem.[18]

In spite of the disappointing results, Mercedes was pleased with the pace of the CLK LM, fielding the car for the rest of the1998 FIA GT Championship.The two cars sharedpole positionbetween them throughout the season, and won every single race, posting six 1–2 finishes.[10][11][19]Klaus LudwigandRicardo Zontacaptured the drivers title at the conclusion of the 1998 season, along withMercedes-AMGcollecting the constructors.[20]Five chassis were constructed in total, with three racing chassis, and two road-legal chassis, one of which was destroyed forcrash testingpurposes.[21][22]The termination of the FIA GT Championship meant that the requirement for 25 road-legal chassis to be produced was no longer in effect, leaving the sole road-legal version produced prior to the1998 24 Hours of Le Mansthe only one in existence.[22]Later on, the spare test car (chassis No. 005) was converted for road-legal use in the United Kingdom. The road-legal conversion retained much of the race car's characteristics such as the large rear wing, with the interior being very spartan; it lacked furnishings such asupholsteryor a second seat.[23][2]

Legacy

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The rising costs andMercedes' use ofhomologation specialscausedPorscheandMcLarento withdraw from the1999 FIA GT Championship,and seeing as Mercedes was the only entrant, theFIAopted to run the 1999 season without theGT1class.[10]The repetition of what happened in 1996 with theDTMandITCforced Mercedes to turn their attention to the newly introducedLe Mans Grand Touring Prototypeclass, wherehomologationwas not an issue.[10][24]JapaneseInternet service providerMTCI planned on campaigning the CLK LM in theJapanese Grand Touring Car Championship,however, negotiations to purchase the CLK LM fell through, with MCTI eventually fielding a customPorsche Boxster.[25]

The LM's successor, theMercedes-Benz CLR,inherited many features from the CLK LM; the V8 was enlarged to 5.7 L (347.8 cu in), rechristened the GT 108C, and the roofline was lowered by 10 mm (0.4 in), among other changes.[26][27]The CLR, despite being a purpose-built Le Mans racecar, turned out to be beset by severe aerodynamic flaws that resulted in its infamoussomersaultsat the1999 24 Hours of Le Mans.[28]Following the incidents, Mercedes withdrew from all sportscar activities in 1999 and never entered Le Mans again.[29]

Straßenversion

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The Straßenversion on display at theChamps-Élysées

TheCLK LM StraßenversionorStrassenversion(German for "Street version" ) is the road-legalhomologatedversion of the CLK LM. Mercedes manufactured two chassis, No. 001 and No. 002, the former of which was destroyed forcrash testingpurposes.[22][11]

Modifications for road use included the installation of a tubular steelrollcage,the installation of a plastic frontbumpersimilar to the one found on the CLK GTR Straßenversion, and a rearaerofoilthat had a low- and high-downforceconfiguration.[30][31]The road car's rearwingwas also modified from the lightweight bare-bones racing wing to a wide, swooping rear wing akin to the one found on theMercedes-Benz CLK GTR Straßenversion.[32]

The car was presented at the1998 24 Hours of Le Mansalongside the CLK LM racecars, after which it was sold to a Japanese collector.[22]The sole chassis has since made sparse appearances, resurfacing at the 2014Rétromobilealongside twoMercedes-Benz 300 SLon display by French auction house Classic Sport Leicht, where it was purchased by a European owner.[22][33]In 2014 it was put on display in theMercedes-Benzshowroom on theChamps-Élyséesin Paris as part of the "Dream Paris Stars" exhibition, alongside other rare Mercedes vehicles.[34][35]The car would also make an appearance at the 2015Chantilly Arts and Elegance Richard Mille,which Mercedes-Benz was sponsoring.[36][32]In 2016, the car was put up for sale through theMercedes-Benz Museum's trading arm, All Time Stars, where it sold for €2 million.[37][38]

Racing results

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Complete FIA GT Championship results

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Year Entrant Class Drivers No. Rds. Rounds Pts. Pos.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1998 Team AMG-Mercedes GT1 Bernd Schneider
Mark Webber 		1 All
All 		HOC
1 		DIJ
9* 		HUN
1 		SUZ
1 		DON
1 		A1R
2 		HOM
4 		LAG
2 		146 1st
Klaus Ludwig
Ricardo Zonta 		2 All
All 		HOC
2 		DIJ
1 		HUN
2 		SUZ
2 		DON
2 		A1R
1 		HOM
1 		LAG
1
Source:[39]

* Despite retiring, they had completed over 75% of the race distance, and were thus classified.

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

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Year Team Class No. Drivers Position
1998 Team AMG-Mercedes GT1 35 Bernd Schneider
Mark Webber
Klaus Ludwig 		Ret
36 Jean-Marc Gounon
Ricardo Zonta
Christophe Bouchut 		Ret
Source:[40]
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver Second place
Bronze Third place
Green Points finish
Blue Non-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple Retired (Ret)
Red Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not practice (DNP)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Excluded (EX)

Bold– Pole position
Italics– Fastest lap

See also

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References

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