Mercedes CLK-DTM at Cars International

It’s not often we get to experience ultra-rare automobiles “in the flesh” so to speak. Fortunately, we managed to hook up with the gracious gentlemen at Cars International (.com) during my recent visit to the United Kingdom. Oli and I made the trip up to Canary Wharf in early July to enlist the help of the Cars International team in preparing an article on buying race cars. In addition to their invaluable help in the preparation of that article, they were also kind enough to give us a tour of their facility, which included not one, but two Mercedes CLK-DTM exotics. Considering the rarity of these cars (forty right hand drive and sixty left hand drive variants were all that Mercedes produced), it’s incredibly rare to see both editions sitting next to each other.

While we didn’t get the opportunity to drive the cars as they were both due to ship out to customers within the month, we did get ample access to photograph the vehicles from every angle possible.

The statistics on the DTM are incredible. The car produces 582bhp from its screw-type supercharged 5.5L V8, creating 590lb-ft of torque from 3,500rpm. Body panels are made from a carbon fiber reinforced material to control weight, but at 3,853lbs, the car is not really “lightweight.” Fortunately however, this weight is split 54% to the front and 46% to the rear, providing an almost ideal balance. Fortunately, the vast power reserves overcome the mass and translate to a 0-100km/h (0-62mph) time of 3.9 seconds, and on to a (limited) top speed of 200mph.

From a handling point-of-view, with nineteen inch wheels up front and twenty inch wheels in the back, there’s ample contact patch to keep all those ponies squarely on the road at all times. Fortunately, with all that potential velocity, Mercedes didn’t scrimp on the brakes either, giving the car an ultra high-performance composite braking system. Up front, the brakes are 360x32mm discs, while in the rear are 330x26mm discs. Clamping on this large mass of braking surface are six piston fixed calipers in the front and four piston fixed calipers in the rear. Of course, all this braking technology utilizes the latest in ABS and stability control devices to keep it all in check. In the suspension department, the DTM has a McPherson three-link front suspension, anti-dive devices, spring and shock absorber units with adjustable coil springs over gas-filled shock absorbers and an anti-roll bar. In the rear, the car uses a multi-link independent suspension with anti-squat and anti-dive devices, spring and shock absorber units with adjustable coil springs over gas-filled shock absorbers, an anti-roll bar with a multiple-disc limited-slip differential.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time with the two DTM’s, and sincerely thank CarsInternational.com for the opportunity to experience the cars first hand. If you simply must have one of these fabulous cars, head over to www.carsinternational.com to discuss acquiring one. They have assured us that they have mastered the intricacies of importing these fabulous cars to the US, and probably represent a much more cost-effective approach than trying to buy from a US dealer. If you’re so inclined, please let them know the guys at FestivalOfSpeed.net sent you!