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| Road Test: Porsche Carrera GT (2004-) |
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| Exotic Sports |
by: Paul Horrell |
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| DRIVING RATING: |
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Even cleverer (if not so much fun) than the high-gear performance of this drivetrain is its low-gear running. The GT copes with traffic. The engine will pull reasonably smoothly even from idle in to gear, and the throttle's progressive in stop/start work. The ceramic clutch needs special technique, but you soon learn to work it cleanly. Visibility forward is pretty good, but over the shoulder it's an awkward squint past the seat bolsters and that rollover structure. At speed, the rear spoiler rises on motors, chopping the mirror view in half and making police cars hard to spot. It's wide, too, at 1920mm. And the low nose doesn't like sleeping policemen. Some supercars have low-speed chassis lifting mechanisms, but Porsche reckoned such a gadget would be too heavy here. Apart from huge performance, you can expect vast grip and collosal braking force. No problemo. The question is whether these limits are accessible, and whether the car is benign or scary. The former, phew -it always feels as though it's on your side. There is a very broad transition zone, where the car tells you it's getting close to the limit of grip, allows you to balance it, get closer or retreat. The steering weight tells you, the balance through your seat tells you. The low centre of gravity and long wheelbase give it superb agility and linear responses - it's superb through S-bends, managing the weight transfer with gleeful ease. Fundamentally it understeers, but power will naturally loosen the tail. The traction control doesn't cut in until you've done that, and just prevents you from more violent oversteer. That's wise on the road: things are going to be happening with ridiculous speed. Indeed, on a road you'll seldom get anywhere near the limit. More fun comes from the superb bite and progression of the steering and brakes and throttle, whether a little kiss or maximum effort. The snicky gearchange is a delight, too. It's the combination of all these things that make this car a milestone.
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Introduction The headline figures don't say it all, not by a long chalk. But they ... |
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