Unofficially, the Porsche Carrera GT is a racecar, a racecar built for the street. What makes it a racecar is not necessarily the huge power produced by its V10 engine or the carbon fibre construction that keeps everything very lightweight – although these features surely make it a fast car. It’s more the sum of its parts that makes this car worth every bit of its $440,000 price tag.

The Porsche Carrera GT was introduced as a 2004 model and until 2005 there were already a few changes to make the Carrera GT the new Porsche supercar. These were minor updates to make it a little more street-friendly. Between the supplemental bar, hoops are now mounted on a glass screen. The seat height is adjusted along with the additional bolstering in the thigh area.

The Carrera GT is easily recognizable, as it’s a low, sleek, lightweight roadster, very beautiful on the outside as it is on the inside. Two removable panels that can be stored in the front trunk make foul-weather protection

available.

The car has unique features, among which are: a 5.7 litre, 605 horsepower V10 engine, 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. A very important aspect is that The Carrera is safe and stable at speeds up to 205 mph, thanks to its aerodynamic and race-bred suspension package.

The design of the suspension is so sophisticated that the shape of its components improves the Carrera GT`s aerodynamics. The designers used lightweight materials such as magnesium for the car’s substantial wheels and the frames of its special sports seats, the result being a faster and safer car. To prove so, The Carrera GT accelerates from a standing start to 62 mph (100km/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).

What makes this car have these impressive results is its 5.5 litre, normally aspirated V10 engine for racing created in the development centre in Weissach, Germany. That engine’s ores have been enlarged to displace 5.7 litres in the Carrera GT. It has a very low centre of gravity, a 68-degree V angle and four valves-per-cylinder heads. Since the block, crankshaft and camshafts are all made of light alloys, the engine weighs only 472 pounds (214 kg).

To stop this “monster” Porsche`s team used a high-tech braking system. Developed for demanding motorsports applications, ceramic brakes are the first to work for on-road use. The massive 15-inch ventilated discs and six-piston callipers have the amazing capacity to bring the car to a sure and safe stop, matched only by the stunning acceleration of the Carrera GT.