2005 Porsche Carrera GT Cabriolet Coupe

In 1998, rule changes by the FIA ended the Le Mans racing program for the Porsche 911 GT1 and LMP1-98 prototypes and the need for a new model arose. With that, the concept of the Carrera GT was born. Originally, the car was planned to have a turbocharged variant of the flat-6 powerplant. However, with a mothballed V10 engine design which was designed to power the Footwork Formula 1 team in 1992, the car's concept was taken in a new direction. However, only two days after testing the first prototype, the project was cancelled due to the resource demands of the new SUV concept being developed with VW and Audi, the Cayenne.

At the Geneva Motor Show in 2000, in an effort to attract attention to the Porsche display, the Carrera GT prototype was shown. With a surprising amount of interest in the car, the decision was made to produce a road-legal version which is shown here.

The V10 engine produces 604 horsepower which can propel the car from 0 to 62 mph in under 4 seconds. This allows the car to reach a top speed of 205 mph. This is a highly engineered car with extensive use of carbon fiber in the chassis and in the ceramic disc brakes. Yet, inside the car, the cabin remains clean and simple focused on the driving experience. Evidence of that can be seen in the simple beechwoood gear know which pays homage to the Porsche 917 Le Mans racers.