Porsche Carrera GT tuning refinement by TechArt- motiontrends.com car magazine, tuning section

Porsche Carrera GT Supercar
TechArt wants it more sporty and exclusive!

MT, PR
31 August 2006.

Porsche carrera GT with TechArt design refinements: driving shot.

Porsche Carrera GT: 1270 units in a three-year limited production plan.

A car... ooops, a supercar of which some 1270 limited production units were produced between September 2003 and last May, each sold for some US$440,000, could you just come and talk about your plans to make it... more sporty and exclusive?

No car manufacturer can decently voice loudly such plans if the brand of the car in question is Porsche, and even less, if the Porsche in question is a Carrera GT.

Unlike auto makers, serious car tuning companies care dare such challenges, be it for Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini or any other supercar. These challenges are precisely their core expertise, and tuning connoisseurs know too well their names.

Porsche carrera GT, static front view.

New air outlet on the fascia's upper half with a spoiler lip on the lower half.

That's why one of these great tuning brands, which happens to be as German as Porsche can be, has just waited the end of the production of the Carrera GT (6 May 2006) to announce that it will make the 5.7-litre V10 supercar even more sporty and exclusive!

Just as a reminder, the Carrera GT accelerates (Porsche figures) from a standing start to 62 mph (100 km/h) in only 3.9 seconds. The 99 mph (160 km/h) is reached in less than seven seconds, just 3 seconds before hitting the 124 mph (200 km/h) mark, on the way to its top test-track speed of 205 mph (330 km/h).

Porsche Carrera GT with TechArt design and tuning refinements: static side view.

Start to 62 mph (100 km/h) in only 3.9 seconds.

As a first for a production car, Porsche fitted the Carrera GT with its Ceramic Composite Clutch (PCCC). Only 6.65 inches (169mm) in diameter, the race-caliber clutch easily handles the Carrera GT’s output while allowing the entire powertrain to sit lower in the chassis, dropping the center of gravity for even sharper handling.

The monocoque chassis is constructed from bonded layers of carbon fiber tissue, resin, and aluminum and plastic honeycomb materials that are known to be as light as they can be strong. The entire chassis weighs just over 220 pounds (100 kg), and is mated to other esoteric materials including forged magnesium wheels, and the 380mm Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB).

Porsche Carrera GT with TechArt design and tuning refinements: static rear-side view.

Chassis: carbon fiber, resin, aluminum and plastic honeycomb materials.

With such specs and performance, Porsche prides itself with the fact that its Carrera GT is still one of few supercars that can be driven every day. Traction control, air conditioning, GPS navigation, a Bose audio system, and a fitted, 5-piece, matched-leather luggage set were standard equipment.

So, how can TechArt Automobildesign make one of the rare mid-engine super sports cars... "more sporty and exclusive"?

For the 605 horsepower (U.S. SAE specs, 612hp in European specs) supercar which was first unveiled in September 2000 at the Louvre in Paris, three years before the start of its production, TechArt designers developed aerodynamically efficient, custom-tailored body components made from exposed carbon fiber that serve as a visual contrast to the metallic-orange special paint.

Porsche Carrera GT with TechArt design and tuning refinements: steering wheel and console.

TechArt sport steering wheel with leather/carbon fiber rim.

A new air outlet on the upper half of the front fascia and a one-piece spoiler lip on the lower half give the front of the two-seater an even more dynamic appearance. The low-reaching front spoiler reduces lift on the front axle at high speeds further and thus further optimises directional stability.

TechArt has also developed a three-piece flap (lower photo) that serves as the aerodynamic counterpart in the rear. The center piece of the separation edge extends together with the pop-up rear wing and in combination with the fixed spoiler edges on the left and right, produces additional downforce on the driven rear axle.

TechArt developed a three-piece flap that serves as the aerodynamic counterpart in the rear. The center piece of the separation edge extends together with the pop-up rear wing and in combination with the fixed spoiler edges on the left and right, produces additional downforce on the driven rear axle.

The 3-piece flap that serves as the aerodynamic counterpart in the rear.

Suspension and tires remain untouched. However, the peripherals of the 5.7-liter V10 engine are upgraded with a TechArt stainless-steel high-performance exhaust system and a modified intake system. Both benefit not only the engine sound that escapes through the two production tailpipes; the modifications also increase maximum power output from 612 hp / 450 kW to some 635 hp / 467 kW, or a 3.76% power boost.

TechArt saw further room for improvement of the Carrera GT in the cockpit, so it customised the interior with an ergonomically shaped sport steering wheel with leather/carbon fiber rim, and a shifter made from exposed carbon fiber.

With these refinements in mind, the German tuning specialist remains open to further requests for even more exclusive, colorful and fully leathered interiors, all of which can be answered by the TechArt upholstery shop.

By the way, it might be worth noting that of the 1270 Porsche Carrera GT units built at the Leipzig facility in Germany, 53 percent went to the United States, 12 percent to Germany, and 7 percent to the United Arab Emirates where the car number 1,111 was delivered last December.

Market-specific prices, shipping costs and other information - or inquiries - about the TechArt tuning programs or bespoke options for the Carrera GT or other Porsche models can be obtained from the www.techart.de directly.