The 2005 Porsche Carrera GT sports car Paul Walker was riding in when he died on Saturday has been at the center of an investigation to determine what happened when it spun out of control and hit a tree. It's believed the vehicle was traveling above the speed limit, and experts familiar with the model are saying the Carrera GT isn't just for the casual driver, labeling it as "brutal" and "a handful to drive."
The bright red car, which was driven by Walker's friend and business partner Roger Rodas, had three times the horsepower of an average vehicle and ran a V10 engine. It can hit 60 mph in 3.9 seconds and is undoubtedly as powerful as it is beautiful.
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The $450,000 two seater was heralded as one of the fastest cars on the market when it debuted about eight years ago, with top speed higher than 200 mph. Now, as the model is getting a closer look following the tragic crash involving the Fast and Furious actor, experts say it's a difficult car to control when flying at a top speed.
"It's a pure racer's car," Todd Trimble, an exotic car mechanic in Las Vegas, told CNN. "You really need to know what you're doing when you drive them. And a lot of people are learning the hard way."
Although Porsche originally planned to produce 1,500 of the cars, it discontinued the model due to changing airbag regulations in the U.S. Only about 1,270 GT models had been manufactured at the time, with 604 sold in the U.S. The car involved in Walker's death reportedly had six owners before the crash.
Paul Walker with his Porsche Carerra GT hours before the crash http://t.co/wqBe34IE4y pic.twitter.com/JXrMJXXrSx
— Victor Mosqueda (@VicMosqueda) December 1, 2013
Trimble noted only 25% are left from the original batch: "They're getting rarer and rarer," Trimble said. "Most of the time, when they do get wrecked, there's not much left of them."
Nick Twork, manager of product communications at Porsche, told Mashable the company is working with officials as part of the investigation.
"It wouldn't be appropriate to comment on anything more than that we are deeply saddened about the death of the individuals and are fully cooperating with investigators. We are prepared to help in any way needed."
Although Twork declined to comment on why the car was discontinued, he said, "It's a car we sold for a period about nine years ago — at the time it was sold, it exceeded all safety standards."
In 2006, the model was featured on an episode of Top Gear. Show presenter Jeremy Clarkson said, "Not only is it one of the fastest and most exciting cars I've ever driven, it's also one of the most beautiful." But he also warned: "Make a mistake ... it bites your head off."
Clarkson attributes this to lack of stability control and the car's lightweight nature. Stability control technology keeps cars from skidding, helps with steering when they lose control and at times reduces engine power until the driver regains control. The engine of this particular model is also in the middle, which helps the car turn quickly.
In a clip of the episode posted to YouTube, it's possible to see the car speed out of control at both the 4:55 and 6:25 mark.

"You need to be awake to drive this fast," he said. "The clutch is brutal, the power is savage, and the handling — you really are on a knife edge. But if you put in an effort, boy oh boy do you get the rewards."
In addition to starring in The Fast and the Furious racing car franchise films, Walker developed an off-screen love for sports cars. Twitter user Victor Mosqueda posted a picture (seen above) of the actor with the Carrera GT, claiming the shot was taken just a few hours before the crash.
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Image: Chris Weeks/Getty Images