Porsche Carrera GT (2004 - 2006)
BY ANDY ENRIGHT
* Introduction Porsche is a company that values its traditions and its independence yet when that independence was threatened in the nineties, it reverted to type, attempting to prove itself in competition. The result, through a convoluted series of events, was the Porsche Carrera GT road car and its possibly the most unadulterated hypercar weve ever seen. Everything about it was nirvana for the purist, from the mid-mounted engine to the lack of electronic intervention. Only built for two years, the Carrera GT remains the pinnacle of Porsches roadgoing achievements.
Heres how to net a used example.
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The V10 engine is mounted centrally in the car and well snuggled down for a low centre of gravity and ideal weight distribution. The fuel tank sits alongside the engine in order to keep reduce weight in the nose and tail. Drive is directed to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. Porsche rejected the idea of a two-pedal paddle shift system early on in the Carrera GT design cycle, insisting that the target market would prefer instead the more tactile pleasures of a conventional gearbox.
Theyre probably right too. Of course, deploying all that power becomes a quandary in itself. A combination of the 590NM torque figure and the huge 335-series 20-inch tyres at the back put a massive strain on the clutch, so Porsche has developed the Porsche Ceramic Composite Clutch (PCCC). Essentially a two-plate dry clutch, PCCC offers outstanding durability and a rotating mass approximately 10 times lighter than on a conventional clutch.
The result is a more immediate throttle response and a reduction in load on the otherwise vulnerable synchromesh. Pedal weight and travel are specially configured for a more intuitive and comfortable drive although owners claim that first gear hill starts can be tricky. Most use no gas and just juggle brake and clutch. Porsche recommends a second gear start on the straight and level.
As well as PCCC, the Carrera GT also uses Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB). These lightweight ceramic composite brake discs halve the weight and last longer than steel discs and also minimise braking distances in even the most extreme road and track scenarios. Whats more, theyre also completely immune to winter road salt and offer improved wet weather performance. Make no mistake, the Carrera GT stops even better than it goes.
The Carrera GTs magnesium wheels are typical of the attention to detail that Porsche has lavished on this flagship sports model. A revolutionary forging process was developed in order to manufacture them, reducing unsprung weight. By keeping wheel momentum to a minimum as the suspension compresses and rebounds, it is possible to maintain greater contact between road and tyre and thus maximise traction under acceleration, cornering and braking. Another important benefit is the added structural density - and therefore durability - that is imparted by the forging process.
Other features that betray Porsches attention to detail include a two-piece carbon fibre hood that weighs in at just 4.8kg and lightweight seats available in two width fittings made of carbon fibre and Kevlar wrapped in leather. Two 100-watt BOSE amplifiers power the stereo system, all of which has been designed with the Carrera GT ethos in mind, namely maximum performance from minimum weight. The styling isnt as surgically clean as most Porsches weve seen of late, but its certainly purposeful, the 46-inch height only serving to accentuate the huge width.
At the front, the headlights are reminiscent of the legendary Porsche 917 the companys first outright winner at Le Mans. The gargantuan air intakes on the flanks ensure optimum cooling whilst the integrated wing at the back is combined with an underbody diffuser featuring vertical fins. This sucks the car ever harder to the tarmac the faster it travels.
Bottom book for a Carrera GT is around £185,000 although these will be higher mileage examples. Most will be pitched at around £225,000 with later models nudging towards £275,000 with some very optimistic sellers asking £300,000 and hoping for the best. Buying left hand drive on the continent will not net any realistic savings at present. Used values for the Carrera GT are now steadying after production has finished.
The Carrera GT is a specialist thing and although it is more capable of higher mileages than many of its direct rivals, anything much over 2,000 miles per year will start to erode valuations. Its also very colour sensitive. Red and grey cars tend to fetch a little less than black, with yellow and silver remaining the prized hues. Check for resprays work, accident damage and scoring to the cars carbon disc brakes caused by a possible excursion into a gravel trap.
Clutches on early cars can be a problem, especially if the car has been subjected to city traffic. The Carrera GT doesnt like to be left dormant for more than a week, as the car will default to a sleep mode. Many owners keep the battery topped up with a trickle charger as a result. Look for bodywork damage, irregular panel fit and non-standard alloy wheels.
(Estimated prices, based on a 2004 Carrera GT) Consumables for a Carrera GT run to around £25 for an air filter, £9 for each spark plug, and £20 for a fuel filter. Thats the good news. The bad news is that a clutch is around £4,000 to supply and fit and a conversion from left to right hand drive will tot up to around £18,000.
Those of you who keep tabs on the Weissach company may remember the 544bhp 911 GT1, a race car for the road that was sold in limited numbers in 1997, but the Carrera GT is a far more sophisticated beast. Evidence of that can be found as soon as you hear the engine fire into life. Unlike the 911 GT1, this one replaces the breathy 3.2-litre flat-six sound with the fractious chatter of a 5.
7-litre V10, tuned to generate a devastating 612bhp at 8,000rpm. This opens up a whole new dimension of road car performance for Porsche, and catapults the Carrera GT into the realm of hypercars such as the McLaren F1, the Ferrari Enzo and the Pagani Zonda C12S. That means crushing performance, with a sprint to 60mph taking a mere 3.8 seconds and a top speed of over 205mph.
A truer demonstration of its capability is the fact that it will reach 124mph (200km/h) in less than 10 seconds. The Carrera GT is very correct in its handling, steering and throttle responses, braking and roadholding right up to its dizzyingly high limits whereupon its a bit of a handful, its propensity to oversteer on a trailing throttle requiring fast hands. This is no more or less than youd expect of such a focused mid-engined car riding on huge tyres but unlike many more sanitised performance cars, the Carrera GT will not mollycoddle its driver.
Now seems to be a very good time to buy a Porsche Carrera GT. Values are as low as theyre likely to get (in real terms) and the image of this car can only improve when viewed with the benefit of hindsight. With over 1,200 in circulation, you should be presented with some choice so be fussy but dont hang on too long if you want to take advantage of a soft market.
