In some ways, it’s more difficult to design a supercar compared to a competition vehicle making extensive use of carbon fiber race car components. Where a race car is designed for pure function and little in the way of creature comforts for the driver, an exotic car needs to combine the right blend of intoxicating performance, top quality race car components and luxury features.

Nowadays, exotic car manufacturers from the well-known (Ferrari & Lamboghini) to competing startups take every occasion to trumpet their foray in carbon fiber manufacturing to eke out the best performance from their products. But almost a decade ago, Porsche released a limited production car for the street that even today would be at par with the latest offerings from the top supercar manufacturers. This was the Carrera GT, which was the most technically advanced street car for its time. Combining minimal weight, maximum stiffness and a low center of gravity with a mid-mounted engine, it was essentially an F1 car for the street, with room for a passenger.

Using a carbon fiber tub for the passenger cell, Porsche integrated the windshield frame and roll bar to obtain maximum stiffness. In fact, the Carrera GT, which is an open top car, has better torsional stiffness than the production 911 for that period. Continuing with the carbon fiber construction theme, the car also uses a rear subframe made from the same material, to which the engine is bolted onto. At that time, Porsche was already able to use this race car component in a high heat environment. It used a special resin in the composite matrix that could withstand the heat generated by the engine without deforming.

But the German manufacturer didn’t stop with those major components in making the Carrera GT. About a thousand different carbon fiber parts and race car components were utilised. When one imagines the molds needed for form a composite part, it’s no wonder that the Carrera GT is a very expensive limited-production car. Each chassis took up 5 days of labor, which meant that 10 sets of tooling equipment were needed just to make two Carrera GTs a day during its planned production period.

Race Car Components

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