i have covered plenty of flashy supercars, but few stories collide with law enforcement, global crime allegations, and collector-car mythology like the seizure of a 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Seized Roadster. In late November 2025, the FBI publicized images of an ultra-rare CLK GTR being taken as part of an investigation tied to fugitive Ryan Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder now accused of running a major drug-trafficking operation.
This article explains what was seized, why the CLK GTR Roadster is so valuable, how federal asset seizure works in cases like this, and what realistic outcomes look like for the car, the market, and the public narrative that follows.
The Seizure in Plain Terms
In November 2025, federal authorities seized a 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Roadster that has been widely reported as valued around $13 million. The seizure was linked to an ongoing FBI case and manhunt connected to Ryan Wedding. Multiple outlets reported that the FBI’s Los Angeles division publicized the seizure, and news coverage framed it as a high-profile asset tied to the alleged criminal network under investigation.
ABC7 reported the car seizure as part of a broader effort to locate Wedding, describing the vehicle as one of only six Roadsters built and connecting it to the continuing hunt and reward.
What Exactly Is a 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Seized Roadster?
The name “CLK GTR” sounds like a trim level until you realize it is basically a race car that escaped the pit lane.
A Race Program That Created a Road Car
The CLK GTR originated as a late-1990s GT racing machine. To satisfy homologation expectations for its racing category, Mercedes produced road-going versions. That lineage is why the car feels more like motorsport equipment with license plates than a conventional exotic.
Why “Roadster” Changes Everything
Most people who know the CLK GTR picture the coupe. The Roadster is rarer. Car and Driver notes that only six 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Seized Roadsters were built, which is the figure echoed across coverage of the seizure.
When you combine “single-digit production” with “halo Mercedes” and “race-derived engineering,” you get a car that lives in the same psychological category as museum pieces, not weekend toys.
Why the Car Is Reported Around $13 Million
Prices at this level are less like window stickers and more like a weather system: they form from rarity, provenance, market cycles, and the story attached to a chassis.
Rarity Sets the Floor
With six Roadsters widely cited, there are simply not enough cars for normal price discovery. One serious collector deciding they must have the car can reset the market.
The Hypercar Collecting Era Sets the Ceiling
The last decade turned limited-run 1990s and early-2000s homologation specials into blue-chip assets. That broader trend helps explain why headlines land in eight figures when something like a CLK GTR surfaces.
The “Public Case” Effect Can Cut Both Ways
A seizure tied to criminal allegations can increase visibility while also complicating desirability. Some buyers avoid anything that might carry legal or reputational shadows. Others treat the moment as part of the car’s history, the way certain famous race cars are remembered as much for drama as for lap times.
Road and Track and MotorTrend both framed the seized Roadster as an ultra-rare car worth roughly $13 million, underscoring how consistently that valuation has been repeated across mainstream automotive coverage.
Who Is Ryan Wedding in This Story?
Coverage consistently identifies Ryan Wedding as a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder who is now accused of major criminal activity and is the subject of an FBI manhunt. Car and Driver reports allegations that his operation moved massive quantities of cocaine annually and generated extraordinary sums, and that the CLK GTR Roadster was seized in connection with him.
Because this case remains a law-enforcement matter, it is important to separate what has been alleged from what has been proven in court. News reporting has been careful to attribute the claims to investigators and indictments, not to present them as resolved facts.
How Federal Seizure Works for High-Value Assets
When federal agencies seize property, it is typically tied to allegations that the asset is proceeds of crime, was used to facilitate a crime, or is otherwise forfeitable under applicable law. In practice, a few realities shape what happens next.
Seizure Is Not the Same as Final Forfeiture
A seizure is the taking of custody. Forfeiture is the legal process that can permanently transfer ownership to the government. That difference matters because outcomes can change if a case evolves, charges shift, or ownership is contested.
Ownership Can Be Complicated in the Supercar World
High-end cars are often held through LLCs, trusts, and cross-border registrations. A vehicle might be titled to an entity that is not the same as the person at the center of a case. That structure can lead to legal challenges, claims by third parties, or protracted timelines.
Storage, Preservation, and Value Protection Are Real Concerns
A CLK GTR is not a Camry you park behind a chain-link fence. Any loss of documentation, improper storage, or rough handling can damage value. Hagerty’s coverage emphasized that the FBI published pictures of the seized CLK GTR, illustrating how the seizure itself became part of the public record.
Where the Car Was Seized and Why That Detail Matters
Many stories referenced the FBI’s Los Angeles division and a publicized seizure, while ABC7 connected the episode to the broader manhunt narrative.
Location can matter for three reasons:
- Jurisdiction and case venue can influence which federal court processes apply.
- Logistics affect where the vehicle is stored and who is responsible for preserving it.
