Wanderlust

Tag: homologation

  • CLK GTR Coupé Straßenversion Joins CLK GTR and C 11 Group C Racecars for Villa d’Este Display

    CLK GTR Coupé Straßenversion Joins CLK GTR and C 11 Group C Racecars for Villa d’Este Display

    Mercedes-Benz chose to celebrate with a major flex of their racing pedigree and the line to their road cars with three very special vehicles from their factory vintage collection. The road car, an über rare CLK GTR Coupé homologation road car joined a CLK GTR racecar and C 11 Group C prototype on the lawn next to Lake Como, having been set there by crane.

    Check out the full press release form Mercedes-Benz, along with a spectacular mix of photography from the event.

    BEGIN PRESS RELEASE (Source: Mercedes-Benz)

    Mercedes-Benz Classic at FuoriConcorso: Rare meeting of two CLK GTR with spectacular introduction to the gardens of Villa del Grumello on Lake Como

    • The Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR racing sports car from 1997 meets the exclusive production version 
    • Mercedes-Benz C 11 as another championship vehicle from the 1990s
    • The three vehicles were brought into the gardens by using a mobile crane
    • FuoriConcorso on 24 and 25 May 2025 at Villa del Grumello and Villa Sucota

    Legendary Mercedes-Benz racing sports cars and a super sports car aloft high above the shores of Lake Como: Mercedes-Benz Classic was already causing a stir with this spectacular scene during preparations for FuoriConcorso 2025. The Mercedes-Benz C 11 Group C racing car from 1990, the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR racing sports car from 1997 and the exclusive production version of the CLK GTR Coupé were placed in the gardens of Villa del Grumello using a mobile crane. On 24 and 25 May 2025, the Silver Arrows of the 1990s delighted the audience at the new and dynamic event. In addition, the programme included talks with an extremely high-calibre panel at Villa Sucota on 25 May 2025. Marcus Breitschwerdt, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Heritage GmbH, took part in the “Rally and F1” and “Italian Racing” discussion rounds. 

    Memories of two championship years

    FuoriConcorso has been around since 2019 and is regarded as one of the most attractive events in the classics scene. The two racing sports cars presented by Mercedes-Benz Classic in the gardens of Villa del Grumello have a connection to Italy: the Mercedes-Benz C 11 celebrated its début in 1990 with a one-two victory in the 480-kilometre race in Monza (Jean-Louis Schlesser/Mauro Baldi ahead of Jochen Mass/Karl Wendlinger); the CLK GTR racing sports car took second place in the 1997 FIA GT race in Mugello (Alessandro Nannini/Marcel Tiemann). These Silver Arrows each won the title in the 1990 Group C season as well as the 1997 FIA GT Championship. 

    A small series of road-legal hypercars with 450 kW (612 hp) was derived from the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR racing sports car in 1998. Only 20 of these extremely rare CLK GTRs were built as coupés, and only five as roadsters. The coupé at FuoriConcorso comes from the Nationales Automuseum The Loh Collection. 

    PHOTO GALLERY

  • Green-on-Green Porsche 959 SC by Canepa Slated for RM Miami

    Green-on-Green Porsche 959 SC by Canepa Slated for RM Miami

    What: 1988 Porsche 959 SC Reimagined by Canepa
    Color: Emerald Green Metallic (smaragdgrünmetallic; metallic Uni; 264 / 249; Porsche)
    VIN: WP0ZZZ95ZJS900214
    Mileage: 38,500 kilometers (~23,923 miles) at restoration, shows 7,503 km now
    Price Estimate: $400,000 to $600,000
    CarFax: N/A
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: RM Sotheby’s 2025 Miami Auction, Coral Gables, FL
    Listing: Link

    Reimagining any car to the exacting specification is an impressive thing, though beginning with one of 292 legendary Porsche 959s is a whole other level of commitment. That’s where Canepa comes in, with their reimagining of these Group B homologation specials into what they call a 959 SC (SC standing for Super Carrera).

