I have lately been watching/reading about super/hyper cars. They are all quite incredible. Most of them are also quite paradoxical, as they are so expensive and/or rare that their value (for most owners) precludes them from being driven. It seems many owners opt to enjoy them on exclusive closed courses, with the minority accepting the risks associated with public roads or proper motorsport contexts. I don't blame the cautious majority. You have to have some serious F-off money, or a serious don't-give-a-F attitude to drive these things as they were intended, especially when the car is exceptionally rare. This video is a heck of an example. Not a full-blown public road, but a far cry from a manicured racetrack. The inconsistent road surface and risk of wildlife or tree limb interference makes this a pretty wild ride; especially for a car of this rarity and value. The owner is admirable, though also undoubtedly filthy rich (good for him).

That ride had to be a blast for his passenger, too!

The owner definitely has "I don't care" kind of money.

For a hypercar, it sounded kind of rough. Early 2000s?

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For a hypercar, it sounded kind of rough. Early 2000s?

Late nineties. The straight-cut gears in the transmission lend much to the raw soundtrack.

Also, I am of the understanding that a lot of these sort of cars are actually wearing quite old tires. They don't get driven much, so the owners don't perceive wear, and replacements are often wildly expensive. The old tires harden, and contribute to a rough ride.

I've read that the CLK-GTR was notoriously unreliable & typically not a pleasant ownership experience. Even if it's a very good looking car, IMO.

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Even if it's a very good looking car, IMO.

Agreed. They look stinkin' badass. I remember not caring for the looks, when I was first introduced to it, years ago, in a Forza video game. My tastes have since changed, and I think it's rad. I am, however, ALWAYS more partial to a fixed roof or targa-style, rather than a convertible, roadster, or "spyder".

Then there was this at LeMans 1999
Twice in 1 weekend IIRC.

Good lord. Incredible. I have gotten the impression, from my recent watching/reading, that aerodynamics have seen a HUGE improvement in a relatively small and recent timeframe. No doubt due to technology.

There is no way that aero design flaw would have gone unnoticed, in today's design process.

Also, I suppose it should be noted that this particular car may defy classification as a super or hyper car, as it's a homologation car. I don't know if homologation cars fall into the super and hyper categories or not.

And one more thing, concerning rarity and value: It seems that many manufacturers still offer support for these cars. This support would come at a large expense, of course, but it seems that, so long as you don't total it, things can be fixed. A repair would likely hurt value, but the manufacturer would likely be able to offer other services to the vehicle at the same time.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: KSGM,