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(from Porsche Press
Release) ATLANTA, FEBRUARY 4, 2003 --- Stuttgart, Germany-based Dr.
Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG will unveil its V10-powered Carrera GT
high-performance roadster in March at the Geneva International Motor
Show. With more than 600 horsepower and racing-inspired technology,
Porsche’s top-of-the-line sports car delivers pure performance.
The Carrera GT has a
pure racing engine. Its 10-cylinder powerplant with dry-sump lubrication
is based on Porsche’s 5.5-liter V10 naturally aspirated engine developed
especially for racing. For production, technicians at the Development
Center in Weissach, Germany, have increased the displacement to 5.7
liters. Maximum output is 605 horsepower (SAE) at 8,000 rpm, with peak
torque rated at 437 pound-feet. The Carrera GT has a top test-track
speed of 205 miles per hour (330 k/h) and accelerates from zero to 62
mph (100 km/h) in 3.9 seconds. Its specially developed six-speed manual
gearbox allows it to go from zero to 124 mph (200 km/h) in 9.9 seconds.
The specifications
demanded a consistent lightweight construction and sports car
dimensions. With a length of 15.12 feet (4.61 meters), a width of 6.3
feet (1.92 meters), a height of 3.81 feet (1.16 meters) and a wheelbase
of 8.96 feet (2.73 meters), the roadster weighs 3,042 pounds (1,380
kilograms).
Porsche developed a new
construction concept for road and racing vehicles. The Carrera GT’s
monocoque and entire sub-frame are made of carbon-fiber-reinforced
plastic (CFRP), and Porsche has applied to patent this technology.
Carbon is the only material that, after complex processing, can meet the
requirements needed to combine top-class driving performance and driving
dynamics with minimum weight at maximum rigidity.
With attainable speeds
of more than 186 mph (300 km/h), aerodynamics plays a crucial role. To
achieve as high output co-efficients as possible (so-called “downforce”),
the Carrera GT has an underbody geometry that can only be found in
similar form in pure racing sports cars. The underbody is completely
cased in carbon fiber and provides an additional suction effect thanks
to its rear diffusor and flow channels.
The Carrera GT also
features the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB) system. Porsche has
supplied this component since 2001 and is the first manufacturer to
include it in a mass-produced vehicle (the 911 Carrera GT2). A global
innovation – the PCCC (Porsche Ceramic Composite Clutch) – transmits
power to the drivetrain.
The Carrera GT's
extremely light magnesium wheels are produced with a special forging
process and are offered for the first time on a mass-produced vehicle.
The tires were specially developed for the Carrera GT (265/35 ZR 19 in
the front, and 335/30 ZR 20 in the rear).
The new Porsche
roadster possesses a simple-operation roof system. It consists of two
individual carbon fiber lightweight shells, each weighing only 5.3
pounds (2.4 kilograms). These shells can be stored in the front luggage
compartment.
The first Carrera GT
models produced at the Porsche plant in Leipzig, Germany, will be
delivered to customers at the end of 2003. |