    Worth noting, Bruce Canepa and his firm aren’t just incredibly talented fans of the brand or model. It was none other than Bruce Canepa who was contracted by Paul Allen and later Bill Gates to get the first 959s imported legally into the USA. That effort would result into the legendary “Show and Display” exemption rule. During that time, Canepa taught himself capabilities and familiarity with the 959 that may have been second only to Porsche themselves. Bruce was the go-to for the 959, and his learnings over decades brought him to his 2015 launching of the 959 SC program where a client could bring a 959 for a recommissioning and reengineering that would raise performance as well as luxury.

    RM goes into great detail in their listing:

    “Whereas the original 959 left the factory with 444 horsepower from its 2.85-liter sequential-turbo flat-six, the 959 SC Reimagined by Canepa uses upgraded BorgWarner turbos (with internal wastegate) in a parallel twin-turbo system and new engine management based around MoTec hardware to nearly double that figure to 825 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque.

    “Standard 959 engine internals give way to forged pistons, Pankl titanium connecting rods, and other upgraded componentry. The camshafts have been revised to offer improved low-end torque and mid-range power, and the valve train has been entirely redesigned for better responses. Individual coil packs supplant the original ignition distributor, while completely revised intake systems, equal-length, tungsten-ceramic-coated exhaust headers, and a two-stage exhaust system of stainless steel and titanium give the new engine sufficient bark to match its bite.

    “As for the suspension, by upgrading the original 959 Sport coilover system with custom valved shocks from Penske and titanium springs, the 959 SC’s handling is greatly improved at all speeds, along with the ride quality on all types of surfaces. Canepa also produced new cast-magnesium 18-inch hollow-spoke wheels that take full advantage of the latest advancements in production and materials technology while staying true to Porsche’s original 959 design.

    “More than 4,000 hours go into each build and over 3,000 individual pieces get restored, rebuilt, or upgraded. Nothing is left unchecked or untouched on every 959 that Canepa reimagines; they are completely disassembled, and entirely rebuilt as better-than-new machines. Color combinations and final touches are tailor-made to each client’s specifications in close collaboration with Bruce Canepa. Those fortunate enough to secure a 959 SC order slot can choose from over 200 Porsche factory and “paint-to-sample” colors. Each example is one of one, with production set at just 50 in total.“

    959 SC 003

    This particular 959, 959 SC 003, began life as one of 207 959 “Komfort” models, was originally finished in Silver Metallic over grey leather and delivered to its first owner in Monaco. It was later sold to Japan where it was displayed in a private Tokyo museum, remaining there until it was imported into the U.S.A. in 2016.

    At that point, it was completely disassembled in order to begin its restoration and 959 SC augmentation.

    The car is was painted paint-to-sample Emerald Green Metallic, matched tastefully with Dark Green leather. It features 18-inch variants of the stock 959 wheel design , these featured in Canepa’s proprietary graphite finish that matches the appearance of oxidized magnesium.

    Since the completion of its conversion, 003 has been displayed at Luftgekühlt 4 in 2017, Rennsport Reunion VI in 2018, and the 2022 Velocity Invitational. It returned to Canepa in December 2024 for an engine-out service and other work totaling $70,000.

  • Market Find: Almadin Red 1989 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 in Italy

    Market Find: Almadin Red 1989 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 in Italy

    Yes, we typically search for cars coming onto the market in North America, but when they’re old enough to import easily and exceptionally cool, we tend to look outside the confines of the U.S. and Canada. And when we do, we find cars like this Mercedes 190E 2.5-16 in Almadin Red (almadinrot; metallic UNI; DB 512 / 512U; Mercedes-Benz).

    About the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 In General

    Homologation cars are always cool, but the W201-based 190E 2.3-16 and later 190E 2.5-16 have been garnering an extra level of enthusiast cult-following. Homologated for Group A, this meant Mercedes had to build 5,000 cars within a year’s time. They did so easily, and the model proved so popular that it continued into 1993, building almost 19,500.

    An updated version like this one was shown at the Paris Motor Show in 1988, featuring revised front and rear aprons, larger bumpers, redesigned interior and an upgraded 16-valve engine with its Cosworth-developed head now bumped to 2.5-liters. And while the 2.3-16 had been sold in the USA, the 2.5-16 and other evolutions never made it here.

