For 1999, Mercedes introduced the Mercedes-Benz CLR, a sports car built to the Le Mans Grand Touring Prototype (LMGTP) regulations.

[10] However, Mercedes saw success elsewhere, with a burgeoning touring car program in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft, where the 190 E and its Evolution I and II siblings were climbing up the ranks.

[8][14] The McLaren F1 GTR was the dominant car in this series, and in order to defeat it fellow German marque Porsche built a dedicated racecar,[15][16] the 911 GT1.

[27] The engine (which also served as a stressed member) was mounted amidships behind the driver, with power being sent to the rear wheels via a 6-speed sequential manual transmission, giving the car a 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) time of 3.8 seconds.

[4][27] The front and rear suspension were identical, consisting of double wishbones, with pull-rod actuated coil springs with adjustable shocks.

[29][27][28] Still, the pace of the car was promising, and after intense development over the summer break, Mercedes would score their first 1-2 finish at the 1997 FIA GT Nürburgring 4 Hours with Schneider and Klaus Ludwig taking the win.

[27][21] Mercedes opted not to enter that year's 24 Hours of Le Mans, as AMG understood that the V12 in the CLK GTR was better tailored to the 4-hour sprints of the FIA GT Championship rather than the 24-hour gruel of the Circuit de la Sarthe.

In a similar fashion to the Porsche 911 GT1 in 1996, only a singular road car was completed in 1997 and was shown in that year's Frankfurt Motor Show.

[19][30] Many components of the road car were lifted directly from the racecar, including the suspension, the sequential transmission, and the carbon-fibre monocoque.

[21] Mercedes decided not to modify the CLK GTR to comply with United States safety regulations, and all examples imported to the U.S. were under Show or Display exemptions.

[41][28] When the first production run of 20 CLK GTR coupés ended in 1999,[42] one roadster was also produced and held onto by AMG until 2002, when it was purchased by Mark Johnston.

[43] Johnston attempted to sue DaimlerChrysler in 2006, claiming that when he had taken it for a test drive with a customer, the oil gauge lit up and the transmission promptly failed.

[46][49] Another was painted dark silver with a purple interior, for the Sultan of Brunei, and was sold to Indian businessman Vijay Mallya in 2009.

[33] Three other chassis later received the E73 engine and SuperSport package, with the later models having higher power figures at 711 hp (721 PS; 530 kW).

[55] Along with its GT1 siblings, the Porsche 911 GT1 and McLaren F1 GTR, the trio were known as the "holy trinity" of Group GT1, and formed what several publications deemed a "golden era" or "pinnacle" of 90s sportscar racing.