Porsche Riverside Article
2005 Porsche Carrera GT
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 fiber construction that keeps everything very
lightweight – although these features surely make it a fast car. It’s more the
sum of its parts that make 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 in order to make the Carrera GT the new Porsche super car.
These were minor updates in order to make it a little more street friendly.
Between the supplemental bar hoops is now mounted a glass screen. The seats
height is adjusted along with the additional bolstering in the thigh area. The
Carrera GT is easy 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 the foul weather protection available.
The car has unique features, among which are: 5.7 liter, 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 sport 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 it’s 5.5 liter, normally
aspirated V10 engine for racing created in the development center in Weissach,
Germany. That engine’s bores have been enlarged to displace 5.7 liters in the
Carrera GT. It has a very low center 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 calipers
have the amazing capacity of bringing the car to a sure and safe stop, matched
only by the stunning acceleration of Carrera GT.
Porsche Carrera GT is definitely a exotic appearance, a car that can do it all:
fascinate you with its good looks, astound you with its performance and
abilities on the race track.
