Porsche Carrera GT-Buying and Driving It!
04-19-2006 | 11:30 AM
#1
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 229
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From: Ohio
Porsche Carrera GT-Buying and Driving It!
Ahhh, now it's time for the Terminator, the fabulous Porsche Carrera GT. Here's the story. I had just purchased the Ford GT in January of 2005. I was very happy, sitting at home and quite satisfied with the Ford GT and my *** kickin 2003 Yellow Porsche GT2.
So, one day I'm talking to a friend of mine at a restaurant and he mentions that he just saw an outrageous car up in Cleveland at a Porsche dealer. He says it's a called a Carrera GT and it's unreal. Oh yeah, I tell him, I've seen that car online and in magazine pictures. It looks like a spaceship on wheels. He gives me the dealers name and I tell my girlfriend that night that she and I are going to go to Cleveland one day to JUST look at it. Yeah right! Why is it that every time somebody mentions a neat car to me, I hear a lot of oh damn, look at his eyes!
Well, I was eating my guts out wanting to see the car so guess what? We went up two days later. The salesman takes us over to see the CGT and UH O...... I'm in trouble! There's drool running down my face, my girlfriend's talking to me and I don't even know she's there and on top of that, I just wet my pants! You gotta be kiddin me! Is this thing real or is it a concept car that NASA developed?
He sits down inside the car and starts it up. Revs it up and up and up and then asks me what I think? Huhhh.....? I'm busy catching flies with my mouth wide open. I close my eyes and imagine that I'm in the movie 'Grand Prix' with James Garner and Yves Montand or in 'LeMans' with Steve McQueen!!!
My head is spinning and I got this s _ _ t eating grin on my face. How the hell can I somehow manage to buy this car? He asks me if I would like to sit down and try and work out a deal (we drove the 03 GT2 up there to show them we weren't pulling their chains about being serious on the car). Nah, I don't want to try and work out a deal just like I don't want to make love to Pam Anderson, Elle McPherson, Jessica Simpson and Jessica Alba all at the same time!
So we sit down and pound numbers and then I say the heck with it. I give him a number I think is right and tell him if he can get the deal to that number, he's got a sale. He asks me to give him a day and he'll get back to me. I'm waiting the next day with my head down on my desk crying cause he hasn't called me back yet.
OK, well then I'll just call other dealers to get a quote and to keep him honest on top of that. I call Columbus, Ohio, Byers Automotive Group, talk to Michael Kirkham and he along with his GM are pounding numbers left and right. They get within a few dollars of where I want to be and I say I have to give the Cleveland dealer one last chance to give me his price. Just for the heck of it, I also called the Cincinnati Porsche dealer and they want time to work out a deal. I don't have time..... I want that car RIGHT now! You guys know what I mean, don't you?
That afternoon, Cleveland calls and gives me a price. Good but not there yet. Anyhow, to make a long story short, Cleveland and Columbus are battling it out to make the sale. Columbus gets to the price and even below and I'm happy. Cleveland ain't and they try and make another offer. I'm having a mental breakdown answering my cell phone every 5-10 minutes. Finally, I tell my girlfriend I'm done, I can't take it any more. You make the final deal. Whatever it is, I'm OK with it. I not talking to anyone else! Honest!
She makes the deal at 3 or 4 that afternoon and Columbus wants to deliver it that night! Huh? OK with me!
They deliver her in an enclosed trailer around 7 p.m. that night. I guess they were worried I might change my mind. Felt good though getting approved on a $443,800 car in only an hour or so..... Thanks again DAD!!
Well, we're trying to unload her with regular aluminum ramps and 12-14 ft wooden extension 2 x 12s. First try, craaaack, the wooden boards break in half. After close to an hour or so, we finally get her off the trailer. Damn does she sits so lowwww. Anything taller than an ANT on the road better get the hell out of the way!
This machine is unreal, honestly! It really is a race car on the street. You try and get in.... it's easier if your related to Harry Houdini cause you have to be a contortionist to have a chance of sitting down. Well almost.... I have the XT or XL seats which means they're made for us fat *** Americans. I almost fit... just gotta lose 50 or 75 lbs. Just kiddin...... they really hug your butt. If you're claustrophobic, this is not the car for you. If you and a passenger are in the car, don't both of you turn toward each other at the same time or one of you will wind up with a broken nose! I guess I'm trying to say, the cabin is certainly cozy. The gearshift lever in the middle of the upright console is surprisingly easy to operate and has a great feel.
