An unexpected conversion    

The V10 was increased from 3.5 litres to 5.5 litres and the engine's V-angle was reduced from 80° to 68°. Some adjustments were made to the suspension and transmission and a two day test session was organised at the Weissach track on November 2, 1999, with drivers Allan McNish and Bob Wollek. Against expectations, the Porsche management decided at the same time to stop the project abruptly. The official explanation was the necessity of financing the future Porsche Cayenne, but unofficially it was rather to avoid overshadowing Audi, another brand of the Volkswagen Group, which participated in the Le Mans event. To ensure that the experience made with the LMP 2000 prototype was not lost, it was decided to develop a less expensive road version under the direction of engineer Michael Hölscher. The development was completed in record time and on 28 September 2000, the car, named Carrera GT (Type 980), was presented to the press on the square in front of the Louvre in Paris, before being taken to the Mondial de l'Automobile by the champion Walter Röhrl himself. The engine of the prototype still showed 5.5 litres for 558 hp, but by the time the car went into production in 2003 at the new factory in Leipzig, the engine volume had been increased to 5.7 litres. Thanks to the extensive use of light alloys, the V10 only weighs 214 kg. A significant weight saving is also achieved in the carbon fibre reinforced polymer composite (CFRP) body, weighing just 100 kg. The bodywork is also made of carbon, with the exception of the aluminium engine bonnet. Weight is also saved with the adoption of a special ceramic (called Porsche Ceramic Composite) for the clutch and brake discs. Finally, the Carrera GT inherited many elements from the GT1 racing car, including the suspension.