CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

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By Tara Weingarten

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What the... well, I never swear. But a few laps around the California Speedway in the Carrera GT, and I was cussing like Chris Rock. It wasn't at the car, per se. It's just that this GT is so insanely powerful--a masterpiece propelled by a mind-altering 5.7-liter, V-10 engine that cranks out 605 thoroughbreds--that other words escaped me. To be sure, the Carrera GT is one stroke shy of being a bonafide race car, yet it was built and marketed to be a street car. For argument's sake, let's just say it's not your garden-variety roadster. With so much grit coming from this midengine beauty, the GT requires driving skills beyond what most of us have. Then again, if you can afford the car, you can pop for a few lessons at a track school.

The Carrera GT wears an aerospace-grade carbon-fiber chassis, has race-car-like structural rigidity for superior navigation around tight corners and hits 60mph in 3.8 seconds. My smile appeared much quicker. And it stayed put when I felt the car's seriously precise steering and unparalleled handling. Like Formula One cars, this GT sports superlightweight forged-magnesium wheels--beefy 19 inchers up front, and 20-inchers in the rear. It was so stable at high speeds, I wanted to cry (though we all know I swore instead). My bad. But this Porsche is very, very good.

Tip: Plan to pay a premium above the big price, since only 1,200 will be built.

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