Porsche Carrera GT

[930fan]

Copied from www.autoweek.com

Stuttgart supercar: Porsche Carrera GT is road-going racer


By GREG KABLE


PORSCHE WILL USE NEXT month’s Geneva motor show to unveil its most powerful and advanced road car to date—the Carrera GT.

With a 205-mph top speed and stunning acceleration— 0 to 62 mph in 3.9 seconds and 0 to 124 mph in 9.9 seconds—the sleek two-seater has been developed for the road with all of Porsche’s celebrated race car experience and production car know-how combined.

“Our aim is to bring the driver of the Carrera GT as close as possible to a full-blown racetrack experience on the road,” was how one high-ranking Porsche official enthusiastically described the new car.

Stuttgart’s supercar goes on sale after its world debut at Geneva on March 4. Exact pricing is still under wraps, but Porsche confirms its road rocket will cost between $350,000 and $400,000. Prospective customers will need to be quick, though. Supply will be limited to just 1000 cars—all left-hand drive—over a planned three-year production run. This number is down from the 2000 cars Porsche officials said would be needed to make the venture profitable. Porsche North America says it has about 1000 “serious prospects” for the car.

The Carrera GT evolved out of Porsche’s aborted 2000 Le Mans challenger and is intended to thrust the spotlight back onto performance in a year when Porsche is offering its first vehicle outside the sports car ranks, the four-wheel-drive Cayenne sport/utility vehicle. Eschewing its long history of horizontally opposed six-cylinder engines for its fastest runners, the carbon fiber-bodied Carrera GT is propelled by an all-new 68-degree 5.7-liter V10 engine linked to a six-speed manual transmission.

The naturally aspirated engine produces 603 hp and 427 lb-ft of torque, enough to make the 3036-pound mid-engined rear-drive car the fastest road-going Porsche ever, Porsche claims.

Porsche says prototype versions of the car have lapped the 12.9-mile Nurburgring in less than seven minutes and 30 seconds at the hands of a test driver—almost a minute faster than the 911 Carrera and some 30 seconds faster than the previous-generation GT3.

In production trim, the Carrera GT remains faithful to the open-top concept car shown at the Paris motor show in 2000. A lightweight roof structure designed to provide all-weather capability and reduce wind buffeting at high speeds is the biggest difference.

It consists of two carbon fiber shells that stow in the car’s front luggage compartment. Other changes include larger cooling ducts in the nose and along the sides, modified headlamp and taillamp graphics, a more substantial windshield frame and sturdier rollover hoops behind the seats. The need to provide substantial downforce heavily influences the Carrera GT’s over- all shape, and requires a retract-able rear wing that deploys at speeds in excess of 75 mph.

With its Zuffenhausen plant already bursting at the seams to meet demand for the Boxster and 911, Porsche will build the Carrera GT alongside the Cayenne at its new factory in Leipzig (AW, Sept. 2, 2002). Though plans call for building just 1000 cars by 2006, suppliers say they’re being asked to tool up for a 1300-car run









The following item (from www.autosport.com) might also be of interest to enthusiasts who have missed having Porsche in top flight motorsport (Daytona win notwithstanding).

Porsche plans new motorsport programme


Porsche AG will unveil its Carrera GT 'supercar' in March at the Geneva International Motor Show. The project, which includes a range of motorsport developments such as its V10 engine, ceramic-composite braking and clutch systems and underbody aerodynamics package, has occupied Porsche's Competition Department at the expense of new motorsport programmes. Its completion releases the engineers in Weissach, Germany, for a new motorsport project, soon to be announced.

[Jim Garfield]

Thanks fan, good news on both fronts. Suddenly the day seems a little cheerier.

[Jim Richards]

I'm not sure the look of that car will enable sales. Certainly the performance will.

[Tim Walsh]

I don't know.. I really like that look.

Strange that it's a 350.. abit a V10 350 but still a 350 none the less.

