Going Through the Carrera GT with a Fine-Tooth Comb

For all of Doug DeMuro’s fastidiousness, he appreciates the bolder bits of an analog sports car. Perhaps nothing best deserves that title in recent years than the Carrera GT. It’s killed actors, struck fear in the hearts of stoic journalists, and rightfully earned a place on the Mt. Olympus of supercars. It’s also the last of a breed, sadly, as nothing like this will go on sale again unless we experience a massive regulatory shift in the years to come. I’m not holding my breath.

The Carrera GT sports a carbon tub, but that is one of the few 21st-century innovations it has. Its motor, an atmospheric 5.7-liter V10, sends 605 horsepower through a six-speed manual and a notoriously tricky carbon clutch. That’s a collection of goodies which would worry a sensible driver.

There are plenty of reviews of this car which detail just how one ought to treat it. Predictably, this car favors the circumspect, considerate driver, but it isn’t undriveable in the right hands. Not every owner must be Walter Rohrl to enjoy this car doing what it does best.

DeMuro doesn’t try to assess the performance of the car in an eye-opening way. Instead, his eye for detail and appreciation of clever engineering take you through this car in more detail that you’re likely to ever experience in the flesh. Everything about this car is done with such care and attention to detail; even the removable roof has a specific storage procedure which will make any reader with OCD weep tears of joy.

In reality, few drivers have the talent necessary to grapple with a fearsome car like this, and even fewer drivers will have an opportunity to experience the car in real life. What DeMuro does is celebrate the engineering, the ergonomics, the amenities, and all the other aspects of a car which make it a usable, enjoyable, fascinating vehicle. Unlike the others, DeMuro recognizes that even a car as quick and capable as this one isn’t simply a tool for finding speed. For him and so many of us, a good car is one which can be as entertaining standing still as it is at speed, and this engineering masterpiece could even be drooled over in the dim light of a collector’s garage.