Porsche Carrera GT
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Porsche Carrera GT | |
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| Manufacturer | Porsche |
| Production | 2004–-2006 |
| Predecessor | Porsche 959 |
| Class | Supercar / Ultracar |
| Body style | 2-door roadster |
| Platform | mid-engine RWD |
| Engine | 5.7 L V10 |
| Similar | Enzo Ferrari Koenigsegg CCX Lamborghini Murciélago Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Pagani Zonda McLaren F1 |
The Porsche Carrera GT is a supercar, manufactured by Porsche of Germany.
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[edit] History
The Carrera GT's development can be traced back to a Porsche successor to the 911 GT1-98 and LMP1-98 racing cars that had ended after the 1998, partially due to FIA and ACO rule changes. Porsche at the time had planned on a new Le Mans prototype for 1999. The car, initially destined to continue using a turbocharged flat-6 was later redesigned to use a new V10 engine, pushing the project back to planned competition in 2000. The V10 engine was a unit secretly built by Porsche for the Footwork Formula One team in 1992, but later shelved. The engine was resurrected for the Le Mans prototype and increased in size to 5.5 litres. Unfortunately the project was cancelled shortly before the first car could be completed in the middle of 1999, mostly due to Porsche's wish to build the Cayenne SUV with involvement from Volkswagen and Audi, thus requiring engineering expertise to be pulled from the motorsports division. It was also speculated that VW-Audi chairman Ferdinand Piëch wanted Audi's new Le mans Prototype, the Audi R8 to not face competition from Porsche in 2000.
Porsche did however keep part of the project alive by using the 5.7L V10 from the prototype in a concept car shown at the 2000 Geneva Motor Show, mainly in an attempt to draw attention to their display. Surprising interest in the vehicle and an influx of revenue being provided by the Cayenne helped Porsche decide to make use of the car, and development started on a road-legal version that would be produced in small numbers at Porsche's new manufacturing facility in Leipzig. Porsche started a production run of Carrera GTs in 2004, shipping the units with an MSRP of $440,000 USD and a dealer invoice price of approximately $414,800 USD. In addition, the delivery charge could be as much as $15,000 USD. The first Carrera GT went on sale in the US on Jan 31, 2004.
Originally, a production run of 1,500 cars was slated. But Porsche announced in August, 2005 that it would not continue production of the Carrera GT throughout 2006. Porsche announced that this discontinuation was due to changing airbag regulations in the US. However, reports of diminishing sales volumes, relatively high dealer inventory levels, and dealer discounts below MSRP were reported by the automotive press as being the true factors driving an early end to the production run[citation needed]. Despite the early end to production, sales of the Carrera GT were a huge success, with worldwide sales volumes surpassing the combined totals of Ferrari's Enzo Ferrari, Mercedes' SLR McLaren, and Pagani's Zonda models[1].
As of May 6, 2006, 1,270 GT's had been sold, with 604 being sold in the United States[2].
[edit] Design
The Carrera GT is powered by an all-new 5.7 litre V10 engine producing 612 DIN (605 SAE) horsepower (450 kW) whereas the original concept car featured a 5.5 litre version rated at 558 hp (416 kW). Porsche claims it will accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62.5 mph) in 3.9 seconds and has a maximum speed of 330 km/h (205 mph), although road tests indicated that in reality the car could accelerate from 0-60 in under 3.5 seconds and 0-100 in 6.8 seconds and has a top speed of 336-346 km/h (209-215.2 mph). The Carrera GT has a basic 5 colour paint schemes which include: Guards Red, Fayence Yellow, Basalt Black, GT Silver and Seal Grey. Custom colors were also available from the factory. A traditional six-speed manual transmission is the only available transmission, in contrast to its rival the Enzo Ferrari which is only offered with a computer actuated paddle shifted manual gearbox. Attached to this gearbox is a birch/ash gearknob which pays homage to the wooden gearknob used in the Porsche 917 Le Mans racers. With the Enzo Ferrari priced initially around $660,000, the Carrera GT base price of $448,400 makes the dream of owning a piece of Le Mans inspired technology somewhat more attainable. The Carrera GT is also priced at $600,000 in Canadian dollars, and at 390,000 in Euros.
The Carrera GT has large side inlets and airdams that help cool the large V-10 that lies framed by the carbon fibre rear hood. Fitted with Porsche's latest brake system, the 15 inch ceramic pad brakes make a stunning appearance underneath the 19 inch front and 20 inch rear tires. Similar to other Porsche Models, the GT includes an automated rear wing spoiler which deploys in the higher ranges of speed (70 mph).
[edit] Technology
Technology of note includes a pure carbon fibre monocoque and subframe, dry sump lubrication and inboard suspension. The carbon fibre monocoque and subframe were produced and assembled by the ATR Composites Group of Italy. The main innovation on this vehicle however is the drivetrain:
The Carrera GT uses a clutch made of a high-tech ceramic material. This is the first appearance of this race car technology in a road car. The clutch, although difficult to master, allows the engine to sit lower in the chassis than in any other super car, both improving its aerodynamics and lowering its center of gravity. Additionally, the engineers successfully avoided the use of a flywheel, which would represent a mass damper stabilizing the engine running, by using a hollow shaft that acts as a torsional damper between clutch and gearbox. Getting rid of the flywheel results in a very direct and quick engine response, as well as freeing up engine power under acceleration that would ordinarily be consumed by spinning up the flywheel.
Despite a seemingly difficult clutch, Porsche incorporated computer management of the clutch when the car is on an incline. Drivers are able to lift completely off the clutch and not stall the car. [3]
The interior is of nice but firm leather. BOSE audio system and navigation systems are available as options. In typical Porsche fashion, the ignition is to the left of the steering wheel. This harkens back to the early days of Le Mans when drivers were required to have a running start, hop into their cars, start them and begin the race.. This was so that the driver could start the car with his left hand and put it in gear with his right.
Unlike some of its rivals, the Carrera GT does not use the same electronic driving aids such as dynamic stability control, but it does have traction control.
Porsche claims over 75 technology patents have been filed from development of the Carrera GT.
[edit] Previous Carrera GTs
The 2004-2006 supercar was the third Porsche model to bear the name “Carrera GT”.
The first was a homologation special based on the Porsche 356. Built in 1960 and 1961 it was equipped with 4 cam flat four Carrera engine with an output of 141bhp and used many bespoke body pieces, such as aluminium panels and Plexiglas windows to save weight. It was built in very limited numbers, often thought to be between 30 and 40 cars.
The second Carrera GT was based on the 924 coupe, and was also a homologation special, commissioned to allow the company to enter a version in the Le Mans 24hour race. Porsche built approximately 406 924 Carrera GT’s in 1981, which were equipped with a 210bhp turbocharged and intercooled version of the924s standard 1984cc inline four.
[edit] Gallery
 Porsche Carrera GT - Front |
 Porsche Carrera GT - Rear |
 Porsche Carrera GT Interior - Note placement of the gear selector immediately adjacent to the steering wheel |
[edit] External links
- Porsche Official Web Site
- Final Carrera GT Produced
- Carrera GT pictures, videos & news
- Failed Porsche LMP project which formed the basis for the Carrera GT
| Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG | ||
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