Jay Leno’s Carrera GT Just Ruined Every Other Car For This German CEO
Handing someone the keys to one of the most intimidating analog supercars ever built requires serious trust. Letting him loose on a twisting mountain road before asking him to compare it with a rare classic Porsche makes the experiment even better. Jay Leno invited A. Lange & Söhne CEO Wilhelm Schmid to drive two Porsche Carrera legends separated by more than four decades of engineering. One offered delicacy, simplicity and old-school charm. The other brought 605 horsepower, a manual transmission and a V10 soundtrack loud enough to make electrification feel like a personal attack. Schmid arrived with high expectations, but one car still left him completely stunned.
The Porsche Carrera GT Is Still A Savage Machine
Leno began by handing Schmid the keys to his 2004 Porsche Carrera GT. Despite owning a 1966 Porsche 911 2.0 S and a 1959 Porsche 356 Roadster, Schmid had never driven a Carrera GT or even seen one roaming public roads in Germany.
The Carrera GT produces 605 horsepower, weighs approximately 3,000 pounds and can reach a claimed 205 mph. Those numbers remain serious today, but they were absolute madness in 2004.
Leno also discussed its tiny six-inch clutch. The compact design allowed Porsche to mount the engine lower in the chassis, improving its center of gravity and handling. It also helped create one of the most demanding clutch pedals ever fitted to a road car.
Schmid quickly fell for the precise steering, sharp throttle response and screaming V10. He called it superior to every modern performance car he had previously driven, including the original BMW M3 CSL, which had been his benchmark.
The 356 Carrera 2 Was Old-School Porsche Perfection
Leno then moved Schmid into his 1963 Porsche 356 Carrera 2 four-cam. It could not compete with the Carrera GT’s power, but that was never the point. The 356 was built around lightness, balance and carrying speed instead of smashing the road into submission.
Its four-cam engine came alive above approximately 4,500 rpm, encouraging the driver to work for the performance. There was no power steering or power braking, leaving very little between the driver and the machinery.
Leno’s car also has a brilliant history. Porsche specialist John Willhoit built it during the 1970s before someone offered him $16,000, approximately twice what it was worth. Willhoit did not want to sell, but he bought a house and accepted the offer. Roughly 30 years later, Leno discovered the car and called Willhoit, who immediately recognized his former build. It had traveled fewer than 10,000 miles since leaving his ownership, so Leno bought it on the spot.
The Carrera GT Was On Another Planet
Schmid normally prefers small, light and nimble cars, which should have handed the victory to the 356. It did not. When Leno asked which Carrera he would take home, Schmid chose the 2004 Carrera GT without hesitation. He described it as being on a different planet and called it “the best car I’ve ever driven in my life.”
The episode also explored Leno’s fascination with mechanical watches. He compared their tiny components and obsessive precision with Formula 1 engines, pointing out that both depend upon complicated mechanical systems working together perfectly. That obsession helps explain why the Carrera GT won so decisively. Like a hand-wound watch, it requires its owner to participate. The driver must operate the clutch, manage the engine and respect the machinery. Nothing important happens automatically. Schmid expected the Carrera GT to be fast. He did not expect a 22-year-old Porsche to ruin nearly every other performance car for him.
Related posts
Latest Post
No Comments