This 2005 Porsche Carrera GT, with only 152 original miles, is one of the most pristine and showroom-fresh examples in the world. Racing has always been at the heart and soul of every Porsche, but no single production example of the marque intended for street use embodies this competition heritage more than the Carrera GT. The car was initially designed as a Le Mans Prototype race car with the internal designation of “9R3.” The entire monocoque and sub-frame is of carbon-fiber construction—the first production car to ever feature this as chassis material. This extremely lightweight yet exceeding strong structure was absolute cutting-edge technology during its era. The race-inspired design is also reflected in the engine—a V-10 displacing 5.7 liters and producing 605 horsepower. This powerplant was originally designed and built by Porsche as a Formula 1 race engine for the Arrows team. Although it never saw competition in Formula 1, Porsche had every intention of using it in the “9R3” Le Mans Prototype for active campaigning in the 2000 season. Based on both personnel resource considerations—Porsche was pulling away engineering staff from the motorsports division to develop the Cayenne—and corporate politics, Porsche abandoned the racing program and decided to transform this Prototype race car into the ultimate supercar: the Carrera GT.

The single greatest attribute of the Carrera GT is the pure driving experience that it delivers. The car requires—no, demands—your absolute attention and involvement. Each Carrera GT comes equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission—there is no automatic choice. Hence, leisurely driving in the automatic mode is not an option. The fore and aft weight distribution is optimized with the longitudinal engine/transmission unit placed amid-ship via sub-frame in the chassis. Porsche employed two design measures to drastically lower the center of gravity including a dry-sump lubrication system coupled with a multiple friction disc clutch assembly. The suspension is pushrod activated to inboard-mounted dampers and springs. Porsche engineers were so confident in the cornering capability of the Carrera GT that it is totally devoid of any electronic stability-control devices. Although the Carrera GT suspension limits of adhesion are far beyond the driving talent of all but mortal drivers, the absence of an operator-error safety net fully necessitates your total concentration. Likewise, the high-winding Formula 1-inspired engine has a spine-tingling wailing sound as it approaches its 8,500 RPM redline while registering more than 96 decibels on the sound meter. This does not leave the necessary silence to carry on a soft conversation with your passenger during a spirited drive. The Carrera GT is a driver’s car that rewards you with sublime telepathic cornering, neck-snapping acceleration and Formula 1 auditory feedback.

Introduced in 2004, the Carrera GT was received with universal awe and adulation. The car was drop-dead gorgeous and demonstrated amazing performance. The factory-rated top speed was 205 MPH, and the car could accelerate from 0-60 in 3.6 seconds. This level of performance is impressive by even current standards. The MSRP for the Carrera GT was originally $448,000, and production was limited to just 1,270 units. Actual sales prices far exceeded the sticker price with captive buyers willing to pay a substantial premium to own one. This car presents beautifully in Basalt Black with dark grey leather interior. This is a rare opportunity to own one of the finest remaining examples of the world-class Carrera GT supercar, and one of just 604 imported into the United States.

Porsche’s iconic twenty-year-old V10 screamer supercar Carrera GT has been lying dormant for nearly a year, and owners are starting to get antsy. In April of 2023 Porsche issued a recall affecting 489 examples of the 1300 Carrera GTs built in 2004 and 2005 for potential catastrophic suspension failure. Shortly thereafter the recall was expanded to all Carrera GTs with a recommendation that all owners stop using them indefinitely. A source who wishes to remain unnamed has confirmed that Porsche does not currently have parts available or any ETA of repairs. So you can buy a Carrera GT for around $1.5 million, but you definitely can’t use it.

Recall campaign number 23V241000 explains that “the spherical joints that connect the wishbone suspension components on the front and rear axles can fail due to damage from mechanical stress and corrosion.”.....