On Saturday, Nov. 30, a deadly car crash took the lives of actor Paul Walker and longtime friend Roger Rodas in Santa Clarita, California. The two were holding a charity event to raise money for people affected by the typhoon in the Philippines and to provide toys for kids who wouldn't have presents around the holidays, when Rodas asked Walker to take a spin in his red Porsche. Rodas allegedly lost control of the vehicle and slammed into a post. The car burst into flames, taking their lives. Investigators believe speed was a factor in the single-vehicle crash, but it is unknown what caused the very experienced Rodas to lose control of the vehicle.
New reports are claiming that the car the two men were in is a very dangerous model: The Porsche Carrera GT. Porsche testers and acclaimed driving professionals have expressed their concerns about the vehicle, which carries the same disadvantages of a racecar. Walter Rohrl, a former world rally champion and Porsche test driver, told Drive magazine that the Porsche supercar is "the first car in my life that I drive and I feel scared." He said that the engineering team was about to cancel a day's testing at the famous Nurburgring circuit because of wet weather, but he insisted the car had to be tested in slippery conditions.
"I came back into the pits and I was white," Rohrl said. "I immediately said to the engineers that we need one button for the wet and one button for the dry," referring to the need for a traction control switch. Doug DeMuro, a former manager at Porsche Cars North America told Jalopnik.com that he loves the Carrera GT, but still believes it's incredibly dangerous: "The car is crazy... I think conservative estimates say something like 70 of these are off the road, and they keep severely injuring and killing people. My favorite car ever, in the whole world, but man are they dangerous... If you're ever offered a ride, definitely think twice about it... and if you ever get the chance to drive, for God's sake be careful!"
DeMuro added that it's "The most dangerous car on the road," and "The dangerous part is that it requires immense skill to drive, and is tremendously unforgiving." His feelings were echoed by renowned car critic Jeremy Clarkson when he reviewed the Carrera for hit British BBC motor show Top Gear. "I have never felt anything like that," he said. "You need to be awake to drive this fast. It really isn't an easy car to control, the clutch is brutal, the power is savage, and the handling... you really are on a knife edge. Other cars forgive you, but make a mistake in that and it bites your head off."
According to the Porsche's website, the Carrera GT has a top speed of 205 mph, a V-10 engine and more than 558-horsepower. Porsche claims it will accelerate from 0 to 62.1 mph in 3.9 seconds although road tests indicated that in reality the car can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds and 0-100 mph in 6.8 seconds. The car was manufactured from 2004-2007 and the company even issued a memo to dealers in the Midwest when the car came out, explaining how the almost $500,000 vehicle should be driven. They even warned that not anyone should be behind the wheel, because of its powerful engine and sensitivity to road conditions.
"I think it is very important that the man who has gone to technical training, at least is consulted before anyone drives this vehicle," the memo read. "Carrera GT is as close to a racecar as we will ever get. This car has all the disadvantages of a racecar." The memo went on, "You need help negotiating small inclines... You need to be aware of what type of road surface you are on (dips; pot holes, seam heights, etc.)," the document said. Other famous and unfortunate victims of the same model include Jay Leno, who lost control while speeding around a circuit in 2005 and two sportscar enthusiasts, Ben Keaton and Corey Rudl, who were killed in a racetrack smash in California after the Carrera GT they were travelling in swerved into a concrete wall.
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