When Porsche announced their intent to build an SUV at the turn of the century, many thought they had lost it. But their knack for building great sports cars was intact, and they've continued to churn out capable racers alongside the Cayenne SUV, which also turned out alright. One such creation was the 2004 Porsche Carrera GT, a hardcore car that made other supercar icons feel old-fashioned.
When it came out, the Porsche Carrera GT represented the best product on the road from the Stuttgart automaker. It embodied everything Ferdinand Porsche envisioned when founding the marquee in 1948. Almost two decades later, the Carrera GT remains a formidable performer thanks to its timeless qualities, immense power, and cutting-edge technology that made it a game changer in its day. Here's why the Porsche Carrera GT is one of the sickest supercars ever.
10 A Legend Inspired By Le Mans
The production Carrera GT debuted in 2003 at the Geneva International Motor Show, and today it is one of the greatest modern classic sports cars ever. It tested the technological limits more than any rival at the time.
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In a nod to Porsche's heritage, the engineers paid great attention to detail, and every inch of the car serves a function. It even featured a LeMans developed motor and location of the ignition to the left of the steering, paying homage to early Le Mans days when drivers had to sprint across the track and jump into the car.
9 Incredibly Stiff Chassis
Porsche outsourced ATR to build the Carrera GT's incredibly stiff carbon-fiber chassis. ATR built the Ferrari Enzo's chassis. It was a masterpiece forged by placing 1000 pieces of carbon-fiber cloth on molds void of air bubbles and then cured under immense temperature and pressure.
Using a dry-sump oil system allowed them to mount the engine lower, resulting in a lower center of gravity for better handling. Also, Porsche used three flexible engine mounts because the subframe carried the structural load, which isolated the chassis from engine vibrations.
8 Punchy Mid-Mounted V10
Once you turn the key on the Carrera GT, you get to a loud, high-spirited, melodious exhaust bark from the mid-mounted motor, even at low revs. It is a high-revving naturally aspirated 5.7-liter V10 monster screaming to the 8,400-rpm and generating 605 hp and 435lb-ft of torque.
The engine produced a glorious thrust and was a direct descendant of the Porsche concept deployed in Formula One racing in the 1990s and the Le Mans 9R3 prototype of 2000. Porsche transformed the engine from a failed, unreliable racecar engine into one of the most incredible production V10 engines ever.
7 Seemingly Endless Acceleration
The Carrera GT still houses the biggest engine in a series-production Porsche. A blend of its goose-bump-inducing, race-bred sound, high output, and lightweight package results in a seemingly endless acceleration.
Most of the acceleration is in the mid-range, and it only needs 3.5 seconds to reach 60mph from launch and scream on to 124mph in 9.9 seconds. Power keeps coming until you hit the 205mph top speed. It was never the fastest supercar, but its handling and superior aerodynamics make it feel more planted. It even held the record for the fastest street-legal car around the Nürburgring Nordschleife for several months from July 2004.
6 Sweet Six-Speed Manual
The manual transmission is all but dead, especially in the supercar segment, which is the most progressive and receptive to changes. Today you will have to go back a decade or so to find a fast supercar with a manual transmission. Porsche is still producing some pure breed 911s with a manual transmission like the 2023 911 Sport Classic. The Carrera GT came with a sweet six-speed manual at a time when many opted for the advanced single and double-clutch gearboxes.
It came paired with a light-feeling clutch that was easy to engage, producing a more rewarding experience than the Ferrari Enzo and Lamborghini Murcielago. Any enthusiast would love the sense of control it gives.
5 Super Lightweight All-Round Design
The Pursuit of lightweight construction has been Porsche's bread and butter since its founding. They pushed their innovative ways further with the Carrera GT, making it the first car to deploy a carbon fiber monocoque and subframe, now a regular feature in modern Porsche sports cars.
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There were other weight-saving mods like the carbon-fiber seats, a carbon hood weighing less than 11 pounds, and forged magnesium and aluminum wheels. The result was a car weighing just 3,042 pounds, which was very close to 2,050 pounds from the Le Mans prototype.
4 Sufficiently Comfortable Cockpit
The Carrera GT came with a minimalist cabin that could feel dated, but the whole point was to build an analog supercar. It means business with a carbon dash, Kevlar seats, and alloy details across the cockpit. The thinly padded seats come clad in leather.
While the seats don't have a backrest, they are well-designed, deeply sculpted, and hug the body perfectly. It is more about function, and there are few comfort features. But, there is enough comfort in the cockpit with enough head and legroom for tall drivers.
3 A Ride To Drive Hard
The Carrera GT isn’t an easy supercar to drive. Pulling into city traffic were rolling away from a stop leaves you sweaty as you struggle to master and balance the light clutch, which can get tricky without stalling. But, elsewhere, the car asks to be ridden by a professional to get the most out of it.
The high-mounted shifter offers a mechanical feel, and the car comes with tremendous grip and braking for incredible handling, making difficult maneuvers easy.
2 A Rare And Valuable Exotic
The Carrera GT enjoyed a limited production run of just 1270 cars across four years. It was an impressive number of the eras, and today, the car is a rare and valuable collectible. Hagerty estimates a 2004 Carrera GT's average cost of $1.3 million.
But some have fetched more, like the 2005 example sold for $2 million at the Bring a Trailer car auction earlier this year. This is much higher than the $48k you'd pay for the exotic car when new, and the value keeps rising.
1 Still Stunning Two Decades Later
Now considered one of the best supercars from the 2000s, the Carrera GT is still stunning, almost two decades since its launch. Its shape and beauty can get your eyes hooked, and its performance is still at par with the current crop of supercars.
Also, it was one of the last analog products from Porsche without any electronic assistance bar ABS. It helped revive a seemingly doomed engine and has proven a reliable ride that can take plenty of abuse. It is a top supercar, and it is worth every cent if you can afford one.