The Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR, one of the most extreme and rare special cars ever created by AMG for Le Mans in the late 90s, has been at the center of one of the FBI's most impressive operations and was seized from wanted former Olympic champion Ryan Wedding.
The agency seized the 2002 CLK GTR Roadster, worth approximately $13 million, as part of Operation Giant Slalom, which targets the international cartel of former Olympic snowboarder and now FBI 10 Most Wanted fugitive Ryan Wedding.
An exotic structure, only six in the world
The CLK GTR is the result of a golden age for manufacturers chasing glory at Le Mans. To participate, they had to produce several street-legal replicas.
This gave birth to “monsters” like the Porsche 911 GT1, the Nissan R390 and, of course, “their” Mercedes. Of the 28 CLK GTRs built, only 6 were roadsters, making this open-top version even more valuable.
It has a 6.0-liter V12 engine that produces nearly 600 horsepower and reaches 7,000 rpm, through a 6-speed sequential gearbox.
The supercar of an "invisible" baron
The CLK GTR belonged to Ryan Wedding, who is accused of running a multinational cocaine trafficking ring with illegal revenues exceeding $1 billion a year. US authorities compare him to names like Escobar and El Chapo and believe he is hiding in Mexico.
The FBI is even offering an epic $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest, an amount almost enough to buy the CLK GTR itself, if it ends up at auction.
What will happen to the CLK GTR?
This remains unknown. It will most likely be auctioned off, as is the case with other seized luxury assets. However, given its rarity and "dark" history, its value could increase even more.
One thing is for sure: every appearance of a Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Roadster is news in itself. And this is probably the most “cinematic” model we’ve seen in years.
