To prove how relevant this car's 50 year-old technology still is, the GS Carrera GT displayed driving attributes similar to some cars today: comfortable and sporty. Unfortunately for me (fortunately perhaps for Porsche), the route we selected was the scenic Pacific Coast Highway. Beautiful, but severely crowded. The 2.0L displayed a fairly flat power curve and was a joy to behold all the way to 4,500 rpm (don't tell Porsche...). What it also did was roar loud enough to wake the dead! What a sound!
The PCH is famous for its series of esses and the Carrera was much less of a handful than I expected. Steering was direct, unburdonned with modern assistance tactics but did suffer from a lack of on center feel and immediate response. Brakes (4-wheel drums) were sufficient for the small task at hand but pedal travel was long.
These minute niggles and shifter travel from here to Timbuktoo made the driving experience very real where driver involvement was non-negotiable. If only we could say the same of today's cars.
From the mad 2000 GS Carrera GT, I settled into the 356B Carrera 2 Cabriolet. Little did I know that at that very moment, I was saddling up behind the wheel of not only the rarest car I'll ever drive but also, the most expensive. Can you guess the value of this “1 of 34” most powerful 356 Cabriolet? If you followed my tweets @Matt_St_Pierre, you'd know... Try 1 million dollars. Had I known before I left, I would never have enjoyed this thrill.
This Cabriolet was also powered by 1,966 cc 2.0L flat-4 cylinder, hence the Carrera name. Its lessened state of tune put 130 hp to work and limited the top speed to 200 km/h. This dreamy red Speedster felt like a Cadillac Coupe De Ville Convertible compared to the Coupe. The ride was unexpectedly smooth.
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| The GS Carrera GT displayed driving attributes similar to some cars today: comfortable and sporty. (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre/Auto123.com) |
The PCH is famous for its series of esses and the Carrera was much less of a handful than I expected. Steering was direct, unburdonned with modern assistance tactics but did suffer from a lack of on center feel and immediate response. Brakes (4-wheel drums) were sufficient for the small task at hand but pedal travel was long.
These minute niggles and shifter travel from here to Timbuktoo made the driving experience very real where driver involvement was non-negotiable. If only we could say the same of today's cars.
From the mad 2000 GS Carrera GT, I settled into the 356B Carrera 2 Cabriolet. Little did I know that at that very moment, I was saddling up behind the wheel of not only the rarest car I'll ever drive but also, the most expensive. Can you guess the value of this “1 of 34” most powerful 356 Cabriolet? If you followed my tweets @Matt_St_Pierre, you'd know... Try 1 million dollars. Had I known before I left, I would never have enjoyed this thrill.
This Cabriolet was also powered by 1,966 cc 2.0L flat-4 cylinder, hence the Carrera name. Its lessened state of tune put 130 hp to work and limited the top speed to 200 km/h. This dreamy red Speedster felt like a Cadillac Coupe De Ville Convertible compared to the Coupe. The ride was unexpectedly smooth.
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| From the mad 2000 GS Carrera GT, I settled into the 356B Carrera 2 Cabriolet. (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre/Auto123.com) |