Porsche Carrera GT

 

The Carrera GT was Porsche's ultimate supercar from the mid 2000s. It is also one of the last fully analog supercars ever made. It was produced from 2004 to 2006 and is powered by a mid-engine, naturally-aspirated 5.7-liter V10, which was initially developed for Formula 1 and Le Mans prototype racing, with 603 horsepower and 435 lb-ft of torque paired to a six-speed manual gearbox. It launches from zero to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and is capable of a top speed of 205 mph. Notable features of the Carrera GT include a carbon fiber monocoque chassis and subframe, an electronically-operated rear wing, carbon ceramic brakes, a leather-trimmed interior, a front trunk, center-lock wheels, and hidden storage compartments in the doors and engine bay. Its roof can be removed; however, there are two panels that must be removed manually and stowed in the front trunk in a specific way. The center-lock wheels on the Carrera GT are color-coordinated, with the lugnuts on the driver-side wheels being red and the lugnuts on the passenger-side wheels being blue. The ignition is placed on the left of the steering wheel, while the shift knob is directly to the right of the steering wheel. This setup is inspired by that of race cars, and the shift knob in most Carrera GTs is wooden as a tribute to the 917K race car. It was offered with five color options from the factory: silver, gray, black, red, and yellow, with a few custom colors available as well.

Roughly 1,200 Carrera GTs were ever made, with values currently ranging from around $700,000 to over $1 million. I remember seeing a total of six or seven Carrera GTs in recent memory, including the three in this post and an additional example to make it four within the span of a month. The first example is painted in a bright green that was not available on the Carrera GT from the factory and part of a collection of vehicles owned by a popular automotive YouTube channel known as Daily Driven Exotics. The second example is completely stock, with both of the first two examples on display at this year's Exotics on Broadway in Monterey three months ago. I saw a third example in Monterey when I was there for Exotics on Broadway, except it was inside the showroom of a nearby Porsche dealer and I was unable to get any photos or good video footage of it, which wasn't a big deal. The fourth example is currently for sale at my local Audi/Porsche dealer, and I saw it in person for the first time at an event it was holding back in September. 

In all, the Porsche Carrera GT is a fascinating and incredible supercar that has become a worthy classic. This is especially the case since automakers aren't producing analog sports cars and supercars like the Carrera GT anymore. In addition, it is one of the coolest and greatest Porsche models of all time, and I am lucky to have seen as many Carrera GTs as I have in recent years.

Give the gift of CPF apparel this holiday season (sample pictured below): CPF Store