    More information not he model in general can be found HERE and HERE.

    Along with the update, several colors were aded including the one you see here – Almadin Red. While this specification isn’t a special paint, it is relatively rare than the much more common silvers. Three shades of silver were offered – Smoke Silver, Astral Silver and Brilliant Silver. Blue-Black was also offered, but Almadin Red was the only vibrant color, which makes it stand out.

    About Buying a Vintage Car from Europe

    Though importing modern cars from other markets can be incredibly complex and expensive, importation of vehicles older than 25 years for the U.S.A. and 15 years for Canada can be much simpler and rewarding. Nevertheless, there are challenges that you’ll need to consider.

    First up will be assessment of the car. Most listing sites like the one linked here tend to feature lower-resolution photos and descriptions typically more akin to what you’d find on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, not the über thorough assessments and histories we’ve come to obsess over on sites such as Bring A Trailer. Finding someone over there to get eyes on the car is definitely a major advantage.

    Next up will be arranging exportation from country of origin, shipping, handling at the port of entry, paying duties and getting registered in your home location. These are not easy tasks, but trivial for the more and more companies catering to these services.

    We’ve had experience working with one such firm, Orchid Euro. Jamie Orr, owner of Orchid Euro, worked with his team and network to get first hand eyes on in Europe, ground transport to a German port, shipment on a new vehicle transport vessel, handled it at the American port and even helped guide on getting the car titled. Worth noting, Orchid Euro isn’t the only company out there doing these sorts of things, so search them out if you prefer another similar service.

    About this Car

    Here’s what we know about the car from its listing. Since it’s on AutoScout, it’s not in English so we’ve taken the liberty of having it run through Apple Safari’s translation.

    Location: Castelldefels, Italy

    Country Version: Spain

    Initial Registration: 01/1989

    Mileage Logged: 197,000 km, converts to 122,410 miles

    Asking Price: €29,000 Euros

    Below is the Translated Description. Please note, this is as translated so creates some odd terminology like “roof of crystal”:

    Exclusive Mercedes 190 in color ALMANDINE RED.
    Production data and extras:

    • Order Location FRANKFURT BRANCH
    • Interior FABRIC BLACK (071)
    • Paint 1 ALMADIN RED METALLIC (512U)

    Approx. Build Date 1988-11
    Code Description
    240 OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE INDICATOR
    412 ELECTRIC SLIDING ROOF WITH TILTING DEVICE
    442 AIRBAG IN STEERING WHEEL
    466 CENTRAL LOCKING MECHANISM
    506 AUSSENRÜCKSPIEGEL, LINKS UND RECHTS, GEHEZT (FLÜCKLICH VERSTELLBARE AUF DER RECHTEN)
    510 MB RADIO EXQUISIT WITH VK, RDS (BECKER)
    531 AUTOMATIC ANTENNA
    551 ANTI-THEFT/ANTI-BREAK-IN WARNING SYSTEM
    583 ELECTRIC WINDOW LIFTERS (FRONT DOORS)
    591 HEAT-INSULATING GLASS, ALL-AROUND, HEATED REAR WINDOW PANE (SINGLE-SHEET SAFETY GLASS)
    600 HEADLAMP WIPER/WASHER
    673 HIGH-CAPACITY BATTERY
    873 SEAT HEATER FOR LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT SEATS
    876 RÜCKTÜRN-SPACHTEN UND LEUCHTE OBEN HINTERFENSTER

    Recién hecha revisión completa en taller Mercedes especializado;

    • oils and complete filters.
    • original engine mounts
    • front suspension towers and new springs.
    • gas air conditioning
    • brake fluid
    • steering shock absorber
    • caps de resendo dirección.
    • juntas motor tapa de balancines.
    • Etc.

    Alternator and clutches recently replaced.
    ITV just last.

    Extras
    Featured equipment selected by the user

    – Installation of lava headlights
    – Heated front seats
    – Temperature indicator outside
    – Air conditioning
    – Front electric lifts
    – Alloy tires
    – Metallic paint
    – Electric lifting sliding roof of crystal

    Find it HERE.