Porsche ups the ante...

While many Porsche die-hards are still somewhat vexed at the prestige sportscar marques' decision to go down the SUV path with the Cayenne, they will no doubt be pleased to hear that the Carrera GT is finally reaching production.

Almost three years ago now, Porsche shocked everyone with its new supercar concept, the Carrera GT.

Not only did it deviate from the automakers traditional 'boxer' engine layout, it also gave the brand a new look.

Porsche also saw fit to make a few changes since the original concept was unveiled in Paris, both cosmetic and mechanical, which will be on show when the German automaker takes the wraps off the Carrera GT in March 2003, at the Geneva International Motor Show.

The most obvious difference is the slightly changed dual-projector headlights and the removal of the fog lights, which used to be located in the front spoiler.

The production model also has modified head-rest surrounds, which are now a little more pronounced over the concept. Furthermore, there are now two lights flanking both exhaust pipes at the rear; a fog light and a reversing lamp.

Other than this, the overall profile of the Porsche Carrera GT has changed little, and that's no bad thing. The new supercar is aimed squarely at taking market share from the likes of Ferrari and Aston Martin, and is expected to fetch roughly £265,000, which converts to $730,000 in local currency.

While three quarters of a million dollars is quite a bit to play for a car, this is far from simple transport.

A better description would be a performance oriented vehicle, and with more hi-tech features than your average James Bond-mobile, this could be the new 'it' car.

The Carrera GT weighs in at 1380kg, and this light kerb weight was achieved by using carbon fibre-reinforced plastic, or CFRP in Porsche speak, for the entire sub-frame.

Porsche reckons that carbon was the only material that (after a complex processing technique) could meet their requirements for a vehicle that could provide top-shelf driving dynamics with minimum weight and maximum rigidity.

With a thumping nat-atmo V10 lurking behind the driver, the new GT necessitated a high level of torsional rigidity, and so the CFRP compound was borne.

Moreover, Porsche is so impressed with its own handiwork that it has applied to patent this technology. Smart move.

With a track-tested top speed of 330km/h, the Carrera GT's bodywork plays an important role in keeping the wheels firmly planted on the blacktop of what is arguably the world's fastest open-top, road-ready performance car.

While the auto retractable wing seen in the prototype GT has made a return, helping to produce downforce at speed, the underbody is completely encased in carbon fibre, providing an additional suction effect thanks to its rear diffusor and flow channels.

Extremely light magnesium wheels (19-inch up front and 20-inch at the rear), produced with a special forging process and offered for the first time on a mass-produced vehicle, combine with tyres created specifically for the GT to offer unparalleled levels of grip at any speed.

The production Carrera GT also gets a simple-operation roof system.

Consisting of two individual lightweight carbon fibre shells, weighing only 2.4 kg each, they simply slot on or off, and are stored in the front luggage compartment.

The car's handling is expected to be truly awesome, and makes use of F1-like outboard suspension and double wishbones front and rear - but will it go round corners faster than the Ferrari Enzo?

Assembly mass is concentrated at the center of the car and the fuel tank is located between the passenger shell and the mid-engine so wheel load distribution remains constant - a vital prerequisite for exceptional road-holding properties.

The center of gravity is extremely low, thanks to low height of the vehicle and deep mounting of engine and transmission. Result: high cornering speeds.

The braking package with 8-piston calipers mounted on massive 380mm ceramic discs up front is simply astonishing, but still very necessary when the car in question has such a momentus glut of power.

Porsche engineers have spent quite a bit of time working the 5.5-litre V10 since it was first previewed when the prototype was launched in 2000. For starters, the 10-cylinder mill has been stroked, taking displacement to 5.7-litres and, as a result, peak power has been boosted from about 410kW to a heady 456kW @ 8000rpm. Furthermore, redline has dropped from 9000rpm, now 8200rpm.

While many were eagerly expecting 600-odd Newtons of torque being transferred to the rear wheels, the final figure is 592Nm - still plenty of juice in anyone's book. The highly strung 40-valve engine makes use of titanium conrods to tie the pistons to the crankshaft and is based on all of Porsche's racecar expertise.

Using a tri-plate ceramic clutch, called the PCCC (Porsche Ceramic Composite Clutch system), power is routed from the mid-mounted engine to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. While there was talk of a sequential gearbox, it's refinement at low speed was rumoured to be the reason for its demise.

On a calm, dry, cool day, owners of the Carrera GT can expect to reach 200km/h from standstill in 9.9 seconds, while the 0-100km/h dash takes a spritely 3.9 seconds.

The first Carrera GT models, produced at the Porsche plant in Leipzig, Germany, will be delivered to pre-ordering customers at the end of 2003.

With the Carrera GT, Porsche is proactively taking the fight to the major supercar makers, and first impressions are, well, impressive. Porsche boss, Dr Wendelin Wiedeking, said: "With this car we want to do more than simply demonstrate our technical competence with sports cars. This vehicle also mirrors the strength and self-confidence of the company."

While there will be plenty of smiles at Porsche, which plans to sell just 1000 GTs over three years, has the company departed too far from tradition? With the new Cayenne making use of a V8 and now the Carrera GT deriving power from a V10, has Porsche lost its way?

On the flip-side, perhaps it is just part of the company's strive to be contemporary, part of an evolution that could yield much more exciting products? Either way, the Carrera GT is a monumental product for the company, one that will not only stir up the 'fastest car in the world' debate, but also go down in the annals of motoring history.

Now, where are those Carrera GT2 spy photos...

Related Articles:
Porsche Carrera GT (Sept. 2002)
2003 Porsche Boxster (July 2002)