Porsche Carrera GT

Born from Porsche’s shattered F1 dreams, the Carrera GT is considered one of the last truly analog supercars of the early 2000s and when I say analog, I genuinely do mean it. This thing had traction control and ABS, and that’s it. No fancy stability control to save you from your own stupidity.

There cannot be a car movie without a great selection of performance cars. Many sports cars have gained popularity through pop culture, whether it is the big screen or video games. Porsche’s iconic sports cars also have their place in pop culture, with more than a few being featured in famous blockbusters from the movie industry. That said, not all movie cars share the same fate, and oftentimes, cars get destroyed in movies. No Porsche can truly be classified as an affordable car and this goes double for the German automaker’s sports cars.

RUF was the first company to reimagine Porsche sports cars and it all started back in 1939. What started as Auto Ruf service garage, eventually became the first manufacturer to repair and restore Porsche sports cars, and eventually build Porsche-inspired, high-performance automobiles, under the RUF brand. The Pfaffenhausen-based company still makes Porsche-inspired models, but everything is now made in-house. Moreover, RUF is also a manufacturer of performance parts for Porsche models like the 911 and 718. One of Porsche’s most desired models from the 21st century is the Carrera GT, and it didn’t take long for RUF to come up with its own, mid-engine variant of a Porsche-based model. The RUF CTR3 is what we got, and here’s why it is the best way to get the Porsche Carrera GT experience (and more) at a fraction of the price.

The host of the Alte Schule (old-school in German) YouTube channel, Karsten Arndt finds himself in the foothills of Bavaria, Germany with legendary two-time WRC champion and Porsche works test driver Walter Röhrl. The pair initially discuss the Porsche Carrera GT, a car that Röhrl helped develop. Walter touches upon some of the initial struggles during the Carrera GT’s conceptualization and how it took time for the car to perform well. He emphasizes the car’s unique features: a mid-engine V10 with 612 horsepower and no electronic aids, and the importance of skilled engineers like Roland Kussmaul.

The Porsche Carrera GT is a unicorn in the automotive world. With a mere 1,270 ever produced, it’s a true collector’s dream. Even after 2 decades, the Carrera GT continues to strike a chord in the hearts of automobile enthusiasts everywhere. The Carrera GT wasn’t just another supercar; it was built to shatter expectations. Its sleek design housed a phenomenal 5.7-liter V10 engine, practically unchanged from the Le Mans 2000 race car, tuned down for street use. This translates to blistering acceleration, the Carrera reached 0-60 MPH in a mere 3.5 seconds. With a top speed exceeding 205 MPH, the Carrera GT was a force to be reckoned with.

Be it road cars or motorsports, Porsche is a brand that is steeped in tradition and there are certain things about models like the 911, that the German marque should be very careful about changing or altering, or it could leave the Porsche faithful reaching for the pitchforks. Think stuff like the five-gauge instrument cluster with the big analog tachometer in the center, or the twist-and-turn Le Mans-style starter that sits to the left of the steering wheel.

The history of the Carrera nameplate is a wild ride through the heart of Porsche’s motorsport lineage. It all began in the early 1950s with the legendary Carrera Panamericana, a treacherous open-road race that ran border to border (north to south or vice-versa) for over 2,000 miles through the heart of Mexico. Thanks to its challenging terrain, it was a white-knuckle test of endurance, speed, and raw driving skill.

The automotive world has seen its fair share of legends, but few can hold a candle to the illustrious Porsche Carrera GT. Born from the ashes of Porsche’s aspirations at Le Mans, the Carrera GT became Stuttgart’s answer to Maranello and Sant’Agata Bolognese.