The CGT is not a difficult car to drive. However, like other visceral, no-nonsense cars, it is unforgiving of mistakes caused by drivers of questionable skill and/or self control. It's no different from, say, a Viper in that regard, and I'm sure there are a lot more Viper crashes every year than CGT crashes. The cause, however, is generally the same. Doesn't mean either car is "unsafe" in any respect.

I can't comment directly on the TC system in the CGT, as in the two cars I've driven, I turned it off before I went anywhere. The car is, bar none, the most amazingly enthralling vehicle I've ever driven.

 

"2005 Porsche Carrera GT crashed into a retaining wall at California Speedway on June 2nd. Car was travelling approximately 150 mph when it lost control. Sadly, 2 people were killed, the passenger being Corey Rudl, one of the best internet marketers in the world. The driver was also well known and liked among Porsche enthusiasts."

 

You would be pleasantly surprised. The traction control in the CGT is so unobtrusive, that there is honestly little point in turning it off unless you are planning on doing something really devious with the car. It is quite a contrast to cars like the Nissan GT-R or the 996 Turbo where the traction control actually negatively impacts the enjoyment of the car.

 

+1

What has Traction Control anything to do with off throttle fishtailing? We're talking TC, not ESP here.

 

Correct. It definitely needs to be emphasized here that traction control and stability control and two entirely different things.

 

Of course there are more Viper crashes per year than CGT, for a million reasons.
Just wondering, why did you turn off the TC in both CGTs you drove?

 

Walter Rohrl has one rule about driving the CGT.....never, ever turn off the TC ! No joke.

While I am not privy to the details of the recent incidents in the NW, I have found the CGT a complete joy to drive.

That being said, I would like to take the car near its handling limits in a controlled, open environment to see what it does at the "edges". Maybe what Kuzi is trying to get at is if there is a common handling characteristic of the CGT when pushed beyond a certain point. As an owner, I think this is "useful" information !

 

A little anecdote: I was at RS Tuning recently in Germany and was talking about the CGT they had in for servicing....
The owner had his original CGT tuned by them and crashed it totalling it. The owner bought another, had it tuned and crashed that one as well. The owner bought another and left it stock...... the dealership crashed that one whilst it was on a test drive following maintenance. The owner is now on his 4th and it is stock.
We were discussing the CGT and how easy they are to crash...

I owned one for best part of a year. I am quite experienced in high torque cars and ran my 993tt in rear wheels drive mode with 800NM for a while with just the help of a 40/60 LSD so I know what scary feels like...

My opinion is that Porsche should have gone one step further on the CGT and put on the PSM/TC systems which the 997GT2 has. The CGT TC is just not enough for this car. Driving the CGT on cambered roads, if one has any angle on the steering and hits a camber under power the TC lights up and the back end comes around like nothing else I've experienced. I have played with it, hanging the tail out in a safe environment with the TC on and on billiard flat surfaces it is fun and doable but throw in some uneveness and all bets are off, the engine is a beast, so torquey in its throttle response - it will punish big time....

Personally I like to have my cars near and on the limit when no one else is around and the CGT was just too twitchy for that but I feel if they had put on the 997GT2's systems it would have made a big difference without newtering it.....

Having said the above, the CGT is a fabulous thing and used on the track for "fun" and for careful road driving it scores on many levels.....

 

Interesting thread, any one have seen the white CGT from KSA drifitng ?

YouTube - DRIFT.Carrera Gt and M5 in Riyadh,Saudi Arabia Cars-Club.com

 

After 3 years and almost 15,000 miles in my CGT it still requires my undivided attention 100% of the time when pushing the car on the road or track.

I had a great drive on Saturday, I drove from home 150 miles to Goodwood circuit on the South Coast for a trackday and then the 150 miles home totalling just under 500 miles.

I am firmly of the opinion it offers the most visceral and demanding driving experience of any Porsche street car, and is also the one that requires the most respect.

The TC system is at best rudimentary, and will allow high levels of slip angle before intervening. On the street I drive with it on, however on my journey to Goodwood on a damp section I still had half a turn of opposite lock at one point before the TC light came on. On the track I'd always switch the TC off unless it was wet or I was at the 'ring. The main issue on track with the TC is it hampers the point and level of power you can apply after the apex.

The Carrera GT is a car that to extract any measure of it's real performance requires a fair degree of skill and aptitude. Porsche could have 'dummed down' the experience with the addition of other electronic intervention devices but for me that would just have 'dummed down' the experience of mastering driving and controlling the car at pace on the road and track.

I for one applaud Porsche for making such a focused and undiluted drivers car, I'd never part with mine (well only to replace with another one!)

I doubt it's like will ever be repeated, let's not blame the car for some drivers inability for keeping it on the black stuff