2007 Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet
Key Points: 1 of 6 RHD CLK DTM Cabriolets Worldwide, Bright Silver Metallic Exterior Paint, AMG Sports Bucket Seats with Carbon Fibre Backs.
The Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet is widely considered one of the wildest road cars AMG has ever produced. Built by HWA AG, the motorsport outfit behind Mercedes-Benz’s hugely successful DTM programme, the car was created to mark Bernd Schneider’s 2003 DTM championship win. Although it started life as a CLK Cabriolet, almost every major component was reworked to create something far more serious than a typical AMG road car.
Power comes from a heavily modified 5.4-litre supercharged M113K V8, closely related to the engine found in the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. Producing 582 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque, the hand-built unit sends power exclusively to the rear wheels through AMG’s strengthened five-speed SPEEDSHIFT automatic gearbox with steering wheel-mounted paddles. Even today, the figures are properly impressive. The CLK DTM Cabriolet can reach 62 mph in around 3.9 seconds and will continue all the way to a limited top speed of 200 mph, making it one of the fastest four-seat convertibles ever built.
To handle that sort of performance, the car received extensive chassis upgrades inspired directly by motorsport. The body was widened dramatically to accommodate huge staggered wheels and ultra-wide tyres, while adjustable coilover suspension, reinforced drivetrain components and upgraded Brembo brakes transformed the CLK into something far more aggressive than the standard car. Contemporary road tests often described it as brutally fast and surprisingly unforgiving, especially in poor conditions where the supercharged torque could easily overwhelm the rear tyres.
Visually, the CLK DTM looked unlike anything else Mercedes-Benz offered at the time. The aggressive front bumper, oversized air intakes, extended wheel arches, deep side skirts, rear diffuser and enormous fixed carbon-fibre rear wing were all designed with function in mind. Large sections of the bodywork, including the bonnet, doors, wings and bumpers, were made from carbon-fibre reinforced plastic to help reduce weight. The result was a car that looked far closer to a touring car racer than a luxury convertible.
The interior followed the same philosophy. Traditional luxury trim was replaced with exposed carbon fibre, Alcantara and lightweight bucket seats, giving the cabin a much more focused feel. A 220 mph speedometer sat ahead of the driver, while the steering wheel featured suede trim rather than polished wood or leather. Unlike the coupe version, which removed the rear seats completely, the Cabriolet retained two integrated rear bucket seats, making it one of the few genuine four-seat supercars of its era.
Mercedes-Benz built just 80 CLK DTM AMG Cabriolets between 2006 and 2007, making it even rarer than the coupe. Many examples were delivered directly to collectors, racing drivers and long-standing AMG clients.
More than anything, the CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet represents a very different era for AMG. It was loud, excessive, mechanical and completely unapologetic, created at a time when Mercedes-Benz was willing to let its motorsport engineers build something genuinely outrageous for the road. Even now, very few performance cars offer the same mix of raw supercharged power, motorsport pedigree and open-top drama.
