The Full Story - Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR & CLK LM & CLR - Race & Street Versions

Follow me on Instagram @gullwingman
This documentary tells you the fascinating story about the late 1990s’ era of Mercedes-Benz GT Silver Arrows (1997 CLK GTR, 1998 CLK LM, 1999 CLR).
Get all the insights into development, design, race victories and the mysterious street versions. From the early days in the FIA GT series until the dramatic finale at Le Mans.
01:50 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Race Version (1997)
04:48 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Street Version
08:28 Mercedes-Benz CLK LM Race Version (1998)
11:14 Mercedes-Benz CLK LM Street Version
12:55 Mercedes-Benz CLR and Le Mans (1999)

[@arjun._.bbC6]

I can see why Walter Röhrl said "i don't like jumps....If I want to fly, I would be a jet pilot, not a racing driver".

[@Gruftkriecher]

A Walter Röhrl reference... here, take my upvote ;-)

[@arjun._.bbC6]

@Julius Devin I for sure don't give a sh*t.

[@Gruftkriecher]

@@arjun._.bbC6 I second that!

[@marcocolombo4388]

@Julius Devin ..

[@royliber3824]

McLaren: "Everything about this car is well thought, the wind flows through the F1 like butter" Mercedes: "Let's put the pop-up bonnet logo cause we're Mercedes"

[@Gullwingman]

:D

[@Gullwingman]

Our V12 will take care of the extra drag anyway ;D

[@theboss-hc6vd]

Imagine Mercedes taking part in Le Mans again, it would be great

[@Gullwingman]

Would be phenomenal !!! But I would not hang my hopes too high with that... unfortunately.

[@gto861]

Sorry imagination power lost

[@sayamahmed649]

They would dominate like they are in F1

[@Ayixlia]

They are the made a new supercar for 2021 ans working on a LeMans version of it.

[@charlesnessel9583]

I feel like Mercedes might be a little bit superstitious when it comes to Le Mans. Between the airborne CLR's to the 1955 crash, they have the two most ill fated years as a race team at Le Sarthe.

[@Gullwingman]

BREAKING NEWS - Somebody has just bought a CLK GTR after being inspired by this video! This is not a joke. How insane is that??? 🤩🤯😍

[@mosca3289]

%

[@gusb6502]

Damn

[@KeenanStyles]

Thats a huge achievement! Congrats your level of inspiration is immeasurable

[@OIR339]

@@cl1967 BC probably sold his considering the dude doesn’t have a DL anymore

[@SuperIceman44]

Same here. Got inspired and bought one myself in Forza.

[@shazmeister2005]

Bit more info on the CLR crashes. The first time Webber took off it didn’t really flip, it just kind of took off then crashed back down onto its wheels. As there was no footage Mercedes initially basically refused to believe Webber about what had happened. The car was heavily damaged but repaired in time for the race. Some sources say a spare monocoque was delivered from Germany so it is unknown exactly how many CLR chassis Mercedes actually built. Webber’s second flip in the warmup for the race is exactly as you described it, landed on its roof and that was game over for it. Also absolutely correct about the aero mods, consulting Adrian Newey etc. The drivers were all asked and basically given the option to pull out but none did. When Dumbreck took off it was at the same place as Webber’s first crash, a very bumpy part of the track over a crest, he was closely following the Toyota, something they had been instructed not to do (I mean they are racing what was he meant to do), you’ll observe on the footage just before the crash he doesn’t follow Boutsen directly over the Mulsanne hump, he goes into the other lane. When he took off the car landed in a recently cleared section of trees, the car landed on its wheels, a tree stump came right up through the bottom of the cockpit where the passengers seat would be (if there was one) Dumbreck was very very lucky, he had concussion but other than being a bit battered and bruised had no injuries. Had the trees not been cleared or had he landed a few inches away he would quite probably have been killed. The last remaining car was immediately retired from the race and the rumours were that Mercedes destroyed the car. That wasn’t the case as it reappeared in 2009. It has appeared in public a handful of times, Mercedes had it for a display of the career of their driver Bernd Schneider in 2013 (I think), it is believed to be in the hands of a private collector. It still looks exactly as is did in 1999, only difference is the headlight lenses look yellow, don’t know if they were changed to that or if they have just yellowed with age. There are a few theories and se excellent videos explaining why it took off. Basically it had a long body in comparison to its wheelbase (as did most cars of its ilk, eg 911 GT1) so had big over hangs in front of the front wheels and behind the rear wheels. This coupled with an aerodynamic instability essentially made the car pitch back back and forth. At the extreme this stalled the aero and created lift under the front of the car, the rear wing still created a huge amount of downforce so this essentially acted as a leaver to flip the car. This was something inherent in the design, when you watch footage of it you can see it bucking and diving under braking and acceleration, the CLK GTR had this trait too but the effect wasn’t extreme enough for it to take off. Shame as it was an absolutely beautiful car with an engine note to die for.

