At 21 Years Old, the Porsche Carrera GT Receives an Update

Porsche does not forget its past glories and continues to enhance them, just like the Carrera GT that appeared in 2023 and was produced in 1270 units.

Its legend comes from various sources. First, its naturally aspirated V10 5.7 liters engine with 612 horsepower and a magical sound. Then, its performance with a weight of 1380 kg, a 0 to 100 km/h time of 3.9 seconds (yes, an electric car weighing 2 tons does better today…) or its top speed of 330 km/h. And how can we ignore its superb manual gearbox? That’s the good side, but a darker profile has also fueled the respect of drivers fortunate enough to be behind the wheel: its uncompromising behavior. Good drivers love to tame it, while the less skilled are much less enthusiastic.

So, because technology is constantly evolving, Porsche asked Michelin to develop a new tire for the Carrera GT. The supercar may have celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2023, but it remains perfectly relevant. Thus, a new Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tire reserved exclusively for Porsche has arrived in dealerships.

Porsche admits it: with these tires, the Carrera GT is now more precise and predictable when driven to the limit, which improves its performance and increases safety. “Developing new tires for a 20-year-old car is very unusual,” says driver Bergmeister. “This shows how important the Carrera GT and its customers are still for Porsche today.” The goal of developing the new tires – a process in which Bergmeister participated – was to further enhance the driving dynamics and safety of the supercar, on wet and dry roads. To achieve this, two different rubber compounds (bi-component technology) are used in the tread. “We use silica on the inner shoulder and the inner tread block to achieve the best grip on wet surfaces,” explains Mathieu Greco, a development engineer at Michelin, responsible for tires for Porsche sports cars. “The compound on the outer shoulder and the outer tread block of the tire is designed for grip on dry surfaces. One of the most important ingredients here is carbon black.”

The contact patch has been optimized through extensive testing of driving dynamics and handling, some of which were carried out on the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife. The goal was to create the optimal tire for the Carrera GT, a high-performance sports car. Jörg Bergmeister on the result: “I am impressed by how the engineers have improved the feedback at the limit. You feel much more distinctly the moment when the tire begins to lose grip.”

The classic car is faster and safer

The improved balance provides significantly enhanced driving dynamics and allows for even faster lap times on the track. Bergmeister explains: “The new tires not only make the Carrera GT faster but also make it easier to drive the car at high speeds. This shows that tire development is still progressing. Motorsport, in particular, is a development platform that ensures that technological advancements in tires are directly transferred to production tires. This technological transfer significantly improves performance.”

In addition to better feedback at the limit, the new Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires also allow the Carrera GT to stop faster in an emergency brake situation. The braking distance from 100 km/h to a complete stop is reduced by 2.5 meters. From 200 km/h, the supercar stops 12 meters sooner. “Tires specially developed for a car are always an advantage. Not only for performance, but also for driving safety. The data to illustrate this is impressive,” concludes Bergmeister.

The new Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires for the Carrera GT were developed in close collaboration between Michelin, Porsche Classic, and the Porsche Development Center in Weissach. They can be ordered from Porsche Classic partners or at any Porsche Center.

This update follows that of Ferrari with its Enzo in collaboration with Pirelli.