Porsche Carrera GT, 2005
Porsche Carrera GT
Porsche Carrera GT•
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Chassis No.: WP0ZZZ98Z6L000067
€908,500 EUR | Sold
- One of only 1,270 built
- Delivered new in Germany
- Circa 21,410 kilometres from new
- Full service history
The first hint that Porsche was planning something very special was dropped in 2000 when a concept car designed by American Grant Larson appeared on the Stuttgart manufacturer's stand at the Paris Motor Show, where its overwhelmingly favourable reception gave Porsche the green light to commence development of a version suitable for production.
It would have been all too easy to stick with the tried and tested flat-six engine design used in the 911 and Boxster, but the new model needed to be significantly different in order to achieve the desired impact. Fortunately there was a suitable power unit to hand: a 5.5-litre four-cam V10 developed a few years previously for a still-born Le Mans racer. The latter had incorporated a carbon-fibre monocoque, as had the GT1, and this state-of-the-art method of construction was carried over to the Carrera GT, albeit in a form that met the requirements of a road car.
Porsche's engineers gave themselves an additional set of problems to solve by extending the use of this material to the engine support structure. The development of a small-diameter, multi-plate clutch incorporating ceramic composite materials enabled the V10 engine to be mounted low in the chassis, resulting in a lower centre of gravity than would have been possible with a flat six. Before production commenced, the V10 would be enlarged to 5.7 litres, producing its maximum of 612bhp at 8,000rpm. A six-speed manual transmission was the only one available.
Clearly, a car of such importance would have to possess perfect road manners before being released for sale, and to ensure this perfection Porsche employed racing driver Walter Röhrl to assist with development, which included countless laps of the demanding Nürburgring circuit. In the interests of high-speed stability, the rear body incorporates a wing that rises automatically at around 75mph, retracting when the speed drops back to 50mph. This was no mere gimmick but a vital necessity in a car capable of exceeding 200mph.
The Carrera GT's suspension is pure competition car, featuring unequal-length control arms all round with horizontally mounted gas shock absorbers operated via pushrods and rockers. Its brakes too are racetrack developed, consisting of six-piston aluminium callipers gripping 15" diameter ceramic composite discs that are more heat resistant and 50% lighter than cast-iron equivalents. More weight was saved from the wheels, which are made of forged magnesium (19" front, 20" rear) while ABS was standard equipment, as was power assistance for the steering.
When the production Carrera GT went on sale in 2004 it looked remarkably similar to the 2000 Paris Show car yet was subtly different in countless ways. One more obvious difference was the GT's roof, a feature lacking on the open prototype, which consisted of two parts that could be removed for stowage in the front luggage compartment. Inside, the seats were made of leather-trimmed carbon fibre while the gear lever knob was made of wood, recalling the unlikely use of this traditional material on the legendary Porsche 917 endurance racer.
Of course, it is no longer sufficient merely to deliver the ultimate in on-the-road performance: these days the discerning supercar buyer also demands the very latest in in-car mobile telecommunications technology. The Carrera GT project engineers did not skimp in this respect, equipping it with 'Porsche Online Pro' satellite navigation incorporating a Bose sound system, hands-free 'phone, and email and Internet connectivity. A five-piece luggage set was included in the specification at no extra cost though, perhaps surprisingly, air conditioning was optional.
Porsche stated that only 1,500 Carrera GTs would be made, thereby emphasising the car's exclusivity, and each example carries a numbered plaque on the centre console (the factory retained 'No.1' for its museum). In the event, the Carrera GT would turn out to be even more exclusive than its maker had originally intended, for when production ceased in 2007 only 1,270 had been built.
Finished in the classic colour combination of GT Silver Metallic with a tan leather interior with black seat bolsters, this stunning example of this seminal super car from Porsche was delivered on 7th October 2005 at a mileage of 30 km by Porsche Leipzig GmbH (Carrera GTs were made at Porsche's Leipzig factory so this was a works delivery on behalf of the dealer). The last custodian registered the car in the name of his German company on 1st July 2020. The Carrera formed part of his very exclusive collection of, mainly, Ferraris.
The factory-fitted options are as follows:
Stronger battery (197)
Air conditioning (572)
Sound system (681)
CD-Radio Becker Porsche Online Pro (690)
The accompanying original service book documents the following service history:
Yearly service at Porsche Zentrum Mannheim on 25th April 2007 at 8,909 km
Minor service at Porsche Zentrum Mannheim on 15th October 2008 at 13,725 km
Major service at SPS Automotive Performance on 16th August 2010 at 14,817 km
Oil and Filter change on 30th April 2012 at 14,845 km
Major service at Porsche Centrum Twente (NL) on 10th February 2014 at 19,120 km
Minor service at Porsche Sportwagenzentrum Gersthofen (D) on 28th March 2018 at 19,677 km
Major service at Porsche Zentrum Hamburg on 27th May 2021 at 20,674 km.
This last service was commissioned by the current owner and cost €11,484 (copy invoice on file). The odometer reading at time cataloguing was a mere 21,410 km. In May 2023 a new battery has been installed, again by Porsche Zentrum Hamburg.
The consignor was taken on a recent test drive in the car and can confirm it performed faultlessly, with breathtaking acceleration and matching sound. The car passed the stringent German TüV roadworthiness test in June 2023 and it is valid (in Germany) until June 2025. The file also contains a Classic Analytics report (dated March 2022) which attests the general condition as 1 (very good), the highest score. At that time the recorded mileage was 20,909 km, so the car has covered only some 500 km since. Offered with German registration documents
(confirming that our vendor is the third registered owner), a current TüV certificate, and its original stamped service book, this Porsche Carrera GT is an opportunity not to be missed.
With so few produced and all in the hands of private collectors, the Carrera GT is only rarely seen on the open market. Presented in excellent condition and offered with all its original books, tools, and luggage, this eminently collectible Porsche Carrera GT represents a wonderful opportunity to acquire what Car & Driver rated as "arguably the finest sports car the company has ever produced".
A superb example of one of the last true analogue supercars, without excessive electronic intervention and, most importantly, a manual gearbox.
Please note this lot will be subject to additional VAT on the hammer price.
https://cars.bonhams.com/auction/28312/lot/158/2005-porsche-carrera-gt-chassis-no-wp0zzz98z6l000067/
Cost
3,754,635 AED
