Jay Leno places Wilhelm Schmid in an enviable bind by handing over the keys to two of his Porsches and sending him out on the twisting roads just outside Los Angeles to decide which one he would take home. Schmid, the CEO of A. Lange & Söhne and a confirmed Porsche owner already, has never driven either of these particular models. His own garage holds a 1966 911 2.0-liter S and a 1959 356 Roadster, while Leno’s collection of Lange watches sits as the quiet counterpart to the visit. Leno bought every one of those watches himself.
First up is the 2004 Carrera GT, which Leno drove off the showroom floor as one of the first of its kind to arrive in the United States. This beast delivers a massive 605 horsepower and 435 lb-ft of torque thanks to a 5.7-liter V10 engine based on Formula One technology. The six-speed manual transmission sends all of that power to the rear wheels of a light 3,043-pound machine that can hit 60 in 3.8 seconds and maintain a top speed of 205 mph, which is quite quick.
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The clutch on this car is only 6 inches across, which is a purposeful design choice that allows Porsche to lower the engine and center of gravity. Schmid found it to be a very simple and addictive driving experience. He enjoys the engine tone, which is so good it eliminates the need for a radio, as well as the light, accurate steering. Leno observes that automobiles like these are extremely rare in Germany, which is why California is the best spot to witness German cars in action.
Next up is the 1963 356 Carrera 2, which is around the same age as Schmid. Only 436 of these were produced between 1962 and 1965. This one has a Type 587/1 four-cam engine that produces a reasonable 128 horsepower and 119 lb-ft of torque, allowing Leno to go from 0 to 60 in 8.4 seconds and reach 124 mph. There is no power steering or other fancy gizmos here; only plain, direct driving.
Leno acquired this vehicle from the son of a previous owner; it had previously been owned by one of the great restorers, John Willhoit, who spent years restoring it in the 1970s before selling it for $16,000 to purchase a house. Years later, when Leno returned the car to Willhoit for a tune-up, he discovered that the odometer had only increased by about 10,000 miles, and Willhoit verified that it appeared to have recently left his workshop. Schmid gets behind the wheel and immediately decides it is better than the Porsches he already owns.
Now that we’ve seen these two vehicles, the choice is very clear. Schmid chooses the Carrera GT, calling it the best automobile he’s ever driven, and for good reason: it lives up to its promise. Two generations of Carrera, one clear winner, and gorgeous California roads that allowed a German watchmaker to settle the question in style for himself.
