The Porsche Carrera GT - A Spirited Road Warrior That Takes no Prisoners! : New Porsche new car 2008 review
by Jorge M. Vega
The Porsche Carrera GT boasts the streamlined body of a gazelle, combined with the athletic prowess of a long distance runner. This high-performance thing of beauty screams with "future shock" type technology; its mammoth engine, a V-10, produces 600 horsepower at the drop of a pin. Below its futuristic carbon-reinforced body, ceramic blend clutch and brakes lie in obedient attendance. Porsche insists that it can bolt, for lack of a better term, from 0 to 60 mph in only 3.9 seconds.
The car and speed are synomymous. In second gear, you'll hit 82 mph, third gear will throw your head back at 113 mph, and fourth gear pins you to the back of your seat at around 143 mph. Still, the Carrera is not done yet, a controlled shift to fifth gear will easily hit a dizzying 170 mph, while a sixth you weren't expecting will blast you to 7000 rpm. That the Porsche Carrera GT is not for the faint of heart, is an understatement.
At about $484,000, the Porsche Carrera GT is the world's fastest and most expensive A-one car in production. Rightfully dubbed super car, it's plum full of high-performance features: a 5.7 liter, 605 horsepower, V-10 engine, Porsche patented engine and transmission mounts made of carbon reinforced plastic, a superb chassis, and a ceramic composite clutch.
By reducing the clutch diameter, the car's center of gravity was significantly lowered. Its aerodynamic design, a marvel in itself, lets you reach speeds in excess of 200 mph. The Porsche Carrera GT incorporates the efficient use of lightweight materials. There is magnesium in all its wheels, and within the frames of its comfortable sport seats.
As if perfection weren't enough, Porsche has outdone itself by mounting the Carrera GT's transmission tranversally.An asounding feat of engineering, the Porsche Carrera GT has a chassis and suspension which is patterned after the Porsche GT1, which won the gruelling 24 Hours at Le Mans in 1998. The comfort of its occupants and driver were not pushed aside in favor of power and response.
The Carrera GT's suspension uses pushrods and double-track control arms at all its extremeties in order to retain the serenity and responsiveness found in all true-blood race cars.Once you step inside the Porsche Carrera GT 2007, you will feel as comfortable as if you were inside the cabin of a jetliner. Plenty of high-tech materials abound inside this futuristic cabin, such as magnesium, carbon, and leather.
The Carrera GT's is rock solid with galvanized magnesium, and the shift lever, one vital control you don't want to fumble for, is found perfectly close to the steering wheel.Top of the line air conditioning is, of course, standard. Despite, or maybe because of, its obvious appearance of an extraordinary racing machine, an elaborate navigation system is included; also, full-tilt Bose audio is generously available. The Porsche Carrera GT 2007 is majestic, supple and comfortable, and scorchingly quick.