Expensive supercars are (ironically) almost a dime a dozen these days. But sometimes, even the hyper-exotic car world gets a case of sticker shock. Or rather, the auction houses and websites that often sell these rarified machines do. One of those auction sites, Bring a Trailer, has become a go-to for enthusiasts and collectors. And it rang the new year in strong with a record-setting 2005 Porsche Carrera GT.

A 2005 Porsche Carrera GT is now the most expensive car ever sold at a Bring a Trailer auction

In August 2021, a 1961 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster became the most expensive car sold via a Bring a Trailer auction. A Guards Red 2005 Porsche Carrera GT just broke that record by a noticeable margin.

That 300SL sold for slightly over $1.43 million. But this Carrera GT sold for a little over $1.9 million: $1,902,000 to be precise. To put that into perspective, when it launched in 2004, this supercar started at about $448.4K. Even after taking inflation into account, this 2005 Porsche Carrera GT almost tripled in value.

Admittedly, this isn’t the most expensive supercar ever sold. For example, the McLaren F1 that Gooding & Company sold at roughly the same time as that 300SL went for $20.5 million. And a LaFerrari recently sold for just under $3 million. However, this 2005 Porsche Carrera GT went for over twice as much as former F1 champion Jenson Button’s personal Carrera GT.

So, what made someone plonk down just over $1.9 million on this red supercar?

What made someone pay $1.9 million for a Porsche Carrera GT?

Well, for one, it’s a Porsche Carrera GT. It’s the last truly analog supercar, in the same vein as other icons like the Ferrari F40. The only safety equipment it has is ABS, traction control, and some airbags. No driving modes, dual-clutch transmissions, launch control, or, crucially, stability control. It’s just you, a six-speed manual, and a mid-mounted 5.7-liter V10.

This apparent simplicity belies the fascinating engineering Porsche put into the Carrera GT, though. For example, it offered an optional balsawood-topped shifter as both a classic racing homage and to save weight. Porsche’s weight-savings quest also explains why the Carrera GT has aluminum suspension components, carbon-ceramic brakes, and racing-style magnesium center-lock wheels. Not to mention a carbon-fiber chassis, seats, and removable roof panels.

And speaking of racing, Porsche even gave its analog supercar an F1-style multi-plate carbon-ceramic clutch. That’s not as bonkers as it sounds, though, because the Carrera GT’s V10 started out as an F1 engine. True story.

Add all this together with some high-profile Porsche Carrera GT crashes and you’ve got a recipe for big auction results. But there’s more to this $1.9 million 2005 Carrera GT than just that.

Firstly, it only has 780 miles on the clock. Considering these supercars can cover 100,000 miles no problem, that’s some spectacularly-low mileage. In addition, a Guards Red example is rare even by Carrera GT standards. According to Car and Driver, while Porsche imported 362 silver Carrera GTs and 103 black ones, it only brought in 42 red ones. Also, this 2005 Carrera GT has the optional balsawood shifter and fitted luggage.

In short, this is a rare, almost showroom-fresh example of a kind of supercar that no one makes anymore. A high price tag was almost inevitable.

This is what these supercars cost today

Given that this 2005 example is only the third Porsche Carrera GT sold via Bring a Trailer auction, it’s difficult to tell if it will keep its ‘most expensive’ crown. However, while it’s currently a high-water mark for these cars, it’s also a sign of the times.

Porsche Carrera GT values rose drastically over the last few years. Even a fair-condition example is worth about $783,000 on average, Hagerty claims. And a pristine one like the 2005 one on BaT? Think $1.5 million.

So, was this red Carrera GT worth it? Based on market values, arguably yes. And depending on who you ask, that might be the most shocking thing about this sticker.

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