Porsche is synonymous with performance. Few other marques rival their racing heritage that was built from the ground-up at their headquarters Stuttgart, Germany. The evolution of a single model, the 911, has produced some of the most awe-inspiring automobiles for road and track. Once in a blue moon, Porsche releases a street-legal car engineered with the company’s highest competition pedigree as its backbone. This twisted perfection makes for a jaw-dropping experience.

The Carrera GT traces its roots back to the 911 GT1, which was developed for the FIA GT Championship series. In 1999 Porsche began development on a new LeMans prototype vehicle to replace the GT1. However, with the new FIA rules, Porsche decided to produce a limited number of road-going supercars instead. From 2004 to 2006, 1,270 GTs were built at the new Porsche facility in Leipzig, Germany with only 604 destined for the U.S.

The Carrera GT sports a large 5.7-liter V-10 engine producing 605-hp. It propels to 60-mph in 3.8 seconds and passes 100-mph in under 7 seconds, topping out at a breathtaking 205-mph. Mated to the race-bred engine is a traditional six-speed manual transmission. At the driver’s end is a simple yet elegant beech-wood gearshift knob that pays homage to the Porsche 917 LeMans racers of years past.

This particular Carrera GT is a single owner California car, finished in ‘GT Silver’, with a beautifully trimmed black interior. As part of an esteemed Southern California collection, it was always maintained properly by its caring gentlemen-owner. This Carrera GT has a clean record and has been well maintained throughout its existence. It is one of the most respected sports cars in history and many wish they had the opportunity to get behind the wheel of what can be referred to as a true work of art.