The new face of Porsche

The Porsche story is a truly intriguing yarn. Sadly, it's also a very long yarn - so let's cut straight to the latter part of 2002.

Porsche announces, and subsequently unveils, the Cayenne: a big, bad, take-no-prisoners, rocket-fueled 4WD ahead of a joint agreement with VW to launch simultaneously.

More recently in Germany, the official launch of the Cayenne, expected to sell by the boat-load in the US of A, is presided over by German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, showing just how much clout the German automaker has nowadays.

An updated Porsche Boxster range is unveiled, boasting more power, refined handling and an oh-so-cool pop-up spoiler.

Among other things, Porsche is also making a lot of money - one of the success stories of the past year since the September 11 WTC attack saw the motoring industry take a severe nose-dive. But what next?

Well, Porsche has announced it will build 1000 Carrera GT models in 2003. Porsche is calling the new GT a "Supreme sports car of the highest conceivable calibre."

A bold call indeed, yet Porsche isn't mucking around with the new Carrera bullet - it wants the world to know that the Italian's are not the only ones who can hit 100km/h in less than 4.0 seconds.

Currently, Porsche's fastest car is the 911-based GT2, while a new soon-to-be-released GT3 update may eclipse the former's performance. But even a twin-turbocharged 344kW chunk of aerodynamic greatness is no match for what the German automaker is planning...

Porsche king-pin, Dr. Wendelin Wiedeking, had this to say about the impending new model: "With the Carrera GT, we hope to consolidate further both our expertise and our leading position in the sports car segment. Thanks to this innovative model, our previous corporate growth rate will climb to an interim peak.

"Our Leipzig plant, complete with run-in and test track, provides optimal conditions for production and the necessary test drives. Furthermore, our new Customer Service Centre creates a unique atmosphere in which to present the Carrera GT models to their new owners."

So, if you don't mind flying to Germany to pick up the keys for your new Porsche GT, you probably won't mind paying the expected asking price of €400,000 ($713,000), either.

Still, it's plenty cheaper than Ferrari's upcoming Enzo and is expected to offer comparable performance too.

And speaking of the Prancing Horse, one could easily make a quick judgement about Porsche's seemingly last-minute jump from the 'boxer' engine to the V configuration.

Defection or just evolution? Methinks things are changing in management down at Stuttgart...

Weighing in at an expected 1250kg, this is a very light car when you consider its size. It's almost like a barge, such is its long, low profile. Measuring a tad more than 4.5-metres in length, this one's going to be a right-royal pain to parallel park.

But it ain't built for show. Well, maybe it is, but the more important aspect, as old Wiedeking says, is what's underneath: "The decision to have Stuttgart supply the power unit, emphasises not only our appreciation of the original (engine) plant, but also our philosophy that the heart of a Porsche sports car - the engine - stems from Zuffenhausen.

"This is also one of the reasons why we decided to invest EURO 50 million in a new engine production factory last November." Good to hear Porsche is keeping up with the times - but what will prospective buyers get from this Euro 50 mill investment?

Wedged behind the driver, and slightly fore of the rear-axle resides a 68-degree V10. The mid-mounted engine displaces some 5500 cubic centimetres, or 5.5-litres.

Via a six-speed manual transmission with a triple-plate carbon clutch, all power from the engine is routed to the rear wheels.

Up front are 19-inch 265/30R19s, while the rear wheels are a prodigious 20-inches in diametre, shod with ultra low-profile 335/30R20s tyres - which makes sense when you consider the ponies this Porky V10 packs.

Creating roughly 600Nm of torque, the new GT is fast - real fast. With all the exotic alloys used in its construction, it also won't mind spinning up to its heady 8200rpm redline either. Suppose you do this in sixth gear, travelling down a gentle slope in the middle of the Outback, and you may even pass the cars 330km/h suggested top speed. The operative word being suggested.

The 5.5-litre V10 has four-valves per cylinder, for a grand total of 40, and creates about 416kW of power. Porsche isn't releasing the rpms of peak torque and power yet, probably because they don't want the Lamboghinis and Maseratis to get a better understanding of their new flagship powerplant. Car companies can get very precious over the most trivial of things...

The Carrera GT will hit 100km/h in under 4.0 seconds. Let's go one step further and say, hypothetically, it can hit 100 kays in 3.7 seconds. Impressive, sure - but how does 0-200km/h in less than 10 seconds sound. Crazy, maniacal, insane? You better believe it.

Getting to such incredible speeds takes a lot of work, especially when impending emissions standards start complicating things. Much of the body of the GT Carrera is contructed from carbon fibre, while the massive 380mm vented disc brakes, front and rear, complete with four-piston calipers, are entirely ceramic, a la Formula One.

Styling isn't always talked about when it comes to supercars. They have be fast (check!) and they have to radical, as opposed to pleasing. Aerodynamics are also a key issue when talking 300+ km/h speeds, and while the styling plays second fiddle to wind-cheating strategies, the look is still, well, rather pleasing.

The huge air dams in the lower front apron look tough, yes, but they also serve to cool the dinner plate-sized ceramic brakes underneath. Likewise, the large intakes just behind the doors help supply the engine and rear brakes with much needed cool air.

Towards the back-side, the new Porsche is gifted with an electronically controlled spoiler, which extends fully when the car reaches speeds of over 120km/h, while twin exhaust pipes sit largely out of view under the tail lights.

Essentially Porsche's new flagship car, the Carrera GT is not just an 'up-yours' to other supercars, it also hints at the new evolution taking place at Porsche.

The new 911, for instance, has a headlight setup not too disimilar to the GT, incorporating those funky double xenon gas discharge globes and similar-looking rear-intakes.

Porsche will be releasing the GT Carrera in Europe in the second half of 2003, and Australia is likely to get one or two of the big beauties later in that year. With three vehicles planned per day, production is expected to go for about a year, to supply the motoring public with 1000 units. With Ferrari and Lamborghini squarely in its sights, can Porsche pull the trigger?