SEARCH

    Select Website Language

    GDPR Compliance

    We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, Privacy Policies, and Terms of Service.

    FBI Seizes Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Valued at $13 Million

    2 weeks ago

    I’ve read about some pretty crazy raids where the government swoops in and seizes all kinds of high-dollar assets, but this one might take the cake. The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation is the proud new caretaker of a 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Roadster valued at $13 million. It was commandeered as part of what the FBI is calling Operation Giant Slalom, an investigation into former Olympian and current top-10 fugitive Ryan Wedding. What the feds will do with such a car is anyone’s guess. You might remember the CLK GTR as the homologation special that enabled Mercedes and AMG to go racing at Le Mans back in the day. While images of the race car bombing down La Sarthe are burned into my brain, most of these road-going versions were squirreled away by collectors. Mercedes only made 28 of them in total, from what I can find: 20 coupes, six roadsters, and two prototypes. This being a roofless example, it’s arguably worth more than any still in existence. Under the CLK GTR’s lid is a mid-mounted, 6.0-liter V12 that sends power to the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential. That engine was rated at just shy of 600 horsepower while spinning 7,000 rpm, which sounds glorious. Give it a listen: Anywho, the FBI seized the CLK GTR from the Wedding organization, which involves a huge network of individuals believed to assist the Canadian former snowboarder in drug trafficking as well as money laundering. Wedding is believed to be hiding in Mexico, and Washington D.C. officials have compared him to the likes of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman and Pablo Escobar. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said, “He controls one of the most prolific and violent drug-trafficking organizations in this world.” It’s reported that Wedding’s multinational operation has been responsible for $1 billion in illegal drug proceeds annually. That makes a $13 million collector car a drop in the bucket. Time will tell what the feds decide to do with the CLK GTR, but with the way everything is going, you could probably find out by watching a few white-collar crime movies to see what trope usually comes next. Seriously. This is nuts. Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@thedrive.com From running point on new car launch coverage to editing long-form features and reviews, Caleb does some of everything at The Drive. And he really, really loves trucks.
    Click here to Read More
    Previous Article
    Desperate F1 Fans Found a Legal Way to Stream the Vegas GP for Free
    Next Article
    20% off Koni Shocks and More: Summit Racing’s Got Early Black Friday Deals for Quality Car Mods

    Related USA News Updates:

    Comments (0)

      Leave a Comment