Porsche Carrera GT: Racing Legacy

No fancy transmission, no turbo, no all-wheel drive, no gimmicks. What happy buyers of a Carrera GT got were wheels, a carbon chassis, a manual gearbox and a V10… with pedigree. Because precisely, the story of this model begins around a Formula 1 engine.

After experiencing success in Formula 1 with McLaren (3 driver’s titles and 2 constructor’s titles), Porsche withdrew from the discipline at the end of the 1987 season. The company returned in 1991 with a V12 developed by the legendary engineer Hans Megger. This block, baptized 3512, is essentially an assembly of two V6s and will prove to be heavier, less powerful and much less reliable than the competition…

The team that used it, Footwork Arrows, threw in the towel after only 6 Grands Prix and started racing again with a V8 Cosworth DFR. Porsche will officially leave F1 at the end of the season never to return…at least until now. But not without having previously completed the development of a new V10.

A few small turns and then goes away…

If there is one discipline where the Stuttgart brand excels, it is in Endurance. It won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1996 and 1997 with the WSC-95 and in 1998 with the 911 GT1. It decided to design a new generation to meet LMP (Le Mans Prototype) regulations and which should be ready for the 2000 season. years before.

The engine is thoroughly revised and adapted for endurance. The engine capacity increases from 3.5 to 5.5 litres. It then develops 680 horsepower and is capable of taking 10,000 rpm. A new carbon fiber gearbox and chassis are designed with the help of the Lola team. Secret tests are conducted on the Weissach track with drivers Alan McNish and Bob Wolleck. The first turns of the wheel seem conclusive but, a few days later, the project is simply canceled and Porsche will act for years as if it had never existed.

The decision comes from Wendelin Wiedeking, the boss of Porsche. It is rumored that it was at the request of the CEO of Volkswagen, Ferdinand Piëch, who did not look favorably on a competitor to his Audi R8 (5 times victorious in the Sarthe). The reality is that the funds for the 9R3 (or LMP2000) project have been reallocated for the development of the Cayenne, which is to be launched for the 2003 vintage and which is a crucial model for the manufacturer’s survival (the future will give ample reason in Wiedeking). Ampferer will confirm this in an interview with the magazine Total 911 in 2019.

On the other hand, it is the same Wiedeking who observes the effervescence in the segment of supercars and asks Ampferer to design, around this engine, a concept vehicle capable of competing with Ferrari.

Come on children!

The engineers then created a monocoque chassis entirely in carbon fiber, which was still a rarity at the time. The V10 is reworked and is suitable for road use. As for the style, it is signed by the American Jason Hill (who now works at the manufacturer of solar electric vehicles Aptera).

On the morning of September 28, 2000, it was in the rain that double world rally champion Walter Röhrl drove the Carrera GT concept onto the Place de l’Etoile, escorted by motorcyclists (he also took part in the development of the frame). The vehicle is about to be one of the stars of the Paris Motor Show. And indeed, to the great surprise of Porsche, it was a huge success and the brand even received firm orders.

At first, Wiedeking did not really believe in the financial viability of a production Carrera GT. But as the months go by, customers continue to show interest. It was not until January 8, 2002, during the Detroit Auto Show, that Porsche officially announced the start of production of its supercar for the 2004 vintage.

The game of 7 errors

Since the Paris Salon, the engineers have not been idle. Because bringing a concept vehicle to series production is not easy. Many standards must be respected (pollution, noise, impact) and the quality of the final product must be ensured. When comparing the technical characteristics of the prototype and the production model, there are subtle differences on paper but major in terms of engineering.

(Source: Porsche)

The wheelbase is extended by 30 millimeters for better habitability. Then, the engineers managed to lower the car by almost 30 millimeters, which is no small feat (we’ll come back to this). The weight is increased by almost 10%, which has meant, in order to maintain the initial performance figures, to increase the displacement of the engine from 5.5 to 5.7 liters.

The exterior styling is finalized by Harm Lagaay, Porsche’s design director from 1989 to 2004. The Cd is only 0.39 and the rear wing deploys 160 mm above 120 km/h and can be controlled manually. The interior is substantially revised as analog dials replace the concept’s digital screen. Finally, Porsche managed the feat of sticking very closely to its initial design. As they say: thing promised, thing due!

Obsessive precision

The chassis is almost entirely in carbon fiber (made by the company ATR). The set weighs only 100 kilos and is extremely rigid. But the piece de resistance is obviously the V10. Like real race cars, it is a load-bearing part of the chassis and uses dry sump lubrication calibrated to take 2.5g of lateral acceleration. Forged crankshaft and titanium connecting rods complete the package for a weight of only 214 kilos. The 6-speed manual gearbox is mated to a clutch comprising, for the first time at Porsche, carbon fiber and silicon carbide friction discs. By using two discs of only 169 mm in diameter, the engineers have succeeded in creating a very compact unit, allowing the engine to be lowered, and therefore the center of gravity, and improving aerodynamics.

Always from the competition, the suspension is with pushrods on the 4 wheels and the 15-inch brakes use carbon-ceramic. Surprisingly, for the woman who is sometimes nicknamed “the last supercar analog”, the Carrera GT offers anti-lock braking and traction control (can be deactivated, anyway…). The rims are magnesium.

Inside, carbon (seat shell), magnesium (central console), aluminum and leather dominate. The gear lever end cap is in laminated birch, reminiscent of the 917s that won the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans. Standard equipment includes air conditioning, satellite navigation and a Bose audio system. A set of 5 custom luggage matching the color of the car is also provided. The removable roof can be installed under the front bonnet, where it is held in place by two leather straps.

find the limit

The final version of the Carrera GT was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2003. At that time, Porsche planned a limited production run of just 1,500 units. The manufacture of the cars began at the beginning of 2004 in the new factory in Leipzig, on a chain parallel to that of the Cayenne.

The reception from the press was obviously enthusiastic. The lyrical flights of the engine, the phenomenal handling, the violent braking and the preserved comfort are unanimous. The hard-to-measure clutch (the problem will be corrected during production) and the brutal character at the limit are less appreciated.

In the 2005 edition of Car guide, we can read: “On the track, the Carrera GT is a car very sensitive to the slightest stress, the chassis is perfectly balanced but the transition between a car stuck to the road and a car sliding is done with almost instantaneous speed. specific to a racing car. » You have been warned! The car is offered at 440,000 USD. In Canada, it is priceless. It is the exchange rate with the American dollar in force at the time of the order that is authentic.

The Carrera GT will know only minor evolutions during its career… which will stop on May 6, 2006 after only 1,270 copies have been built. Porsche will justify this decision with new airbag standards in the United States. But it is also possible that the very entire behavior of the machine has deterred some show-offs (and they will be right, several Carrera GTs will be involved in serious accidents, including the one that led to the death of actor Paul Walker).

We should also not forget the serious competition from other supercars offered at the same time: Mercedes McLaren SLR, Ferrari Enzo and Ford GT.

A little more than half of the production will be found in North America (644 copies in the United States and 31 in Canada). If Porsche did not fill its order books at the time, the Carrera GT quickly became a legendary machine. Today, a beautiful model costs between 1.5 and 2 million US dollars. Just back things up!

To have also: Test of the Porsche 911 Dakar 2023