This Rare 2005 Porsche Carrera GT Sports Car was Born to Race and Bred to Drive
The matching-numbers Carrera GT is listed for sale with only 16,571 original miles
02/28/2024
When FIA rule changes in 1999 put a halt to Porsche’s planned Le Mans prototype, the race car’s 5.5-liter V10 engine was put on the shelf, but not for long. Queue the Carrera GT, built to comfortably accommodate the production version of the new V10, a 605 horsepower 5.7-liter beast fed by four valves per cylinder, offering screaming high-revs up to a 8,400-rpm redline. Power hits the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission that features a Porsche carbon-ceramic-composite clutch.
If the race engine isn’t enough, the inboard rocker arms installed between the Porsche’s upper and lower wishbones at all four corners are another key indicator to the Carrera GT’s race readiness. The car’s aerodynamic carbon-fiber body and subframe, both provided by Italian firm ATR Composites, is lightweight and durable. The curb weight of the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT is 3,043-pounds. A retractable rear wing extends to add downforce when the driver hits 75 mph.
According to the Porsche USA website, the top speed of the Carrera GT is “officially 330km/h (205 mph), which, 18 years ago, is a figure that would have been the preserve of low-flying aircraft.”
Massive eight-piston brake calipers up front and four-piston calipers at the rear squeeze against ventilated and cross-drilled carbon-ceramic brake rotors for optimal high-speed braking. The cabin is chock full of power features and luxurious creature comforts.
This Silver Metallic example, just one of 644 US-delivery Carrera GTs and one of only 1,270 built worldwide, shows only 16,571 original miles on the odometer. According to the Make Offer listing on Hemmings.com Marketplace, the accident-free, privately-owned 2005 Porsche Carrera GT received a major engine-out service so buyers can make their offers in confidence.
Inside, the XT bucket seats on the passenger and driver’s side are upholstered in dark grey leather. Other interior features include a carbon fiber steering wheel and gear shift, working air conditioning, the original Porsche Online Pro CD Radio, and GBR Floor Mats. Race over to the listing to learn more.
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Boosted Powertrain
At the heart of this SVT Lightning is its iron-block 5.4-liter SOHC, 16-valve V8 with a supercharger and an intercooler. The blower helped it deliver 380 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque in 2001, up some 20 horsepower and 10 lb-ft from the ’99 and 2000 models. The Eaton supercharged engine delivered peak boost of 8.0 psi and the engine featured an 8.4:1 static compression ratio, down from the standard 5.4 V8’s 9.0:1, which was rated at 260 horsepower and 350 lb-ft.
Power reached the rear 18-inch cast aluminum-alloy wheels via a four-speed automatic, an aluminum driveshaft and a beefy 9.75-inch, limited-slip rear axle with an acceleration-friendly 3.73:1 final-drive ratio, another upgrade for 2001. Car and Driver magazine reported a 0-60 mph time of 5.2 seconds and a quarter-mile in an E.T. of 13.8 seconds at 104 mph—impressive numbers for a 4,600-pound truck. Top speed was a drag-limited 142 mph.
A Truly Sporting Truck
Trucks generally require a suspension that can handle a full load in its bed while also providing competent driving while empty. But if you fancy one designed to a sports-car standard, then something has to give. In the case of the second-gen Lightning, Ford dropped its payload capacity to a mere 800 pounds. A standard 2001 F-150 Styleside carried a 3,180-pound payload rating, while an F-150 Flareside was rated at 2,005 pounds, some two-and-a-half times the Lightning, which featured the short-bed Flareside body. Towing capacity, likewise, was reduced from 8,800 pounds to 5,000 in the Lightning. But the Lightning’s strengths were never its payload or towing capacities, but it’s ability to perform like a sports car.
As a 21st century performance vehicle, however, the second-gen Lightning was also equipped to handle. A half-inch drop at the front was accompanied by SVT-specific coil springs and Bilstein shocks along with an exclusive 31-mm solid anti-roll bar. SVT’s influence continued at the rear with Lightning-specific five-leaf springs and a 23-mm solid anti-roll bar. The Bilstein setup at the rear included the right-rear shock staggered toward the front of the truck to reduce axle hop under heavy acceleration. The four-wheel antilock disc brakes were cribbed from the three-quarter-ton F-250, with 12.1-inch front rotors at the front and 13.1-inch discs at the rear.
As the years go on, fewer and fewer clean, unmolested low-mileage examples are out there, which is why this 2001 Ford SVT F150 Lightning now on Hemmings Auctions caught our attention. Showing just 5,525.5 miles on its odometer at the time of submission, it is said to be in “mint” condition and have an “immaculate” finish in the seller’s words. No modifications are noted to any part of the vehicle. The 18-inch factory alloys don’t appear to have any curb rash, though the Goodyear performance tires may be original. About the only deviations from stock are the tinted windows.
The latest electric-only F-150 Lightning is certainly a quick vehicle in its own right, but this 2001 edition from the engineers at SVT was built for excitement, not range. It was made with an old-school muscle-car vibe along with modern handling and braking. Which Lightning would you look good behind the wheel of?
Take a look at this second-gen Lightning on Hemmings Auctions before the bidding ends.
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