Car accidents happen, and with them injuries and even fatalities. It’s a tragic reality of being an auto enthusiast and a speed freak. Still, it seems a little bizarre that Paul Walker’s friend – his racing partner and co-founder of a racing company – would so badly lose control of a car on a public road. Great drivers don’t just crash cars, even when speeding.
But that seems to be the painful reality of the Porsche Carrera GT, a supercar that is notoriously dangerous to drive. Porsche has long been known for being ideal driver’s cars: the old 911’s were designed for the bare-boned driving lover, and the 914 still stands as one of the world’s greatest autocross cars. Even the gussied-up recent Porsches such as the Panamera and Cayenne have been designed with the driver in mind.
And yet, Porsche test driver and world champion rally racer Walter Warhl said after his first test drive of the Carrera GT that it was, “The first car in my life that I drive and feel scared.” Jay Leno – a very accomplished driver himself – infamously spun out his Carrera GT while driving at Talladega.
And, unfortunately, this is not the first time that someone died in a Carrera GT. Back in 2006 there was a fatal crash at California Speedway, which resulted in Porsche settling out of court for $4.5 million.
It’s something no sports car enthusiast ever wants to think about, but one has to wonder whether the Carrera GT is simply too dangerous to drive.
Photo Credit: Newspress
