Base price: $440,000
Engine type: DOHC 40-valve V-10, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 350 cu in, 5733cc
Power (SAE net): 604 bhp @ 8000 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 435 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Wheelbase: 107.5 in
Length/width/height: 181.6/75.6/45.9 in
Curb weight: 3050 lb
Manufacturer's performance ratings:
Zero to 62 mph: 3.9 sec
Zero to 124 mph: 9.9 sec
Top speed (drag limited): 205 mph
technologies including a ceramic composite clutch and brakes beneath its carbon-reinforced
body, the Porsche Carrera GT uses the undiluted qualities of a genuine racecar to provide
an unprecedented driving experience on the road.
Beautiful Design and Engineering, and 605 Horsepower
The Porsche Carrera GT, which was introduced as a 2004 model, is a low, sleek, lightweight
roadster that is as beautiful to the engineer as it is to the eye. Foul weather protection is
also available in the form of two removable panels that can be stored in the front trunk.
Among the car’s unique features are its 5.7-liter, 605-horsepower V10 engine, its
monocoque chassis with Porsche-patented engine and transmission mounts made of
carbon-reinforced plastic and the first use of a ceramic composite clutch in a production car.
The Carrera GT’s aerodynamic and race-bred suspension package provides safe and
stable travel at speeds of up to 205 mph (330 km/h). The Carrera GT features the extensive
use of lightweight materials, such as magnesium for the car’s substantial wheels and the
frames of its special sport seats.
The result of such artistic and athletic equipment is a car that accelerates from a standing
start to 62 mph (100 km/h) in only 3.9 seconds, reaches 100 mph (160 km/h) in less than
seven seconds, 125 mph (200 km/h) in less than 10 seconds, and can achieve a top test-
track speed of 205 mph (330 km/h).
Purebred Racing Engine
Porsche’s development center in Weissach, Germany, built a 5.5-liter, normally aspirated
V10 engine for racing, and that engine’s bores have been enlarged to displace 5.7 liters in
the Carrera GT. Maximum output is rated at 605 horsepower at 8,000 rpm, with peak torque
of 435 lb-ft. The engine has a very low center of gravity, a 68-degree V angle and four
valves-per-cylinder heads. The engine block serves as a load-bearing part of the chassis
structure, yet is so strong that there is no distortion to the cylinder bores. Using dry-sump
lubrication reduces the number of engine components and seals and also helps optimize
weight and reliability.
The engine has a closed-deck configuration, a principle carried over from motorsports. This
closeddesk architecture enables the cylinders to be cooled by internal water chambers that
directly surround the cylinders. Three front-mounted radiators and cross flow cooling ensure
optimum heat transfer even under high engine loads.
The engine weighs only 472 pounds (214 kg). The block, crankshaft and camshafts are all
made of light alloys. The crankshaft is designed to operate at speeds of up to 8,400 rpm
and is both forged and designed for minimum mass inertia and thus offers maximum
torsional stiffness.
Race-winning Suspension Design
The chassis and suspension of the Porsche Carrera GT are based on the architecture of
the Porsche GT1, the car that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1998. For example, as
on the GT1, the rear track control arms of the Carrera GT are made of aerodynamically
designed steel tubes. However, Porsche engineers did not forget the need for driving
comfort on the street when they adapted such racing-bred systems for the road-going
supercar.
Like a racecar, the Carrera GT uses pushrod suspension with double-track control arms at
all four corners to give the Carrera GT its refined response and behavior, feeding forces
smoothly and efficiently into the car’s chassis. Where many cars use MacPherson spring
struts, the Carrera GT’s spring and damper elements are operated by stainless steel
pushrods and pivot levers, which separate the guidance function from the spring action.
Functional Ambience is Interior Theme
Even with its racing-quality performance, the Porsche Carrera GT has a cockpit
characterized by functional ambience and the extensive use of high-tech materials. Carbon,
magnesium and leather dominate interior materials, with composite components either in
their natural state or painted to match the magnesium pieces.
The car’s center console is made of composite materials covered in galvanized magnesium
and features the chassis number imprinted on the surface. The shift lever is positioned
about halfway up the console directly next to the steering wheel.
The seats are finished in smooth leather and have manual adjustment (fore, aft and height)
because power motors would add unnecessary weight. The seats are made of a composite
carbon shell. Each seat weighs only 23.6 pounds (10.7 kg.), compared to 44.1 pounds (20
kg.) for the seats in a typical Porsche 911.
Air conditioning is optimized for weight and the car comes with a standard air filter system. A
glass screen is mounted between the supplemental safety bars to help reduce wind
buffeting. Even though the Carrera GT is a serious performance car, it can be equipped with
many comfort features, including a navigation system and Bose audio. A battery trickle-
charger is included as standard equipment.