[@subject_7]

I hope Mercedes-Benz returns to Lemans Prototype racing. The level of risk they took with the CLR is what's needed. It brings out the most amazing cars that engineers can fathom

[@ray817oneDEEP]

Uts never gonna be like that. We had 23 different engines competing. Now we only got 4 different dengines

[@reginaldbowls7180]

They might… they just have to copy the new Gordon murray car and slap a stupid grill on it.

[@Jesko.]

@@ray817oneDEEP 2023 le mans was amazing. You should be happy now.

[@owenchuarbx]

The CLK GTR is honestly my favourite car of all time. I first knew it since seeing it in Project Gotham Racing 2.

[@Gullwingman]

Same here (except for the Gotham part 😂) 👍

[@MrEShive]

Dang what a fun game. Missed it.

[@juim1j]

Loved it! As a die hard GT fan this is the perfect blend of facts and commentary!

[@Gullwingman]

Thank you very much, that's great to hear 🙌😁

[@AlexToma]

This video was amazing. Thank you! As a Mercedes fan I really appreciate this one. McLaren F1, CLK GTR and 911 GT1 were the pinnacle of the 90s

[@f1mclaren1234]

I think so

[@Mercedes-Benz_CLR_1999]

[@TheBlackScatPack]

I first seen the CLK-GTR as a 10 year old kid when Need For Speed III Hot Pursuit came out and couldn’t forget it ever since.

[@makowulff2964]

That ending statement calling the CLR "The only gull-winged Silver Arrow that could actually fly" was such a seriously poetic way to put it!

[@SGR_Blackout]

Ohai Mako

[@makowulff2964]

@@SGR_Blackout Heyhey! A familiar name! Hope you're well as always! ^^

[@SGR_Blackout]

@@makowulff2964 Yeah lad, I've been alright honestly. Was surprised to see you here but hope you're also well 👍

[@makowulff2964]

@@SGR_Blackout Thank 'ya bud! ^^

[@SGR_Blackout]

@@makowulff2964 You're welcome 🤝

Need for Speed Road Challenge (High Stakes), from the year 1999, was the first racing video game I bought. That game made the CLK GTR one of my favorite cars when I was young.

[@mrawesomelemons]

You need more subscribers. The research and chill storytelling is out of this world!

[@Gullwingman]

Wow, thank you! :)

[@MiguelRPD]

Ever since I've seen it in NFS High Stakes, I've always wanted this car.

[@sharpemang]

Omg me too. That and the McLaren F1 GTR

[@Hyvelez]

Played this one a lot in Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit!

[@StigDesign]

King Car in NFS3 and alkso funn in nfs4 and HP2 in 2002 on ps2 :D thats what inspired me on my game making with this car :D Norwegian you too that Loves the old NFS Games, the real nfs Games :D Jeg bruker VEG modern patch for nfs3 og nfs4 for windows 10 :D nfs2 har faktisk en open source på github slik at virker på win10 :)

[@f1mclaren1234]

CLK GTR NFS :HOT PURSUIT WINNER CAR

[@StigDesign]

@@f1mclaren1234 YES :D

[@doalwa]

THANK YOU, I was actually not sure which game introduced me to this wonderful car! Need for Speed 3, of course!

