https://www.autoevolution.com/news/w...yYu-RmKFyy1AUo

The fact the wonderful 918 Spyder, arguably the successor of the Carrera GT, did nothing to dent the memory of the 2004 model is even more proof of what a great machine Porsche managed to build back then. In fact, the hybrid 918 Spyder might have helped inflate the GT's aura. With its electric motors, the more modern car is seen as a member of the current generation, whereas the GT is part of what is quickly becoming a dying breed. And we all know how people have a soft spot for everything threatened with extinction.

To be fair, the Carrera GT deserves all the applause it gets.

Like most great things, it was born out of chance. Initially intended as nothing more than eye candy for Porsche's stand at the 2000 Paris Motor Show, it was met with such enthusiasm (we wonder why) that Porsche decided a halo model couldn't do any harm to the brand.

With plenty of cash thanks to the Cayenne's success (it's funny how the much-despised SUV was actually the reason why the beloved Carrera GT was allowed to happen), the Germans took an uncharacteristic leap of faith and gave the project the green light.

With a 5.7-liter V10 engine under the deck behind the two seats and a six-speed manual as the sole transmission option, the Carrera GT was a one-of-a-kind proposition amid Porsche's lineup. It was also prohibitively expensive, even by Porsche standards, and with just under 1,300 units ever built, it was hard to get even for those with the account balance to afford it.

But however great the engine was—and with 603 hp (612 PS) and the red line sitting at 8,400 rpm, it was—and no matter how well it handled, it can't be denied that its success was significantly helped by its exterior design as well. Despite being nearly 20 years old, it holds up surprisingly well, and that's not something you can usually say about a supercar.

Still, with design trends changing quicker than we can adapt to them, a modern Porsche Carrera GT would definitely look a lot different. How different? Well, that's what Marouane Bembli sets out to find out as he takes one image of the model and gives it the 2022 makeover.

With help from the Porsche 919 Street "unseen" concept that lent its rear end and wheel design, as well as a few personal touches (such as the gap in the rear side panel and the raised shoulder line), the updated Carrera GT is ready. It was always going to be a tricky task, and some people (or maybe it's just us) aren't going to like it. But that's what would also happen if someone tried to modernize the Sistine Chapel, we guess.

 

The Carrera GT being green-lit predated any profits from the Cayenne - the Cayenne was not in production yet when Carrera GT development was already ongoing. The gigantic new Leipzig factory was probably more of a draw on funds than anything.

Green lighting the project had more to do with the success of the 2000 Carrera GT Concept in generating customer interest.

Development budgets implemented by Wiedeking are actually part of the reason the CGT was so great - he wanted them to use an 'off the shelf' engine, hence the existing racing V10, and the potential debut of the PDK transmission in this car was scrapped in favor of a cheaper to develop old-school manual.

At the time, the manual transmission in particular was seen as a failure for a top-shelf supercar in comparison to the computer controlled units in the Enzo and SLR! Only the most hardcore driving enthusiasts saw it as a positive back then.

It is likely that with a bigger budget Porsche would have gone more along the route of a 'technology' car with the Carrera GT, as they did with the 959 and the 918 Spyder to a large extent.

So, we should probably be glad that the car was not developed after the Cayenne profits started rolling in.