Porsche's Pinnacle: Carrera GT and 918 Spyder Spotted for Sale

Two of Porsche's greatest ever models compared on the market right now.

The Carrera GT and 918 Spyder each showcase the peak of Porsche’s engineering brilliance in their respective eras, but while both are extraordinary machines, they take very different approaches to delivering performance and excitement, ultimately shaped by the technology of the times.

The Carrera GT, unveiled in 2004, is all about raw, analogue driving thrills, dominated by a 5.7-litre naturally aspirated V10 that screams to over 8,000 RPM, producing 612hp. The engine, originally developed for a Le Mans racing project, is paired with a six-speed manual gearbox and a clutch renowned for requiring a deft touch. There are no modern aids to fall back on — just you, three pedals, and a whole of adrenaline. Carbon fibre construction means it's light (just 1,380kg), it's sharp, and so connected to the driver. Performance was astonishing in 2004, and frankly, it's still seriously quick. Back in the day, Walter Röhrl set a time of 7:28 in the Carrera GT, but last year, Jörg Bergmeister made that 7:12.69 using modern Michlin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres instead of the notoriously sketchy original tyres. And the sound? That high-pitched V10 howl is legendary, often hailed as one of the greatest automotive soundtracks ever. The CGT has been my hero since it came out when I was a kid, and whilst they say don't meet your heroes, I finally did around Donington Park at the 2023 Secret Meet, and I was the opposite of disappointed!

11 years after the Carrera GT, the 918 Spyder represents a completely different era of performance. Ceramic brakes and carbon fibre construction were no longer a big deal; hybrid power (lots of it) and mind-boggling tech were the order of business for the 918, as well as the LaFerrari and McLaren P1 it went up against. It combines a high-revving 4.6-litre V8 with two electric motors to deliver a staggering 887hp. It’s not just fast though, it’s clever, too. It has four-wheel drive to put all that power down, rear-wheel steering to help negate the 1,675kg weight (1,634kg with the Weissach Package), and even an all-electric mode to silently glide through the suburbs on a Sunday morning at 6 am. If you've done your maths, you'll notice it's 300kg heavier than the Carrera GT, but its hybrid tech and clever aerodynamics aim to compensate, and they sure do. Acceleration and grip are jaw-dropping, and it was the first production car to break the seven-minute barrier at the Nurburgring, with a time of 6:57.

Choosing between the two ultimately depends on what you’re after. The Carrera GT offers an unfiltered, driver-focused experience with a soundtrack like no other, and even though values are around four times what they were 20 years ago, there will never be another car like it. The 918 Spyder is a showcase of Porsche’s innovation, it represents an era that changed the game for the super/hypercar and offers mind-bending levels of performance, but does that make it more enjoyable? What's for sure is that are remarkable, and owning either would be quite the achievement. You could quite happily have both of these in your garage, they are that different, but you'll need deep pockets! With that in mind, our friends at Tom Hartley happen to have two examples, as close to matching as you're likely to find, in stock right now.