Vehicle Description
Chassis No. WP0CA29865L001335
To visitors of the 2000 Paris Motor Show, Porsche's streamlined
Carrera GT concept penned by Grant Larson might have seemed as if
it were pulled straight out of the future, with its muscular rear
deck and low-mounted 5.5-liter V10 engine. Yet somewhat
surprisingly, the internally-dubbed "Super Car Millenium" and its
production variant owed its conception to a still-born Le Mans
Prototype project dating back to 1998. In fact, the engine that
powered the unraced LMP2000 had its origins almost a decade earlier
in Formula One with the then newly-formed Arrows Footwork team.
Porsche supplied 3.5-liter V12 engines for six rounds of the 1991
season before poor reliability brought the program to an early end.
Undeterred, the engineers in Zuffenhausen pursued the development
of a 3.5-liter V10 replacement, which was ultimately revived by the
production department and deemed suitable for the audacious
mid-engined Carrera GT concept.
Delivering to customers in early 2004, the Carrera GT earned
universal praise from the motoring press and Porsche devotees alike
for its rigid chassis design, analog driving dynamics, and its gem
of a 5.7-liter V10. The six-speed transmission developed especially
for the Carrera GT featured a PCCC (Porsche Ceramic Composite
Clutch) and delivered satisfying manual gear changes via a beech
wood shift knob. Once again drawing on their race-bred innovations,
Porsche bestowed the Carrera GT with a carbon fiber monocoque and
subframe, offering unrivaled rigidity and weight savings for a
3,146-pound total. At the heart of this ultralight package was a
high-revving all-aluminum V10 producing 605-horsepower and 435
lb-ft of torque. Its aluminum pistons, titanium connecting rods,
and forged crankshaft contributed to its low rotational mass and
smooth accumulation of revs - instantly teleporting the driver to
its 8,000-rpm power peak.
Flexible, vibration-absorbing engine mounts isolated the driver in
a luxurious leather-trimmed cabin, appointed with standard air
conditioning, navigation, and a BOSE sound system. Alternatively,
the two carbon fiber roof panels are easily removed to take full
advantage of the V10's glorious soundtrack, with Car & Driver
describing it this way in their test: "That free-revving engine is
unlike anything else we've ever sampled. It's loud, blowing 93
decibels on our sound meter during a full-throttle blast, but the
shriek is the kind that prickles your body hair."
This 2005 Porsche Carrera GT is one of just 1,270 produced
worldwide and a mere 477 examples destined for the United States in
2005, finished from the factory in GT Silver Metallic with a less
commonly-seen Dark Grey interior. Its understated specification is
further complemented by a complete five-piece set of matching Dark
Grey luggage and a number of "aluminum look" interior accents
including the hardtop mounting trim, air vent slats, loudspeaker
covers, and seatbelt retractor. The accompanying Carfax vehicle
history report shows that the Porsche was registered in Newport
Beach, California to its original owner in May 2005, receiving
dutiful maintenance and accumulating just over 10,000 miles in
their care. The car joined only its second and current
California-based owner in 2007, who has since continued the careful
enjoyment and meticulous maintenance of the Carrera GT over their
16 years of ownership. In their care, the car was treated to no
fewer than three major engine-out services - the first in July 2008
at 10,884 miles which included a clutch replacement, and again in
October 2014 at 14,053 miles - both conducted at Carlsen Porsche in
Redwood City, California.
Porsche Monterey in Seaside, California performed its third and
most recent major engine-out service in March 2022. Not all Carrera
GTs have received this service once, let alone three times, but it
is unsurprising, judging by the fastidious nature of the owner,
that he should follow Porsche's special Carrera GT maintenance
schedule to the letter. This major service included the replacement
of large ticket items such as spark plugs and ignition coils,
camshafts, belts, and a comprehensive fluid flush. Additional work
performed during this major service included the replacement of the
air filters, performing a valve adjustment, mounting four new
Michelin Pilot Sport tires, and a battery replacement. It should be
noted that battery replacement is not a trivial service item for a
Carrera GT and quite an involved process. In keeping with the
design of a supercar it is placed low, in front of the right rear
wheel in a location difficult to access by anyone without
specialized technical knowledge. The total invoiced amount for the
comprehensive major service and additional items completed came to
just over $41,000 and it should be noted that the car has accrued
fewer than 150 miles since.
Created by specialist teams with a narrow focus and cloaked in
secrecy, with little interference from the corner offices, the
Porsche Carrera GT is an exquisite example of race-honed
engineering brought to life on the road. With a high-revving V10
mated to a six-speed manual transmission, a removable hardtop, and
excellent driving dynamics, few supercars offer the level of driver
involvement and performance available in a Carrera GT. Offered with
16,765 miles at the time of cataloging and recently benefitting
from a full XPEL paint protection film in December 2022, this
example has been maintained at the highest level and, as such, is
primed for countless more miles of guilt-free enjoyment.
