FAST: Porsche Carrera GT

Introduction
If you ask a random kid on the street to mention some sportscar brands, sure
enough, Porsche will be named more than once. However Porsche never really had
a sportscar that was over the top, so to speak. Sure, we have the 911 —
add GT3 to the name and you’ve got a pretty neat machine. But, compared
to a McLaren F1, Ferarri Enzo or other asphalt ripping machines Porsche was missing
something. Well, the Germans filled the gap and introduced a supercar extraordinaire:
the Porsche Carrera GT.



Design
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche is undoubtedly one of the most famous car engineer
and designer of the last century. From the Volkswagen Beetle to the Porsche
356, the man delivered some designs that have become classics. The Germans are
wellknown for their superior engineering. If you buy a Porsche – you have reliability,
quality and performance all in one. The Carrera GT looks like a Porsche. Fortunately
the designers didn’t try to come up with some fancy weird sportscar concept
(i.e. something like a Pagani Zonda, or even more odd). It’s a Porsche,
no doubt. This design has elegance yet also stresses performance — with
its large air entrances and aggressive looking front and tail lights. A nice
detail are the curved body parts behind the seats, nicely flowing into the rear
of the car.
The good thing about a Porsche sportscar: it’s a usable machine. It’s
designed as a roadster, but the rollover hoops are glazed, and a pair of carbon-fibre
panels from the front boot complete the roof, making a well-sealed coupé
and freeing up a small amount of luggage space (who needs that anyway?) Overall
the Porsche Carrera GT just looks good. Sure, it hasn’t got some of the
fancy (or odd) details some other sportscar in this segment have, but Porsche
engineers are clever and produced an elegant final product. The only downside
is that it probably could’ve used a bit more spark in the design. Yet,
I don’t think potential Carrera GT owners are looking for fancy.
Designer: Harm Lagaay
Facts & Figures
- Acceleration: 0-100km/h (0-60mph) 3.8 sec.
- 1/4 Mile: 11 sec. (130mph)
- Speed: 330 km/h (205 mph)
- Engine: 5.7 liter, V10 68 degrees
- Power: 612 bhp at 8000 rpm
- Torque: 590 Nm at 5750 rpm
This item was posted by Monday, April 19th, 2004.
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