Porsche Carrera GT For Sale

Age has done nothing to weary the looks of the Porsche Carrera GT. More than a decade since it stopped the automotive world in its tracks, the German Supercar (read: Hypercar) — limited to just 1270 units globally — is one of the most sought-after pieces of automotive memorabilia.

Launched in 2003 in response to the Ferrari Enzo, the Porsche Carrera GT was a radical departure from the rear-engine configuration that is synonymous with its namesake.

Porsche all but conceded the shortcomings of their rear-engine configuration when they plonked the Carrera GT’s V10 in the middle of the car — not unlike a certain Italian rival.

So then, how did the Carrera GT stack up next to the Supercar class of 2003? Well, for starters, alongside the flamboyant Ferrari Enzo and Pagani Zonda, the Carrera GT looked rather conservative.

When asked about the Carrera GT’s conservative styling, Harm Lagaay — the Dutchman who led the design of the GT — responded in typical Porsche fashion, the Carrera GT looks that way because that was the way that it would best function.

The engine from the Porsche Carrera GT can best be described as a culminated effort of other Porsche projects. The 5.7-litre V10 was salvaged from Porsche’s aborted entry to the 2000 Le Mans programme.

And, as you would expect from the salvaged remains of a Le Mans race car, the Porsche Carrera GT is fast — very fast. More than a decade since it launched — and forced induction and electrification completely changed the way we look fast cars — the Carrera GT will still hold its own in a straight line and, more importantly, around a race track.

The mid-mounted 5.7-litre V10 produces an immense 456kW of power and 590Nm of torque. Paired with a driver-centric six-speed manual transmission, the Carrera GT will sprint to 100km/h in 3.8-sec and keep going all the way to 330km/h (205mph).

Speaking to EVO magazine in 2008, Michael Hölscher — the man who led the Porsche GT development team — summed up the Porsche Carrera GT program simply.

“We have promised customers that there will be no successor. It would kill the value of the GT overnight. But we will always demonstrate that we are a leader in technology. We know the Enzo is faster but we don’t care. We’re more concerned about dynamics and balance than outright top speed.”

Originally purchased in Germany before being privately imported to Australia by Tony Denny, this Porsche Carrera GT currently resides at the Gosford Classic Car Museum.

With an asking price of $1,450,000 AUD, this Porsche Carrera GT is one of the most exclusive cars ever sold in Australia.