When the invited media gathered at the Louvre on the dawn of the 2000 Paris Motor Show’s first press day, the vast majority of those in attendance had no idea what they were about to witness. Porsche had issued invites with few details and, somewhat frustratingly, had given away very little about what its motorsport division in Weissach had been working on behind closed doors. Sure, a new Porsche product was about to be unveiled, but this car was to be a big surprise.
Not just the Carrera GT, but this very car. Now residing in the Canepa Collection in Scotts Valley, California, this special Porsche carries a unique story. It’s one of two prototypes built as production-ready concept cars for the Carrera GT’s debut in Paris, where it was put through its paces in the capable hands of factory test driver and two-time World Rally Championship victor, Walter Röhrl. The prototype on these pages, however, is the only survivor.
Porsche had done well to keep the car under wraps, not least because some of the
