by "Gripevo1" (Gripevo1)
Published 09/08/2017 at 12:36
by "Gripevo1" (Gripevo1)
Published 09/08/2017 at 12:36
Tags: Carrera gt
; Cgt
; Porsche
STARS: 11
It’s been said, time and again, that meeting your heroes will only lead to disappointment.
Although I certainly don’t have a “favorite car” per se(How could a car guy really ever pick one?), when it comes to cars made in the last 15 years, one of my all-time greats has always been the Porsche Carrera GT. As an industrial designer, I have always appreciated its understated beauty, with it’s really well resolved organic surfacing and art deco inspired details. As a car guy, it’s all about that V10 sound, manual transmission with 917-style shift knob pushrod suspension and carbon construction.
I have been lucky enough to have a best friend who is a true car guy but also has the means to own some phenomenal sports and supercars. On top of that, he has been generous enough to let me get a bunch of time behind the wheel of some truly amazing cars (P1, Countach, 488 etc), and by extension, get rides in some more crazy stuff (veyron,f40,288gto) So when he decided to purchase a CGT, to say I was excited would be quite the understatement.
When he asked me to come with him to pick it up a couple hours away where it was getting its after purchase service, of course I jumped at the chance. I drove his Cayman GT4 down and back(my 10 year goal car..love it), and got a ride in the CGT. Maybe one day I will get some time behind the wheel of it, but even to ride in it was truly special.
Here’s a few pics from the day out with it:
And my ride for the day :
"Stapleface" (patrickgruden)
09/08/2017 at 12:41, STARS: 0
Are the pedals as closely spaced as they look in that picture? That looks like if you have over a size 9 foot you’ll hit all three pedals at once!
"Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap" (ddadragon)
09/08/2017 at 12:43, STARS: 4
Drive barefoot. Worth it.
"Gripevo1" (Gripevo1)
09/08/2017 at 12:49, STARS: 0
They are, but they are actually rather large. Nowhere near as small as the Countach or a Lotus Elise (driven both, and both are racing boots or converses only).
"Gripevo1" (Gripevo1)
09/08/2017 at 12:51, STARS: 1
Yeah, although I would want a solid purchase on them...this thing is not a car where you want your foot slipping off the clutch
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
09/08/2017 at 12:54, STARS: 1
Fantastic. I’ve got a 917-inspired shift knob sitting on my desk here at work.
"JR1" (type35bugatti)
09/08/2017 at 12:56, STARS: 1
One of the all time greats. Along with the Ford GT it is one of the last mid engined cars sold exclusively with a manual transmission.
"Stapleface" (patrickgruden)
09/08/2017 at 12:58, STARS: 0
You know, it’s weird. I’ve tried multiple times to drive barefoot. It just seems supremely uncomfortable. Which is odd, since you should have more feeling without any shoes on.
"Gripevo1" (Gripevo1)
09/08/2017 at 13:02, STARS: 0
Yeah, the early 2000's were a real sweet spot for manual sports cars. While there are plenty of fast manual cars today(own one myself), that time period had a nice combination of enough power, good dynamics and manual transmission offerings, without alot of the annoying electronic systems of todays cars.
"Gripevo1" (Gripevo1)
09/08/2017 at 13:04, STARS: 1
Yeah, ive never really understood how some people do it. Although it was kind of fun to do in my old evo 8, which had metal pedals with rubber bumps on them...free foot massage in traffic!
"JR1" (type35bugatti)
09/08/2017 at 13:04, STARS: 0
I think it will be looked back upon fondly in the coming decades
"Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap" (ddadragon)
09/08/2017 at 13:05, STARS: 0
I don’t think grip would be too bad. Of course if someone is ok with giving me a opportunity to test my theory, I won’t say no.
"Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap" (ddadragon)
09/08/2017 at 13:06, STARS: 0
I’ve never personally found it bad or uncomfortable.
"Gripevo1" (Gripevo1)
09/08/2017 at 13:10, STARS: 1
Yeah, which is part of what drove my buddy to get it(that and my incessant blabbing about them for years..lol).