[@FFRROOGG]

How does this only have 2k views this was a great vid

[@Gullwingman]

Thank you Lucas! It's getting more every day 😉 It's still a very young channel and I'm just getting started. So I'm very happy about these 2k. But look at my other videos. They are just as good and literally NOBODY is watching 😂😂😂

[@iElementGraphics]

@@Gullwingman My only suggestion is maybe invest in a different or better microphone, it was hard to listen to at times with my headset because of how much bass there was everytime you spoke. Still thoroughly enjoyed it other then that though :)

[@Paul-lu8pc]

I’ve been searching for this so long! Very interesting! I'm looking forward to new videos :)

[@donachille3351]

Tragedy aside, the '99 CLR had to be the most elegant, and sleek race car ever built.

[@Gaindalf93]

3:23 Mercedes engineers rocked vans shoes in the 90s

[@Dansuperfly]

19:15 That is the most beautiful piece of footage of any car I've ever seen. 💫

[@BleedForTheWorld]

The KZbin algorithm brought me here and I'm glad it did. This is very well done. No excessive joking and purely informative. I appreciate that a lot.

[@Gullwingman]

Good job, KZbin algorithm 😁

[@money-fast]

Great Video man - enjoyed every second, so much input 💪🏼

[@ukwan]

I really like this era of Mercedes history, the CLK DTM, CLK GTR, CLK LM and CLR and the C208, C209 and C215 road cars from which the race cars were styled. I think some of the coolest race and road cars ever made.

[@nickmorgs]

A thoroughly well researched and intriguing story. Thank you Gullwingman.

[@richardchu109]

CLK-GTR is one of my all time favorite cars. Thank you for the awesome video.

[@nocive7381]

Me to

[@aleksandarminic5059]

Thank you for this great Programme!

[@Etervi0n]

Great video, didn't expect to watch it fully but it was well paced and properly designed.

[@satelliteface7]

Excellent video, well researched and presented. Keep up the good work and looking forward to more great content.

[@kotnn-g]

You should turn this style video into a series, i would love to learn more about classic racecars and their stories, subscribed!

[@WaleSANNI]

I appreciate the history/chronology. The GTR is the only one that I knew and I always thought it was the one that flew. Truly excellent video.

[@rinirax]

Great video. I really like your way of presenting with the cuts back to you when you want to emphasize something. Also that must have taken a lot of research so thank you.

[@Tristaneus]

First time I watched one of your videos. Thank you Sir for taking the time to research and make this. Cheers!

[@018139548]

Very informative and a well put together video. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[@AndreaRoll]

i had the model of that car as a kid. no need to say i just loved to flip it when playing with it :D

[@FarisMiz]

Love your content. The stories are interesting and its in chronological order. This is indeed one of my fav car and now i have more infos about it. Thanks.

[@dxb1]

Hey man , i really like this video proper story telling , very informative. Keep up the great work , this material is very hard to find as it is not mainstream ,

[@michaeloakes3667]

Great production you've made here mate! Good work :D

[@gewurztraminer]

Brilliant video. I really enjoyed it. Thanks a lot!

[@SamsaraBlue]

Don’t give up on this channel, it’s fantastic!

[@robertojofre15]

awesome video!

[@DethThrasher1]

great video, love this era of racing, hope you make more like this. subbed

[@Gullwingman]

Thank you! I'll definitely do more and have a lot of ideas on my list. Just not the time at the moment 😁

[@xiemvitalis4582]

This is fantastic, love to see more!

[@pierreb4395]

Just earned yourself a new subscriber! Keep up the good work, very nice research job 🏎

[@michaelsummerell8618]

Really well presented and informative video! Many thanks - you have a new subscriber!

[@SuperArief11]

love the gt1. looks very modern vs competitor

[@akkingdom3502]

Really enjoyed the video mate

[@lakerfan82k3]

This was very well presented. Subscribed!

[@apexvisiontv]

Definitely one of my favorite eras of sports cars! Great video 🔥🔥

[@spiderman-du7yn]

your videos are so well produced and im certainly gonna binge watch all your full story videos, cant believe your only at 3k subscribers rn.

[@andidess3266]

What was exquisite! I need more videos like this! Awesome information.

[@automotivando]

Great content, man!

[@OugaBoogaShockwave]

Loved this, Very good. 1 of my fav cars in racing games between late 90's & almost mid 2000's

[@Mr4Seven]

The roadster is timeless. What a machine! Jesus.