The instruments are easy to read. The radio is pretty good, but unless you've got reading glasses of about 5x, you've got no chance of seeing what the hell you're doing. The car's leather seats and dash are of excellent quality. Great seating position. You put the key in, start the car (hope I remembered to wear my diaper) and ohhh my good God! What I have I got in my hands. Darth Vader doesn't have anything on this ride.
You start to back her out of the garage and then hey..... what's going on. There's nothing behind me. That's because you can't SEE anything behind you! The only car with worse rear vision is the Ford GT. Women, children and pets, run for your lives!
When I first tried to drive the car, I remember reviews telling me not to give it gas at first but to just slip the clutch and as she starts rolling, then give her some fuel. They were right! 2 to 3 times in the first few weeks that I drove her, I stalled it in heavy traffic making a turn. Really makes you look like an *** and scares the hell out of you! I think I've finally got it down pat now, but it's still in the back of my mind and haunts me. The gas and brake pedals are floor mounted, which may contribute to the lack of ease starting out because it's a different feeling for me.
The ride is pretty firm and the first time we took it on the road, we both looked over at each other cause we couldn't hear the radio and had to speak fairly loud to be heard. I guess we're use to it now.
This car is 'stupid fast'. If you're an idiot you'll be in trouble very quickly! One night coming home from our restaurant, some jerk off was playing with me and I had a few drinks in me and said like in 'Network', "I'm not going to take it anymore." We're going over a freeway bridge at the time and I goose it and she starts going sideways a little. Whoa Daddy! Brilliant! That took care of my desire to be Evil Knievel.
As you'll see in the pics there's carbon fiber everywhere. Seats, door sills, dash, rear wing struts and the complete belly pan. They said don't run over anything bigger than a pebble or your insurance company is not going to be too happy replacing the belly pan to the tune of $30-40K! (That's what the dealer told me)
Other than the clutch, the only other minor pain seems to be that the transmission is a cold bugger.... especially in Winter. She takes at least 2-3 miles or more to warm up so you don't have to granny shift to avoid grinding some gears.
Probably the funniest thing I've been told is this girl that I eventually met at a later time said she saw and heard me coming down the street in her Porsche Boxster's rear view mirror and didn't know what the heck it was. She said as I flew past her, she STILL didn't know what the hell just zoomed by.... but she told me she definitely heard it! This CGT sounds just like a F1 in the right rev zone at speed or when revved up at stand still. Wanna be just like Michael Schumaker someday? Start saving your shekels cause this is the car you want!
I think the plate ' ILL B BAC' fits her perfectly...... how about you? Michael
p.s. Please don't make fun of me for having a dirty floor. I drive the CGT all Winter long as long as there's no snow, salt dust and gravel debris on the roads. I clean the outside often but the interior would be a daily chore. I'll be doing it in a couple of days. Also, the letter 'T' on the rear of the car is off. I was drying the CGT off one day last Fall and the towel snagged the letter and popped right off! It's only held on with double stick tape. Cheap *** car!
So, one day I'm talking to a friend of mine at a restaurant and he mentions that he just saw an outrageous car up in Cleveland at a Porsche dealer. He says it's a called a Carrera GT and it's unreal. Oh yeah, I tell him, I've seen that car online and in magazine pictures. It looks like a spaceship on wheels. He gives me the dealers name and I tell my girlfriend that night that she and I are going to go to Cleveland one day to JUST look at it. Yeah right! Why is it that every time somebody mentions a neat car to me, I hear a lot of oh damn, look at his eyes!
Well, I was eating my guts out wanting to see the car so guess what? We went up two days later. The salesman takes us over to see the CGT and UH O...... I'm in trouble! There's drool running down my face, my girlfriend's talking to me and I don't even know she's there and on top of that, I just wet my pants! You gotta be kiddin me! Is this thing real or is it a concept car that NASA developed?
He sits down inside the car and starts it up. Revs it up and up and up and then asks me what I think? Huhhh.....? I'm busy catching flies with my mouth wide open. I close my eyes and imagine that I'm in the movie 'Grand Prix' with James Garner and Yves Montand or in 'LeMans' with Steve McQueen!!!
My head is spinning and I got this s _ _ t eating grin on my face. How the hell can I somehow manage to buy this car? He asks me if I would like to sit down and try and work out a deal (we drove the 03 GT2 up there to show them we weren't pulling their chains about being serious on the car). Nah, I don't want to try and work out a deal just like I don't want to make love to Pam Anderson, Elle McPherson, Jessica Simpson and Jessica Alba all at the same time!
