If $300,000 to $400,000 large is not an obstacle, then this is the car!

I had the auspicious opportunity to drive the Porsche Carrera GT at California Motor Speedway a few months back and the impressions are still long lasting.

An adjective that adequately describes this car, simply does not exist, in any language; I have failed to find one.

My student for the day, Darren (an extremely pleasant and successful young man from the San Diego area) drove the car to the speedway and I was terribly excited and flattered to have been selected to be his driving instructor for the day.

Having heard all of the negative comments; “it’s twitchy, tail happy, a monster” etc, I have to admit that I was a bit apprehensive at first, even after having raced a number of very fast cars over the years; besides, it was not my $400,000. In a very short period of time however, I felt myself absolutely comfortable with the car, it simply does exactly what you ask of it, albeit, very quickly indeed

The Porsche Carrera GT is without question the best balanced, most well behaved and predictable machine that I have ever had the pleasure to drive. One MUST  understand and I do mean FULLY understand, that the car is capable of performance levels far above the better driver and stratospheres above an average driver. I do hold an FIA competition license but, I do not have the talent of an F1 pilot; never have-never will.

Keeping all of this in mind and checking my ego in pit lane, I slid into the marvelous seat that lends perfect support. Taller drivers may find the car a bit cramped, but being vertically challenged; perfection!

On initial start up, the car explodes into life with a sound that is utterly symphonic. Depress the clutch, snick the transmission into 1st gear, simply let the clutch out, do not give throttle and the car begins to move forward effortlessly. Side stepping the clutch in this car and giving too much throttle will result in early clutch failure; no big deal if you have the $30,000.00 needed to replace it. Initially the gear lever seems to look out of place. It stands well up on the center console. Reality is,  it is ergonomically perfect. The gear box feel is superb, snick, snick, not much throw; ideal.

Once up to operating temperatures, acceleration is ……try to find the verbiage. The engine noise is glorious, rather like your favorite song, the one that gives you goose bumps when you hear it really loud. Ride-Captain-Ride comes to mind.

The brakes are simply unbelievable! Perfect feel, perfect modulation, it’s almost as if you have simply thrown out an anchor; the car stops right NOW. If you think about stopping, you have done so some 300 feet back, SPITZE!

Cornering is sensational. Think about where you want the car to go and the Porsche  goes there. The car is remarkably intuitive, almost as if driver and car are somehow physiologically connected; driver and car becoming one. Due to the amount of aerodynamic down-force the car possesses, cornering speeds are far greater than anything I have ever experienced and this is perhaps where most any driver, myself included, must acknowledge their ability level; or perhaps more importantly lack of same. Because the cornering potential of the car is so great, one can quickly understand that the potential problem is not the car itself, but rather, the ability of the driver at these levels.  A lucky few may be able to afford the car, do not under any circumstances however, believe that the talent to drive this car at its limits, are included in the ability to acquire the car financially. There is simply no room for ego in this car. 

The Porsche Carrera GT absolutely demands respect, driven with that in mind and within the limits of the driver’s ability, not the cars, the Porsche Carrera GT is without question the best car that this driver has ever had the absolute pleasure to drive. An adjective still escapes me, even Porsche’s  own slogan ” There is no Substitute” does not quite hit the mark.

Klaus
O.C.C.E.