- Market perception changes when the seizure is framed as part of a headline-making operation rather than a quiet forfeiture.
What Happens Next to a 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Seized?
There are only a few realistic paths, and the timeline can be long.
Scenario 1: The Government Ultimately Forfeits and Auctions the Car
This is the outcome many people assume. Road and Track suggested the seized vehicle could be auctioned, which is a common endpoint for forfeited property once legal steps are complete.
If it is auctioned, the sale could be a spectacle. Not because the car is fast, although it is, but because it is one of six and now carries one of the strangest modern provenance stories imaginable.
Scenario 2: A Third Party Challenges the Forfeiture
An entity or individual could claim legitimate ownership or argue the car should not be forfeited. These disputes can delay any sale and keep the car out of the public market for a while.
Scenario 3: A Settlement Resolves Ownership Without a Public Auction
Sometimes cases end with negotiated outcomes that do not create the kind of dramatic auction headlines enthusiasts expect.
How This Affects the Collector Car Market
The CLK GTR Roadster sits in a tiny market where perception matters almost as much as condition.
Short-Term Impact: Attention and Speculation
A seizure story injects the car into mainstream news, reaching people who had never heard of a CLK GTR. That attention can lift curiosity across the homologation segment: Porsche 911 GT1, McLaren F1-era exotics, late-1990s GT legends, and similar unicorns.
Medium-Term Impact: Provenance Becomes the Main Question
If the car is ever sold, buyers will ask:
- Was it maintained correctly during custody?
- Is documentation complete?
- Is the chain of title clean after the case concludes?
Long-Term Impact: The Car’s Story Becomes Part of Its Identity
The market has a long memory for narratives. Sometimes that hurts. Sometimes it makes the chassis unforgettable, which can translate into value if the legal status becomes fully clear.
Why the Internet Is So Obsessed With This Case
At a basic level, it is the perfect modern myth:
- a race-bred Mercedes that almost nobody can buy
- a federal investigation
- a fugitive storyline
- a price tag that sounds unreal
MotorTrend’s framing captured the shock factor: an ultra-rare CLK GTR Roadster worth about $13 million seized as part of an investigation tied to Wedding.
When the FBI releases photos, the car stops being rumor and becomes imagery. That is gasoline for social media.
The CLK GTR Roadster as a Cultural Object, Not Just a Car
Most supercars sell a fantasy of speed. The CLK GTR sells a fantasy of proximity to factory racing programs, to an era when manufacturers built barely-tamed monsters for homologation reasons and dared buyers to cope.
Now add the second layer: it has become a symbol in a story about modern law enforcement and alleged global crime networks. That is why the headline spread beyond car circles and into local news.
What Enthusiasts Should Be Careful About When Talking About This
This story is exciting, but it is also easy to exaggerate.
Avoid Treating Allegations as Final Truth
Multiple outlets describe Wedding as accused or alleged, and the case context matters.
Avoid Declaring the Car “Definitely” Going to Auction Soon
Even when forfeiture is likely, timelines can stretch. The legal system does not run on auction-calendar hype.
Avoid DIY Sleuthing That Turns Into Harassment
The internet loves identifying VINs, chassis numbers, and locations. But real people can get dragged into speculation, especially in a case that involves a public fugitive narrative.
Conclusion
The seizure of a 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Seized Roadster is not just a viral car story. It is a reminder that the rarest objects in the collector world can end up entangled in events far outside concours lawns and private garages. The car’s rarity, widely reported as six Roadsters worldwide, made it instantly headline-worthy.
What comes next depends on legal processes, not internet excitement: forfeiture decisions, potential challenges, and the practical realities of preserving a museum-grade machine in government custody. If the CLK GTR eventually returns to the market, it will arrive carrying two kinds of value at once, engineering value and narrative value. And in the modern collector economy, the story can be almost as expensive as the car.
FAQs
1. Was the seized car a coupe or a Roadster?
Reporting identifies it as a 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Roadster.
2. How rare is the CLK GTR Roadster?
Multiple reports state only six Roadsters were built.
3. Why did the FBI seize it?
Coverage links the seizure to an ongoing investigation and manhunt involving Ryan Wedding and alleged drug-trafficking activity.
4. Where was the seizure reported from?
Stories reference the FBI’s Los Angeles division publicizing the seizure, and local coverage framed it within the broader operation to locate Wedding.
5. Is the car really worth $13 million?
Major automotive outlets repeatedly cite a valuation around $13 million, reflecting rarity and the current top-end collector market.
6. Does a seizure mean the government owns the car now?
Not automatically. Seizure is custody. Permanent forfeiture typically requires a legal process that can take time and may be contested.
7. Will the seized CLK GTR be auctioned?
It is possible if forfeiture is completed. Road and Track suggested auction as an expected outcome, but timing and certainty depend on how the case proceeds.