So we sit down and pound numbers and then I say the heck with it. I give him a number I think is right and tell him if he can get the deal to that number, he's got a sale. He asks me to give him a day and he'll get back to me. I'm waiting the next day with my head down on my desk crying cause he hasn't called me back yet.
OK, well then I'll just call other dealers to get a quote and to keep him honest on top of that. I call Columbus, Ohio, Byers Automotive Group, talk to Michael Kirkham and he along with his GM are pounding numbers left and right. They get within a few dollars of where I want to be and I say I have to give the Cleveland dealer one last chance to give me his price. Just for the heck of it, I also called the Cincinnati Porsche dealer and they want time to work out a deal. I don't have time..... I want that car RIGHT now! You guys know what I mean, don't you?
That afternoon, Cleveland calls and gives me a price. Good but not there yet. Anyhow, to make a long story short, Cleveland and Columbus are battling it out to make the sale. Columbus gets to the price and even below and I'm happy. Cleveland ain't and they try and make another offer. I'm having a mental breakdown answering my cell phone every 5-10 minutes. Finally, I tell my girlfriend I'm done, I can't take it any more. You make the final deal. Whatever it is, I'm OK with it. I not talking to anyone else! Honest!
She makes the deal at 3 or 4 that afternoon and Columbus wants to deliver it that night! Huh? OK with me!
They deliver her in an enclosed trailer around 7 p.m. that night. I guess they were worried I might change my mind. Felt good though getting approved on a $443,800 car in only an hour or so..... Thanks again DAD!!
Well, we're trying to unload her with regular aluminum ramps and 12-14 ft wooden extension 2 x 12s. First try, craaaack, the wooden boards break in half. After close to an hour or so, we finally get her off the trailer. Damn does she sits so lowwww. Anything taller than an ANT on the road better get the hell out of the way!
This machine is unreal, honestly! It really is a race car on the street. You try and get in.... it's easier if your related to Harry Houdini cause you have to be a contortionist to have a chance of sitting down. Well almost.... I have the XT or XL seats which means they're made for us fat *** Americans. I almost fit... just gotta lose 50 or 75 lbs. Just kiddin...... they really hug your butt. If you're claustrophobic, this is not the car for you. If you and a passenger are in the car, don't both of you turn toward each other at the same time or one of you will wind up with a broken nose! I guess I'm trying to say, the cabin is certainly cozy. The gearshift lever in the middle of the upright console is surprisingly easy to operate and has a great feel.
The instruments are easy to read. The radio is pretty good, but unless you've got reading glasses of about 5x, you've got no chance of seeing what the hell you're doing. The car's leather seats and dash are of excellent quality. Great seating position. You put the key in, start the car (hope I remembered to wear my diaper) and ohhh my good God! What I have I got in my hands. Darth Vader doesn't have anything on this ride.
You start to back her out of the garage and then hey..... what's going on. There's nothing behind me. That's because you can't SEE anything behind you! The only car with worse rear vision is the Ford GT. Women, children and pets, run for your lives!
When I first tried to drive the car, I remember reviews telling me not to give it gas at first but to just slip the clutch and as she starts rolling, then give her some fuel. They were right! 2 to 3 times in the first few weeks that I drove her, I stalled it in heavy traffic making a turn. Really makes you look like an *** and scares the hell out of you! I think I've finally got it down pat now, but it's still in the back of my mind and haunts me. The gas and brake pedals are floor mounted, which may contribute to the lack of ease starting out because it's a different feeling for me.
The ride is pretty firm and the first time we took it on the road, we both looked over at each other cause we couldn't hear the radio and had to speak fairly loud to be heard. I guess we're use to it now.
This car is 'stupid fast'. If you're an idiot you'll be in trouble very quickly! One night coming home from our restaurant, some jerk off was playing with me and I had a few drinks in me and said like in 'Network', "I'm not going to take it anymore." We're going over a freeway bridge at the time and I goose it and she starts going sideways a little. Whoa Daddy! Brilliant! That took care of my desire to be Evil Knievel.
As you'll see in the pics there's carbon fiber everywhere. Seats, door sills, dash, rear wing struts and the complete belly pan. They said don't run over anything bigger than a pebble or your insurance company is not going to be too happy replacing the belly pan to the tune of $30-40K! (That's what the dealer told me)
Other than the clutch, the only other minor pain seems to be that the transmission is a cold bugger.... especially in Winter. She takes at least 2-3 miles or more to warm up so you don't have to granny shift to avoid grinding some gears.
