To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' Monterey
event, 15 - 17 August 2019.
Estimate:
$1,200,000 - $1,500,000
- Showing only 265 original miles
- Finished in stunning paint-to-sample Arancio Boreallis
- Nearly $37,000 in exclusive options, including rare
black-painted brake calipers
- Includes optional luggage set and original window sticker
- Porsche Certificate of Authenticity
Porsche took to the new GT1 sports-car racing class in the
mid-1990s with a vengeance. GT1 rules allowed for entrants to
discard most notions of modifying a street-going car for race use.
Instead, automakers could do the opposite by homologating a race
car to be just within the legal bounds in some markets. With its
911 GT1, Porsche used the 911 name on a car that shared little more
than its headlights.
The 911 GT1 showed that Porsche could create a world-beating racing
car once again, years after its 962 was retired. For a road-going
version, Porsche satisfied legal requirements in Europe by detuning
the 3.2-liter flat-six to "just" 536 horsepower. Due to the arrival
of the new water-cooled Type 996, the 911 GT1 Strassenversion wore
the new car's headlights that integrated the turn signals and
driving lights in a single unit. The 911 GT1 laid the groundwork
for the legendary Carrera GT a few years later.
FIA rule changes cut off Porsche's plans for a new Le Mans
prototype for the 1999 racing season, leaving its new 5.5-liter
V-10 engine in search of a home. In Stuttgart, however, a good
engineering project is never left on the shelf, and the automaker
chose instead to build a car around its ferocious new
powertrain.
The 68-degree 5.7-liter V-10 featured four valves per cylinder,
variable valve timing on its intake camshafts, and a screaming
8,400 rpm redline. Output was an arresting 605 horsepower. A
six-speed manual transmission with a Porsche
carbon-ceramic-composite clutch would shuttle power to the rear
wheels. The engine would arrive at the end of a decidedly
mechanical era as automakers sought to integrate sophisticated
computer controls into every aspect of new cars, especially their
traction management systems. Even track cars would begin to task
advanced computer systems to manage engine power within a few
years. In the Carrera GT, Porsche used only a traction control
system because otherwise the engine's immense power would readily
overcome its tires.
The Carrera GT was more than a race engine and transmission built
into a car. The design debuted in concept form at the 2000 Paris
Motor Show, and its motorsport roots were obvious. The car featured
a carbon-fiber monocoque and subframe sourced from Italian firm ATR
Composites that was light and strong. Underneath, the suspension
was race-ready with inboard rocker arms poking between upper and
lower wishbones at all four corners. Staggered 19-inch front and
20-inch rear magnesium-alloy center-lock wheels were mounted over
massive eight-piston brake calipers up front and four-piston
calipers at the rear. The carbon-ceramic brake rotors were
ventilated and cross-drilled for optimal high-speed braking. A
retractable rear wing extends above 75 mph to add downforce.
The production car that arrived in 2003 after being shown in thinly
disguised concept form at the 2000 Paris Motor Show weighed just
2,755 pounds. It could vault to 60 mph in just four seconds,
shifted as fast as a driver could possibly handle. On a closed
course, it topped out at around 200 mph. At the expert hands of
factory test driver Walter R�hrl in July 2004, a Carrera GT
rocketed through the N�rburgring Nordschliefe in a mere 7:28. The
record would stand for more than half a decade.
The Carrera GT remained something of a road car, too. Its interior
showed extraordinary attention to detail, unlike other cars that
might boast similar performance. Power features, airbags, an
effective climate control system, and Bose audio gave it
luxury-grade comfort. A beech-wood gear knob standard on early
models served as a nostalgic nod to the Porsche 917 Le Mans
racers.
Citing stringent standards in the U.S., Porsche planned to close
out production of the Carrera GT in 2006. Before doing so, the
automaker opened up the CGT to more factory customization. The
paint-to-sample Arancio Boreallis example offered here is perhaps
the most extreme expression of what Porsche could offer, both in
terms of its performance and its eye-catching color. The car's
attention-grabbing exterior is paired with a Dark Grey leather
interior. As originally ordered, the car was outfitted with $36,960
in exclusive options�$23,500 of which was for the unique color.
Even the brake calipers were ordered in black for an additional
$8,460. Other optional equipment includes carbon-fiber trim on its
steering wheel, handbrake, and gear lever. Its factory-fitted
matching Dark Grey luggage set has been retained and will be
included with the sale.
The orange Carrera GT was built in September 2005 toward the end of
production for the American market and delivered new to legendary
Porsche retailer Stoddard Imports in Willoughby, Ohio. The sports
car has covered just 265 miles since. A major service to the tune
of $25,000 was recently performed at Niello Porsche. The Carrera GT
is offered with its factory window sticker and a Porsche
Certificate of Authenticity.
As electrification trickles from the 918 into the rest of the
Porsche lineup, the Carrera GT stands apart as a reminder of the
company's audacious, not-too-distant past�especially in unique
paint-to-sample Metallic Orange.
Please note that due to California emissions, this vehicle must be
sold to a dealer or out-of-state resident.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction,
please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/mo19.