Porsche Academy Tears This Carrera GT Apart For Training

Important Purpose

The Carrera GT is, without a doubt, one of the most legendary cars to ever emerge from Porsche. And, having just celebrated an important anniversary, the automaker recently took the time to reflect on this now quite valuable machine, one that marked the end of an era. But there's one particular Carrera GT that doesn't live the pampered life that most do, yet serves a very important purpose.

Photos: Porsche

Hard Knock Life

This particular Carrera GT belongs to the Academy Aftersales Training division of Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA) where it is used to teach U.S. technicians how to service the unique model. It is the only such car used for this purpose in the North American market, and Porsche estimates that it has been disassembled and reassembled 78 times since 2004.

Photos: Porsche

>>Join the conversation about the reassembled life of this Carrera GT right here on Rennlist.com.

Hard Miles

As of today, the special Carrera GT has 1,445 miles on the clock, racked up mostly from its trips to customer events and shakedown runs after it's been taken apart and put back together. It's finished in GT Silver paint over an Ascot Brown leather interior and is one of just 1,270 examples produced.

Photos: Porsche

>>Join the conversation about the reassembled life of this Carrera GT right here on Rennlist.com.

Unique Course

What makes the Carrera GT course unique in the Porsche hierarchy is that, unlike other technician courses offered by Academy, it has remained the same since it was first created following the introduction of the car. This is largely because while the 911's flat-six has proven to be a study in evolution, the GT's mid-mounted V10 was more of a one-time revolution.

Photos: Porsche

>>Join the conversation about the reassembled life of this Carrera GT right here on Rennlist.com.

One Instructor

Additionally, only one person has taught the Carrera GT course since its inception - Bob Hamilton. "I was there when it came off the Lufthansa 747 cargo plane here in Atlanta in 2004," Hamilton recalled. "We put it on a flatbed and drove it to Phoenix Parkway where our old training facility was located." Today, of course, that training location has changed to the Porsche Experience Center Atlanta.

Photos: Porsche

>>Join the conversation about the reassembled life of this Carrera GT right here on Rennlist.com.

Teaching Tool

Today, the Carrera GT goes into workshop between two and four times each year, where it teaches a whole new generation of Porsche technicians the ins and outs of one of the automaker's most legendary models. And while it may be a somewhat tough job, it's also a very important one, because they're tasked with keeping this icon on the road for generations to come.

Photos: Porsche

>>Join the conversation about the reassembled life of this Carrera GT right here on Rennlist.com.

For help with your maintenance and repair projects, please visit our how-to section in the forum.