[@adammelville1077]

Fantastic video, love your Instagram page too. Keep up the great content

[@KillerQueenWarThunder]

nice video! happy that i got it recommended

[@gusb6502]

Awesome video. I have been looking for a long time for a video like this

[@Gullwingman]

And here it is 😉 Thank you GB 😁🙌

[@nitrousoxide69]

A good story, well told! I am now a subscriber.

[@konstantinosmichos5749]

Very descent and excellent job of making this video. Bravo! A sure subscribe!

[@Tom_Hadler]

Thanks man this video was interesting and really well presented

[@XForbide]

Keep up the good work these videos are excellent!

[@sbf109]

I even made a plastic model because CLK GTR is my favorite car. It looks so beautiful.

[@Gullwingman]

Proper fan 😁👍

[@Lukec4ge]

Excellent video. Thanks for sharing.

[@views40]

Wow!! That research must have been intense! Excellent work! Excellent storytelling!!

[@1ceman85]

Awesome story! You are very talented storyteller. Thank you so much for this history-lesson. :-)

[@jonathanohagan1349]

I just found this, excellent, good commentary and explanations. subbed, Love me a good Le Mans Car, especially a flier. Remember seeing that on tv, and McNish's Audi smash.

[@Ditypo]

woah what an excellent video dude

[@vwsambabus]

wow what a nice informative video! keep up the great work!

[@mgbrv8]

Love your presentation brilliant work

[@yassinemoumene9595]

Super video man , story well summarized ! liked and subscribed !

[@Gullwingman]

Thanks a lot, Yassine! There's more coming very soon 😁

[@carsstuffchannel8576]

I’m impressed with your delivery. You’re the most interesting non-actor I’ve been able to watch. I think it’s great, encouraging people to be themselves

[@Gullwingman]

Thank you very much 😇😇😇

[@weeevilswine]

Incredibly interesting video, surely your channel will blow up

[@cashiusclay_]

Brilliant video mate, I remember being 17 and being amazed by the CLK's, man I miss the good 'ol days!!!

[@liamoreilly308]

Great work..keep it up

[@johnvega5321]

Insanely nice video!

[@gregormager6697]

Ein super Video haben Sie gemacht. und immer schön "ruhig beiben ". sehr informativ. danke

[@lknanml]

Well made. Thanks!

[@martbeth5490]

Excellent account of an intriguing story. Well done.

[@nachigo8123]

excelente video!!

[@Fran_SG]

A sad end for an amazing jewel. Great vídeo!!!!

[@aadisamaroo3074]

Watched the whole thing man great video, i also didnt know 3 cars flipped i thought it was 1

[@db6844]

Sehr gutes Video, danke

[@colinashby3775]

Thanks for the info in this video. Love the look of this car.

[@agnidas5816]

Such a cool looking car. I am amazed I have never seen the CLK version with red side mirrors since the car came out and was all the rage. Such a cool stylistic choice.. THank you for this video !

[@jamesoconnor3017]

Great video, thanks! 😎👍

[@chrisj5097]

I remember watching that live when I was a kid. Cool vid buddy👏

[@p71runningriot]

Great, informative video about one of the most awesome cars ever created!

[@josteinatlejrgensen6962]

You have really done your homework . Thanks !!

[@jacobvanhoff]

Wow what an awesome video, no sarcasm. Very well done. Thank you.

[@Gullwingman]

Thank you so much!!!

[@hyounis10]

Great informative video!

[@DreamDiecastCars]

Really well done video, I never knew all the history behind those cars!

[@Gullwingman]

Thank you! Now you know ;)

[@adamcassimjee532]

Great video about a great series of cars. There's a very nice account of the flip-overs in Mark Webber's autobiography.

[@VirtualR]

Great documentary thank you

[@rollotomassi8251]

Quality content. Thank you. I did not know the car flipped 3 seperate times. I watched it on Eurosport when it happened..

[@paveantelic7876]

very good video, please continue ;)

[@anthonycaballero2636]

Makes me appreciate my 03 CLK 55 lol not as rare as the gtr but still pretty cool

[@Peter_2jz]

thank for the story ! subscribed

[@paulbrosnan4339]

Great video my friend. You have a new subscriber!

[@BiscuitsnTea]

Lovely video ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@swarajpatra7672]

Great Video buddy !

[@martacudeiro454]

Legendary. Fantastic vid, please keep creating content!!

[@obg6446]

Excellent video