stuttgart46

I was listening to Maxim radio (Sirius) and they were interviewing the producer from Redline. He stated that he destroyed his own personal C-GT because it was too dangerous. He vaguely commented on the deaths that the C-GT has caused and then went on to say that Porsche has stopped making the C-GT because it is too dangerous and that the C-GT will just loose control without notice.
I do not own a C-GT but I have friends that do and my brother works for Porsche and has driven several GT's and none of them have complained about the car being uncontrollable. I imagine that this a case of operator error.

netburner

Another episode of "If you can't drive stay out of Super- and Hyper-Cars!"

blueillusion97

"... Former world rally champion and Porsche test driver Walter Röhrl told Drive the new Porsche supercar is "the first car in my life that I drive and I feel scared". ..."

W8MM

Your imagination is correct.

Neophyte super-car drivers that don't think too deeply about the physics of going faster and faster can go past the point of no return before they realize it.

The Carrera GT and other cars with similar performance accelerate so quickly that they are traveling at much higher speeds than an inexperienced driver may expect. The CGT feels so stable at these higher speeds that the driver has to think past the "planted" feeling to understand and anticipate everything that is involved with super-car velocity.

A common misconception "that only makes sense" (to shallow thinkers) is a car which is twice as fast as normal only needs cornering prowess twice as good as normal to match the higher speeds in corners. They would be wrong, of course, since double the velocity around a corner requires FOUR TIMES the lateral grip of the original cornering speed. This square-law cornering dilemma is the source of extreme dismay if discovered in mid-maneuver.

Well engineered cars don't go out of control for their own reasons. Drivers of these cars have to abandon control for them to become dangerous. One way to give up control is to put the car in a situation in which it cannot possibly follow commands to keep it on the road; i.e. speed too fast for conditions.

The Redline producer is just trying to hype his movie to those potential patrons who need some vicarious danger to feel excited. I'm sure he could care less if the hype distorts the truth a little.

multi21

That is a great post, W8MM.

The problem with these people is that they "DON'T RESPECT" the fact that they have a car with over 600 HP. Unlike the enthusist that knows what the car is, they jump into the car thinking "it's just a car". They think they're getting into a Lexus and because it's a super car from Porsche, it will handle just fine. No concept of the laws of physics.

Look at Eddie Griffin and this same producer that let him into the Ferrari Enzo only to end up in a K-Rail. Too much power, not enough experience or respect for the car.

DMin

IIRC the Redline producer bought a totaled C-GT off of Ebay to destroy in the movie.

I need to search for that post...

Sharptt

Here is a quote from the Producer/Financer Daniel Sadek:
Q: How did you decide to wreck a Porsche Carrera GT in the film?
Daniel Sadek: The way it went down is, I had two Porsche GTS. And quite honestly, that car's spun out on me a couple of times. It's a very, very scary car... I thought if any of my friends borrow it, my friends or myself, could easily get killed in it, number one. Number two is that a computer graphics shot would never be the same. So out of all my cars, it was my least favorite car.

Considering the source, in my mind, this is a ringing endorsement for the Carerra GT.

DMin

This is by no means definitive, but according to this thread the car they destroyed was a salvage car.

Also of interest, this thread discusses Eddie Griffin crashing that same producer's Enzo a day prior to a charity event. And yet no comment about the dangerous Enzo as well?

Basically, the producer is a lying weasel looking for publicity for a movie that likely will tank.

A430v

It tanked already.

As with any supercar...CGT, Enzo, even GT3 RS, F430, etc...the key word is R E S P E C T and don't drive beyond your ability thinking you're Mr. Schumacher, M. Schumacher.

Nick

I submit your comments make the best case as to why the car is dangerous to all but a few professional drivers.

However, I agree the producer is trying to hype his film.

JBH

There are 3 errors in this statement. (1) Unless it explodes for no reason, a car by itself can not cause a death; (2) Porsche did not stop production of the CGT because of deaths; and (3) unless there are a rash of suspension failures (news to me) a car does not just lose control by itself.

Let's understand something...it is not hp that kills people, it's the speed. Most people don't understand the risks associated with doing 130+ mph. It doesn't really matter what kind of car you are driving at the time, the loss of control at that kind of speed, for whatever reason, is very dangerous.

I'm guessing Walter Röhrl never drove a 935 and given a choice, I would bet he would choose the Carrera GT every time.

blueillusion97

I would have to disagree with that....speed doesn't kill, its that suden deceleration that gets you.

1958 Convertible D

After 4,000 miles behind the wheel, including several track days with speeds up to 180mph, I can safely say that you have no clue what you're "submitting". Driven with caution and respect, the Carrera GT is no more difficult to drive than a Honda Civic (easier with the clutch - throttle assist). I've had the car start to spin on me a few times while coming out of turns on the track. Each time I was able to catch the spin and resume control.

I'm far from a professional driver, but still safely enjoy this car on the public roads, and the way it's meant to be experienced - on the track. Everyone should be so fortunate.

Nick

I hope you continue to successfully catch your imminent spins.

BuddyG

And we all hope you continue to need your training wheels to drive.