Toto Wolff was spotted driving an extremely rare, ten-million-dollar Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR through the streets of Monaco
Coping with the immense pressure of a Formula 1 title battle requires ways to switch off between race weekends. For Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff, relaxing ahead of the United States Grand Prix apparently involves taking one of the rarest, most expensive and most aggressive road cars of all time for a leisurely drive across the Casino Square.
Just a few days after a gruelling Singapore Grand Prix characterised by high humidity, the billionaire motorsport manager was filmed by the Instagram account @monaco_luxurystyle as he drove a silver Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR through the sun-drenched streets of the principality.
Even in Monaco, a city full of Bugattis and Ferraris, the CLK GTR brings traffic to a complete standstill.
A genuine racing car for the road
The vehicle is a so-called ‘homologation model’ – a road car that was specially built to meet the FIA regulations required for the racing version to compete in the 1997 FIA GT Championship.
In order to be legally permitted to compete on the racetrack, Mercedes-Benz had to produce a small series of cars for private customers. The result was a carbon-fibre monocoque monster powered by a mid-mounted 6.9-litre naturally aspirated AMG V12 engine.
With a staggering 604 PS and 775 Newton metres of torque, the road-going CLK GTR was essentially a Le Mans-style endurance racer that had simply been pimped out with leather seats and air conditioning.
The $10 million price tag
Spotting a CLK GTR on public roads is an extremely rare occurrence. Mercedes-Benz built a total of just 28 examples: two prototypes, 20 coupés and six roadsters.
Due to this extreme rarity and its legendary status amongst motoring purists, the car’s value has skyrocketed over the last decade. At its launch event in 1997, it was certified by Guinness as the world’s most expensive production car, with a price tag of around 1.5 million dollars.
Today, these figures have multiplied exponentially. One of the six roadster variants was recently sold at an RM Sotheby’s auction for a staggering $10,235,000, and the coupés regularly fetch massive eight-figure sums behind closed doors.
Whilst rookie sensation Kimi Antonelli prepares for his chance to seal the deal at the 2026 Drivers’ World Championship in Austin, his boss is clearly enjoying the European autumn behind the wheel of this ultimate piece of Mercedes history.