[targa911man]

The Carrera GT is the first new Porsche I've been excited about in years, particularly the styling. I welcome the return to raised front fenders.

[RickM]

Two words: MegaMillion Lottery!

Love this car. Thanks for the info.

[arcsine]

It is not a SUV (re: Cayenne),
The styling is interesting at least (re: 996, Boxster)
It is a true Porsche sports car,

I am glad they are making it.

[Jack Olsen]

It seems you either like it or hate it, from a styling point of view. I'm in the hate it camp, but...

...who cares about looks when a car performs like this one!

And that Porsche is actually considering diverting some of their industry-record profits into racing is also great news!

[Deeks]

This will show all those traditionalists who think Porsche has gone down the pan, that Stuttgart still mean business. Although management says that they're not going racing with it (I'm hoping this is a bluff), I reckon the factory will be racing them at Le Mans by 2004/5 - and if not then I'm sure there will be plenty of privateers interested !!!!!

The new 2003 996 GT3 is the first production car EVER, to lap the Nurburgring in under 8 minutes (I think 7:58). Under testing the Carrera GT has smashed this time and done it in 7:30 minutes

Who said that Porsche doesn't produce true sports cars anymore?

[masraum]

It was ok when they first released the pics, but I really like the current version with the roof panels in place. And if the sound is anything like the sound on the website, then I'm sold. The sound will send chills down your spine. I think the Carrera GT and the Enzo are Fantastic!!
Of course so is a 288GTO, RSR, and a 917.

[ZAMIRZ]

Originally posted by masraum
It was ok when they first released the pics, but I really like the current version with the roof panels in place. And if the sound is anything like the sound on the website, then I'm sold. The sound will send chills down your spine. I think the Carrera GT and the Enzo are Fantastic!!
Of course so is a 288GTO, RSR, and a 917.

Word. It definitely looks a hundred percent better with those roof panels in place, I like this car a lot!

[Wrecked944]

Two words: Twin Turbo. We all know Porsche loves to build normally aspirated cars and then turbocharge the hell out of them. Wait till this puppy gets blown. The beast will probably bend time/space...

[old_skul]

I'd like to point out....

old_skul


LOOOOOOOOOL

[Jim Garfield]

Good one Mark

[stealthn]

Classic,

I like the car, but how will it hold up to the new V16 1050hp Cadillac

[poobala]

a V from Porsche just isn't right , the same reason stuffing a small block in the back of a 911 isn't right , 10 cylinder 5.7 liter boxer now that sounds cool.

[Emission]

I think it looks better with the roof in place.

The performance is impressive.

[Eric Coffey]

Mark-

ROFLMAO!!

ALthough, please tell me that it is still going to be a true open-top car, and that those two roof panels aren't done in Trans-Am "T-top" style with the cross-brace in the middle!!

[930fan]

Originally posted by old_skul
I'd like to point out....

ROTFLMFAO!

Eric, it will be a true open top. No T bar in the middle.

Although I love the thing, 3 things slightly disappoint me about the car:

1. Its overweight. The Ferrari F40 weighed 2420lbs and was only a part carbon chassis. The McLaren F1 also weighs around 2500 lbs and seats three. 3000+ is a bit porky eventhough the GT probably has more safety equipment.

2. I would have liked to see the new twin clutch paddle shift gearbox offered. Porsche says they kept the manual for the ultimate driver experience but at this market level, a fancy gearbox should be an option at least.

3. More Power! 612 bhp is just average for this class of car. The Enzo has 660 bhp, the Mclaren has 627 bhp, te new Merc supercar will be around 600 bhp. I think Porsche should have targeted 700 bhp to upstage the Enzo. The new Bugatti will be the king though..... 1000bhp from a quad turbo 8.0 V16 though it won't be a pure sports car like the Carrera GT and more of hyper-GT.

However, a sub 7m 30s Nurburgring lap time is just amazing so I guess Porsche is thinking it is light enough, powerful enough and has a perfectly acceptable gearbox!