2004 Porsche Carrera GT for sale

Overview of this 2004 Porsche Carrera GT used for sale

The Carrera GT's origins can be traced back to its predecessors, the 911 GT1 and LMP1-98 racing cars. This V10 engine had been secretly developed by Porsche for the Footwork Formula One team in 1992 but had remained unused.

Regrettably, the project was canceled after only two days of testing the first car in mid-1999. The cancellation was largely attributed to Porsche's decision to divert engineering resources to the development of the Cayenne SUV in collaboration with Volkswagen and Audi. It was also speculated that Ferdinand Piëch, chairman of VW-Audi, didn't want Porsche to compete with the Audi R8 in 2004.

Surprising interest in the vehicle and revenue generated from the Cayenne project prompted Porsche to reconsider, leading to the development of a road-legal version that would be produced in limited quantities at Porsche's new manufacturing facility in Leipzig. It is powered by a 5.7-liter V10 engine producing 612 horsepower.

Several design elements in the Carrera GT paid homage to its Le Mans heritage. It had a Beechwood gear knob attached to the gearbox, reminiscent of the wooden gear knob used in the Porsche 917 Le Mans racers. The ignition was located to the left of the steering wheel, a historical nod to Le Mans racing when drivers had to make a running start, hop into their cars, start them, and begin the race.

This particular Carrera GT was originally delivered to Mexico in 2004, featuring GT Silver over Natural Dark Grey leather.

Due to the car's 24,000 miles without the protection of modern paint film technology, it was determined that the original paint had accumulated many stone chips and needed a repaint. Instead of repainting it in the common GT Silver color, a different route was chosen.

Inspired by the color-shifting 1997 Porsche 911 (993) Carrera S 'Vesuvio', the Carrera GT was returned to Porsche GB at Reading for a full repaint. All body panels were stripped and repainted in 'Vesuvio' (W40). This color is a subtle warm grey with hints of purple in direct sunlight and undertones of silver in low light.

The decision was made to match the original painted wheel design, which could have been optioned in body color or black during the car's production period. The wheels were painstakingly hand-masked over several weeks and refinished in-house at Reading to protect the cathodic coating of the forged magnesium wheels.

To the best of our knowledge, no other Carrera GT was originally built or refinished in this color, making this Carrera GT unique in its current livery.