2005 Porsche Carrera GT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onzH3-dZCKw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-KEQwRXHJA
February 2026 marked the return of the much anticipated 2005 Carrera GT from Callas Rennsport after 3 long months undergoing service and upgrades patiently waiting out the winter season. A new Inconel JCR exhaust, Antigravity Lithium Ion Battery, Electric eRAM wing kit, transmission oil change and aggressive street alignment ascend the long list of items dropping the car's half tank wet weight to a lithe 3,025 lb, 619 FL, 692 FR, 919 RL, 795 RR (44%/56%) (measured). 687 FL/724 FR, 951 RL, 823 RR with driver.
Perhaps a professional courtesy but I've always held an affinity towards machines with discernable engineering ambition behind them.
Driving the Carrera GT requires physical effort and focus. Walking towards the car will have keen eyes yearning to take in every last detail of the car's design. Absent are excessively garish grills seen in common automotive design language, yet unmistakably sporty with a wide and low presence. The GT Silver metallic paint makes the car look like it’s sculpted from an exotic metal alloy doing much to disguise its carbon composite body work. Yet upon closer inspection, hints of exposed carbon fiber and gentle weave texture in the paintwork give it all away.
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| Carbon Fiber Beneath the Skin |
An alien space ship with its double bubble roof and tight cabin, but still designed with enough familiar design cues from the iconic 993 British designer Tony Hatter to make it unmistakably Porsche. The front fender curves over the wheel and front hood drawing upon the pedigree of the 996 and 997 cars from the same era.
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| Tony Hatter's 993 C2S Design (1997-1998) |
Reaching for the hidden door handle in the Carrera GT underneath the large overhung door registers a satisfying sound and clunk as the frameless windows lower and mechanism releases the door.
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| Hidden Door Handle Underneath the Cutout Doors |
Climbing over the large carbon door sill is a clumsy affair but is quickly forgotten as the smell of leather fills the cabin. The interior is bespoke, bereft of unnecessary screens and gadgetry as your eyes look to a beautiful magnesium center waterfall, fine instrument knobs and a heritage wood manual shift knob.
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| Carbon Fiber Tub |
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| Waterfall Shifter Panel |
The floor mounted clutch pedal makes a soft squish sound when depressed and with a gentle twist of the wrist in the ignition, the GT rumbles to life with a sharp bark. The seating position is deep and low so visibility can be a challenge and reversing in and out of a parking spot is pure supplication.
A few seconds go by as the car shakes off cobwebs, the entire car seemingly grumpy about being woken up from its slumber. The clutch is released slowly and gently to find its high engagement point to get the car rolling. There is no rushing this step or you'll undoubtedly stall the car if any throttle is applied, a delicate process to protect its over engineered 6 inch diameter ceramic clutch pack.
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| Carrera GT's Famously Over Engineered Clutch to Lower the Engine |
You finally let go of your breath as the car slowly lurches forward now eager for power to be applied. The car feels stiff, the gearbox unhappy and notchy from the cold transmission oil. The cold transmission behavior and large steering wheel in your palm the only real evidence of the car being 21 years old from an era when refinement stood a distant second to the mechanical directness that linked driver to the machine. On the road, the car initially feels wayward as engine temperatures slowly come up. The cold tires lack any grip, gear shifts are grindy and the early generation carbon ceramic (C-SiC) brakes rotors lack initial bite similar to an un-boosted servo.
After about 10 minutes the Carrera GT's control systems finally come online together. Everything smooths out and the car finally awake transforms into a wild bronco eager to be driven with eagerness and intentionality. The naturally aspirated V10 dominates the experience, always reminding the driver of the huge powerplant behind the ear. The long wheel base behind you is what you'd imagine it to feel like strapped to the forward end of the Space Shuttle.
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| No Space Shuttle Main Tank, but Still a Tanker for Size |
The wide stance of the tires tram gently with the undulations of the road as you pilot the rocket ship. The throttle pedal is an exercise of patience- a delicacy to be eaten in small bites- as the Formula 1 derived V10 easily overwhelms the 335mm width tires at the rear in first and second gears.
The power delivery climbs linearly, but pulls violently up to the 8,400 RPM redline as the feeling of acceleration pummels you towards the next nearest object on the road. The engine's high frequency resonant V10 wail crescendos your ears to exaltation as your hands and feet coordinate to catch the quick upshift. Even in straight lines, a corner of your mind questioning the car's true intentions given the car's infamy.
The revised and much needed modern KW V5 suspension kit earning its hefty price tag as you hear a soft squishing of the pushrod suspension near the cabin working to damp the road imperfections and keep the tires connected to the road. Red and blue springs matching the left and right motorsport derived center locking mechanism for the forged Magnesium wheels. The small 'fine-art' details make the Carrera GT a car that unveils its secrets over time.
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| Red Center Lock Wheels |
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| Pushrod Suspension Layout |
The Carrera GT's responds to the driver's inputs predictably and honestly. The snappy engine response paired with a grabby clutch will never unfairly flatter its driver. The machine stands in stark contrast to a modern age of automobiles where driving is becoming excessively automated, with an ability to capture those remarkable moments behind the wheel. A mechanical orchestra with no higher zenith.
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| Long Beach, CA |
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