Jay Leno compared the Porsche Carrera GT and the 356 Carrera 2, and which did the CEO of A. Lange & Söhne choose?

A German CEO who loves Porsches compares two cars.

Jay Leno is a famous American comedian and also known as a car collector.

Jay Leno recently came up with a plan to give his friend, German Wilhelm Schmid (CEO of watchmaker A. Lange & Söhne), the keys to his two Porsches and ask him to choose which one he prefers.

Those two cars were a 2004 Porsche Carrera GT and a 1963 Porsche 356 Carrera 2.

Both are rare Porsches, but which one did Wilhelm choose?

Incidentally, Wilhelm himself is a Porsche enthusiast, and apparently owns a 1966 Porsche 911 S (2-liter) and a 1959 Porsche 356 Roadster at his home.

Of course, Jay Leno also owns an A. Lange & Söhne watch, but he said in front of the CEO that he wasn't a gift since he's not a brand ambassador (laughs).

So, the two of them headed to a winding road a few miles from Los Angeles, California, a place that Jay Leno calls "America's best road."

Wilhelm then drove two Porsches at this point.

First up, the 2004 Porsche Carrera GT.

The first car they test drove was a 2004 Porsche Carrera GT.

Jay Leno purchased this Carrera GT new in 2004, and it was reportedly one of the first cars introduced to the United States.

At the time, the Carrera GT was the fastest production car Porsche ever made, and it was equipped with a 5.7-liter naturally aspirated V10 engine derived from Formula 1, and the sound of this V10 engine is truly superb.

Wilhelm, who drove the Carrera GT, raved about its performance, saying it's a car that responds exactly as you want it to, is easy to read, and yet has an addictive charm.

One of the distinguishing features of the Carrera GT is its extremely small clutch, which is only 6 inches (approximately 15.2 cm) in diameter. This is surprisingly small for a car that handles over 600 horsepower, but this design allows the engine to be mounted lower, contributing to a lower center of gravity.

There's a story that Jay Leno bought just the clutch before purchasing his Carrera GT.

Apparently, he wanted to understand how that small clutch handles the immense power of this Carrera GT, which is quite impressive.

So, it was possible to buy just the clutch for the Carrera GT separately? ^^

Next up is a 1963 Porsche 356 Carrera 2.

Next up for a test drive was a 1963 Porsche 356 Carrera 2.

Apparently, this car is the same age as Wilhelm. He seems to have really taken a liking to it after driving it.

Wilhelm said it was even better than his own Porsche and even started talking about wanting to own the same car himself.

This 356 Carrera 2 is a rare model, with only 436 units produced between 1962 and 1965.

Of those, 126 were reportedly manufactured between 1964 and April 1965 using the final 356 C chassis.

This 356 Carrera 2 is equipped with a four-cam engine called the "Type 587/1".

Regular production of the 356 ended in 1965, but in May 1966, ten 356 Cs were specially manufactured for the Dutch Royal Police (however, these were standard 356 Cs, not Carrera 2s with four-cam engines).

The car that was ultimately chosen was the Carrera GT.

A 2004 Carrera GT and a 1963 356 Carrera 2.

In the end, which one did Wilhelm choose? It was the Carrera GT!

The reason is, "It was the best car I've ever driven in my life."

The Carrera GT's performance, which exceeded expectations when actually driven, seems to have been the deciding factor.

He even said he wanted a 356 Carrera 2, which is the same age as him, but in the end, he chose the Carrera GT. I guess there's something special about that naturally aspirated V10 engine and the analog driving experience.

Here is a video of the test drive, and there is also an explanation of the watch (A. Lange & Sohne Watches) in the middle of the video, so if you are interested in that, please take a look (52:29)↓

Source:Jay Leno Hands Over the Keys to His Porsche Carrera GTs to a German Friend, Asks Him To Pick One