Porsche in Paul Walker crash didn’t suffer massive fluid leak

The Porsche in the fiery weekend crash that killed actor Paul Walker and his friend Roger Rodas did not suffer a massive fluid leak immediately before the crash, authorities said.

As Los Angeles County sheriff’s detectives search for an explanation for the crash, investigators so far have found “no evidence” of a fluid leak from the car at the scene, said Sheriff’s Capt. Mike Parker.

A leak of vital fluids could have pointed to an inability for the driver to control the 605-horsepower 2005 Porsche Carrera GT.

PHOTOS: Paul Walker, 1973-2013

Investigators want to retrieve computerized data from the car that would show its performance in the moments before the crash.

Such a sports car is capable of reaching 100 mph in less than 7 seconds and has been dubbed a street-legal race car by its manufacturer. It is known to be difficult to handle, with a very low clearance that made it hard to drive on regular streets.

The clearance on the $400,000 V-10 sports car is so low that companies sold hydraulic suspension kits to raise the car two inches to avoid damage from potholes and rough streets.

Detectives have not determined what caused the crash, which occurred about 3:30 p.m. Saturday on Hercules Street in Santa Clarita, but a preliminary probe indicates speed was a factor, Parker said.

Just how fast Rodas was driving remains to be determined. The speed limit on the street is 45 mph.

Friends have told authorities that the high-performance Porsche was not street racing at the time of the crash. And L.A. County sheriff’s officials say eyewitnesses did not see a second car.

A friend of the men, Jim Torp, told reporters at the crash site Monday that the Porsche had already been sold, so the men were not going out to be reckless.

“I’m a good friend of theirs and I’m fighting for them because there’s been a lot of speculation about them drag racing, and that did not happen,” he told reporters.

He recalled how the tragedy unfolded, starting from the moment when Walker and Rodas slowly pulled out of the driveway as a charity event was winding down.

After they came back around for another pass and went out of sight, he and another car enthusiast listened to the sounds of the Porsche’s exhaust to gauge its speed.

“You could hear the exhaust -- they got on it a little bit -- and I heard two booms,” Torp said.

Smoke was visible from Always Evolving Performance Motors, a shop owned by Rodas that is located around the corner from the crash site.

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richard.winton@latimes.com