The Porsche Model Paul Walker Died in Was Both Extremely Powerful and a "Handful to Drive" [VIDEO]
Dec 04, 2013 20:39
Fast & Furious star Paul Walker died on Saturday after the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT he was in spun out of control and hit a tree. Experts familiar with the model are saying that the Carrera GT isn't just for the casual driver. They say it is a "handful to drive".
Driven by experienced racer Roger Rodas, the car had three times the horsepower of an average vehicle and ran a V10 engine. It is a seriously power beast. The two seater was even heralded as one of the fastest cars on the market when it debuted eight years ago.
The model is now getting a closer look following the tragic crash. According to experts, the car is difficult to control when flying at top speed.
"It's a pure racer's car," Todd Trimble, an exotic car mechanic in Las Vegas, told CNN. "You really need to know what you're doing when you drive them. And a lot of people are learning the hard way."
Porsche discontinued the model after two years of launching due to changing airbag regulations and only 1,270 GT models were manufactured and 604 sold in the U.S.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Paul Walker with his Porsche Carerra GT hours before the crash <a href="http://t.co/wqBe34IE4y">http://t.co/wqBe34IE4y</a> <a href="http://t.co/JXrMJXXrSx">pic.twitter.com/JXrMJXXrSx</a></p>— Victor Mosqueda (@VicMosqueda) <a href="https://twitter.com/VicMosqueda/statuses/407018510573764609">December 1, 2013</a></blockquote>
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Trimble noted only 25% are left from the original batch: "They're getting rarer and rarer," Trimble said. "Most of the time, when they do get wrecked, there's not much left of them."
The model was also featured on Top Gear, with Jeremy Clarkson saying "Not only is it one of the fastest and most exciting cars I've ever driven, it's also one of the most beautiful." But he also warned: "Make a mistake ... it bites your head off."
The reason for that comment was the lack of stability control and the car's lightweight nature. The engine of the car is in the middle, which also helps thec ar turn quickly. Check out how the car easily loses control in the video below:
"You need to be awake to drive this fast," he said. "The clutch is brutal, the power is savage, and the handling — you really are on a knife edge. But if you put in an effort, boy oh boy do you get the rewards."
And even in the hands of an experienced racer, the car still spun out. The accident was tragic indeed. All signs point to more reasons we need autonomous cars as soon as possible.