Probably the funniest thing I've been told is this girl that I eventually met at a later time said she saw and heard me coming down the street in her Porsche Boxster's rear view mirror and didn't know what the heck it was. She said as I flew past her, she STILL didn't know what the hell just zoomed by.... but she told me she definitely heard it! This CGT sounds just like a F1 in the right rev zone at speed or when revved up at stand still. Wanna be just like Michael Schumaker someday? Start saving your shekels cause this is the car you want!
I think the plate ' ILL B BAC' fits her perfectly...... how about you? Michael
p.s. Please don't make fun of me for having a dirty floor. I drive the CGT all Winter long as long as there's no snow, salt dust and gravel debris on the roads. I clean the outside often but the interior would be a daily chore. I'll be doing it in a couple of days. Also, the letter 'T' on the rear of the car is off. I was drying the CGT off one day last Fall and the towel snagged the letter and popped right off! It's only held on with double stick tape. Cheap *** car!
04-19-2006 | 11:49 AM
#3
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 115
Likes: 0
From: Cincinnati, OH, USA
Originally Posted by magwheel
p.s. Please don't make fun of me for having a dirty floor. I drive the CGT all Winter long as long as there's no snow, salt dust and gravel debris on the roads. I clean the outside often but the interior would be a daily chore. I'll be doing it in a couple of days. Also, the letter 'T' on the rear of the car is off. I was drying the CGT off one day last Fall and the towel snagged the letter and popped right off! It's only held on with double stick tape. Cheap *** car!
Are you still having trouble adjusting to the clutch on hills? More seat time needed to practice?
04-19-2006 | 11:58 AM
#4
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 229
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From: Ohio
Originally Posted by MANUAL
Spoken like a fellow driving enthusiast, magwheel.
Are you still having trouble adjusting to the clutch on hills? More seat time needed to practice?
Are you still having trouble adjusting to the clutch on hills? More seat time needed to practice?
04-19-2006 | 12:27 PM
#5
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 3,830
Likes: 222
From: La Jolla
Good Read!
Your license plate is one for the ages. Absolutely dead on for the car.
Though I know the Ford GT is not in the same class as the CGT, how does it differ from the CGT? I really do not know enough about the car other than the early problems.
Your license plate is one for the ages. Absolutely dead on for the car.
Though I know the Ford GT is not in the same class as the CGT, how does it differ from the CGT? I really do not know enough about the car other than the early problems.
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04-19-2006 | 08:01 PM
#10
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,698
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From: Longboat Key, FL
Originally Posted by whitefox
So tell me, which one is your favorite?
Also, where can I apply for your job?
Also, where can I apply for your job?
but the cgt is his fav!
04-19-2006 | 09:02 PM
#11
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well, you're obviously a car enthusiast! But I get the impression you aren't really a Porsche enthusiast - it sounds like you didn't read or know much about the car before you bought it? I must say, that's a first on Rennlist!
Anyway, enjoy your car and be careful.
Anyway, enjoy your car and be careful.
04-20-2006 | 12:30 AM
#12
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 229
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From: Ohio
Favorite
Originally Posted by icon
he's gonna tell you he doesnt have a favorite, and that he likes them all for different reasons!
but the cgt is his fav!
but the cgt is his fav!
Nada!
No speaka da english!
No comprende espanol!
Ohhhh..... don't have a favorite.... love them all! Jeff keeps trying to put words in my mouth cause he's a Porsche nut.
michael
04-20-2006 | 12:43 AM
#13
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Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Ohio
Porsche enthusiast
Originally Posted by pcar964
well, you're obviously a car enthusiast! But I get the impression you aren't really a Porsche enthusiast - it sounds like you didn't read or know much about the car before you bought it? I must say, that's a first on Rennlist!
Anyway, enjoy your car and be careful.
Anyway, enjoy your car and be careful.
No..... I'm not an expert race car driver but do you have to break the sound barrier to enjoy a 'supercar'? Can't you just own one to enjoy the technological achievement of that manufacturer?
I've read a lots of posts where guys thrash the hell out of their cars and get their rocks off going 150-200 mph. That ain't my bag! Sorry I disappointed you!
04-20-2006 | 12:55 AM
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Originally Posted by magwheel
I've read a lots of posts where guys thrash the hell out of their cars and get their rocks off going 150-200 mph. That ain't my bag! Sorry I disappointed you!