The curious history of the Porsche Carrera GT

Drive your Carrera GT over to our Huntington Porsche service center with the knowledge that your iconic vehicle will be in excellent hands. We know better than most the value of your vehicle and the history that makes it truly one of a kind.

Here’s a brief walk down memory lane for you.

THE BEGINNINGS OF THE PORSCHE CARRERA GT

It took Porsche 20 years to showcase its V10 mid-engine, carbon-fibre Carrera GT again to the world. First revealed in September 2000, the Le Mans prototype already sported the 5.5-liter, V10 engine with a 558 PS and six-speed manual transmission.

Fast-forward to October 2020, this time before the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin: The Porsche Carrera GT returned with an updated look that still evoked the iconic, classic look of the 2000 version that Walter Röhrl drove from the Arc de Triomphe to the Louvre Museum. It now had a more powerful engine at 612 PS. With the chassis still made from carbon fiber reinforced plastic, it only weighs 1,380 kg and lies low on the ground at 1,166 mm high.

Quite simply, the Porsche Carrera GT circa 2020 is made for speed and visual pleasure.

MADE FOR LE MANS

The Carrera had always enjoyed attention from sports and race car enthusiasts from around the globe. In 1998, Porsche had initially designed it as a prototype suitable for F1, but was later modified (internally named LP2000 or 9R3) to a Le Mans Prototype.

LMP cars can accelerate much faster than F1 and are built to sustain racetrack-speed driving for the entire 24 consecutive hours of a Le Mans race.

Porsche never followed through with introducing the 9R3 to Le Mans, however, and Porsche decided to reconfigure the prototype to build a top-tier sports car instead. The finished product, as it is noted in sports car history, was what Röhrl drove in Paris back in 2000.

IT WAS THE AIRBAGS

The Porsche Carrera GT went into production two years later and proud owners got their hands on these precious wheels starting in 2004. The specs were slightly upgraded to a 5.7 liter, V10 engine with 610 PS.

It was the darling of sports car purists, an “analog” of sorts (i.e., a manual transmission, no electronic aids like stability or traction control) that’s now a collectible in the sports car community. Indeed, only 1,270 Carrera GTs were produced from 2003 to 2005.

In 2006, Porsche announced that it will discontinue its production of the Carrera GT as its specifications would no longer adhere to the new airbag regulations in the United States. According to a revised ruling of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), cars manufactured from 2006 onward must have dual-stage airbags — a feature absent in the Carrera 2006 model.

NOW A CLASSIC

Today, the Carrera GT is a Porsche Classic that’s afforded the status and value of the brand’s legendary vehicles.

As a Classic, the Carrera is one of the discontinued models that Porsche supports by:

• Continuing to produce a limited number of genuine parts.
• Certifying Porsche Classic Partners or service centers with certified experts who can execute services and source genuine parts to prolong the service life of Porsche Classic cars.

Where there are no Classic Partners nearby, ASE-certified technicians for Porsche can deliver services that require superior technical expertise and knowledge of the model and brand’s technology, build, materials, and assembly.

We at Autowerkes are proud to offer expert repairs and other services for Carrera GTs and other classic Porsche models. Honed from 35 years of dedicated service, our certified technicians have clients coming from as far as Palos Verdes, Laguna Beach, and San Diego,

Make an appointment today and get a free, 30-minute service from Autowerkes.