I am interested in a Carrera GT and I have several questions for Carrera GT owners or someone who has had A LOT of seat time in one.

How reliable is the car? I drive my cars very often, although not daily driven, I plan on putting at least 15k miles a year.

Is there something specific I should look for in these cars before making a purchase? (A problem common to the CGT?)

How hard is it to engage the clutch? As I said this car won't be a daily driver, but I plan on driving it a lot and will probably be stuck in traffic and in hills. My previous 996TT had a stg 3 clutch to handle the 700+ hp and I was able to manage.

What is the maintenance schedule like for the CGT? and how much should I be expecting to pay the dealer?

What options were available for these cars when they were new?

Lastly is their any difference between a 2004 model and a 2005 model?

Thanks!

 

i was in the market a few months ago. one thing that turned me off was the price of the clutch which is nearly 20k to replace. im not sure abuot other service cost but. seems to much for a clutch. i was gonna drive it nearly as much as you . i dont think there much difference in the 04 -05 actually was told that 04 had a better clutch feel than 05 but very slight. most are fully loaded and it comes down to what color combo u want. definately my dream car still. good luck and make sure you look around for one with no stories .

 

Thanks for the reply, I have been told several years back (when I wasn't in the market for one) that it was anywhere between 20k-30k. One owner told me he was able to negotiate down to $16k at his local Porsche dealer.

Even though it's very expensive, I think with proper driving, the clutch should last a while shouldn't it?

 

i think it should last at least 15k miles . but i heard about someone that was selling a cgt with 5k miles only because they didn't want spend 20k that often. apparently they couldn't drive stick well or they had lots of fun lol.

 

LOL sounds like BOTH!

I sure hope the clutch lasts more then 15k??

 

I have 14k miles on my 2004 CGT. The car has been a joy. Third set of tires. Second set of brakes. Otherwise, only routine scheduled maintenance.

Don't make a purchase without a dealer PPI. Lots of variability in the samples out there. PPI will reveal any problems and/or recalls missed.

Clutch is a non-issue after the first few months. Let the computer do the work. If you're on the hills of San Francisco, buy something with an automatic.

Maintenance is a little more expensive than other P-cars because of the extra labor securing the car to a lift and removing the carbon under-panels. The 15k or annual intervals are no worse than other exotics. Prices are better than most Ferrari dealers charge.

Only options were color choices and "paint to sample". I think 2005's had some exclusive options, but cars were identical 2004 to 2005, except for running changes (headlight ventilation, door pull cable -- recalls on 2004).

 

great info +1

 

DAMN 3 sets of tires in 14k miles? I thought I was a serious a driver!

Do you know how long the warranty was for these cars and if aftermarket warranty is available?

Thanks for the info by the way.

 

I'm ON my third set of tires (have not worn 'em out yet.) Don't know about duration of warranty...just that I'm out, except for emissions components in the USA.

 

Yes, with proper driving, it will last waaaay longer than 15k miles. As another said, the clutch will be a non issue in very short order.

 

Is there anything else I should be on the lookout for?

What services should be done on a 04-05 car with 5k or so miles?

Sorry for the all the questions. I just need to make sure if I am spending this kind of money on a car, I can "drive" it.

 

Make sure the tires have not flat spotted from sitting still. (Fill them to 50 psi if storing for a long time.) If they have, ask for a tire allowance or new rubber as a condition of purchase.

If it hasn't been done in a year: 1) oil & filter change, 2) brake fluid flush, 3) windshield washer fluid top-up, 4) change the radio station, so it doesn't take a set. (It's a car, not a space shuttle.)

 

Awesome! Thanks for the help. Will keep you guys updated on my purchase!

 

FWIW I recall seeing an article on a guy about a year or two ago that had 60K miles on his CGT and was using it as a dd just to show it could be done.

my advice would be to find one with some miles already on it, as if you plan to pile on 15K miles per year, makes no sense to to pay a large premium for a super low mile example assuming you can find one with miles that passes a ppi etc..

 

Yes definitely. There are some low mileage cars 1500 and under in the $400k+ range. I am looking for a black or red one in the 5k-10k miles range.

Let me know if you guys come across any good leads.