As part of the 36th edition of the 'Modern Era' of La Carrera Panamericana, Porsche México held a cocktail reception at Museum Kaluz in Mexico City —a historical venue that houses and exhibits Mexican art from the XVIII to XXI centuries—to unveil the second tribute car of the "TAG Heuer and Porsche—Legends of the Panamericana" project, consisting of two unique cars.
Unlike the first car presented at the Rennsport Reunion 7 in Monterey, California, at the end of September, this vehicle showcases the competition number 152 on both the top and doors. It will be auctioned in an open bidding for national and international customers next year, with the amount raised to be donated to charity.
Both cars, 152 and 154 are based on the 718 Cayman GT4 RS and are part of the Sonderwunsch project, developed in collaboration with TAG Heuer and Porsche, with the intention of paying tribute to the Porsche 550 Coupé with which two customer teams competed in the Carrera Panamericana in 1953.
Seventy years ago, two customer teams, each with a Porsche 550 Coupé, participated in La Carrera Panamericana. Close to the same time, sixty years ago, Jack Heuer introduced a chronograph watch specifically created for racing drivers, called the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph. As a tribute to this double anniversary and their close relationship with 'La Pana' the two companies collaborated on the special project: "Sonderwunsch "TAG Heuer and Porsche—Legends of the Panamericana".
With this project and in partnership with Porsche Latin America, two exceptional cars were created based on the 718 Cayman GT4 RS, the first vehicle with the competition number 154, was revealed during the Rennsport Reunion 7, and is the vehicle that is currently participating in La Carrera Panamericana driven by actor Patrick Dempsey and Victor Medina. The second car, labeled with competition number 152, differs slightly from 154 and was revealed on Saturday, October 14, 2023.
Based on the 718 Cayman GT4 RS, the detail and differentiation of this new second sports car is concentrated on the aesthetic aspect, without forgetting some technical adjustments that will delight fans of the legendary Mexican race. For example, the Le Mans image is implemented with the use of metallic silver paint, alluding to the important endurance test of the race. Incidentally, this tone is repeated in many elements, including the rims of the vehicle. Due to its formal sporty character, the car is a living homage that resorts to a 90-liter tank to handle any long trip without sacrificing its high dynamic performance.
In the tenor of nostalgic beauty, the large number 152 on the doors and roof stands out, illuminated in an irresistible lemon-yellow color that evokes memories of the romantic racing days. In bright contrast, two logos always associated with the world of racing predominate: at the front, the black shield of Swiss luxury watchmaker TAG Heuer, followed by the double red Mobil 1 oil logo —an icon of those purist years— positioned in the upper corner of the dashboards.
The rear windows are reinforced with carbon fiber triangles, which help to ventilate the cabin. It is accompanied by the pneumatic front axle lift system for a better exit of ramps and at the same time the dual-clutch transmission is encompassed for a better response of the powertrain. Brake calipers are featured in a high-gloss black finish, a nod to current styling trends.
The silver color extends to almost all aerodynamic elements of the car. From the NACA-type ducts at the front, through the fascia and lower air intakes —called air blades by those familiar—, closing with the huge adjustable spoiler; all in metallic silver or in a very close color tone. The massive aerodynamic appendage includes on its vertical side logos of watchmaker TAG Heuer, in a subtle, but indisputably classic black tone of high visibility.
The Porsche lettering on the medallion or last window is a nod to the Stuttgart firm's competition cars, while the taillights are completely red, an interesting detail in view of the signaling requirements.
As for the interior, it stands out with the almost complete inclusion of the Weissach package, which features the beautiful and advanced Race-Tex textile upholstery, genuine leather inserts at the most important points of contact, specific decorative panels for this version, and several professional sports-inspired details such as the fire extinguisher. The exception, for this tribute vehicle, is the absence of the roll cage. The red leather-trimmed bucket seats include the Panamericana allusive embroidery on the headrests, tricolor stitching with the colors of the Mexican flag, the extensive use of contrasting but matching stitching throughout the interior in a racing car-like manner, and the first-class luxury that has always characterized the brand, stand out from the rest of this package.
The onboard interior package has an aluminum black anodized finish. The steering wheel spokes are also black. A brilliant detail is the tricolor cross embroidery with the colors of the Mexican flag and the TAG Heuer logo. This green, white, and red stitching can be seen, for example, on the steering wheel rim, and on the instrument panel. The "GT4 RS Panamericana Special" lettering is milled into the door sill guards and printed on the passenger side cup holder panel. The experts at Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur engraved two important elements of the Carrera Panamericana logo on the headrests of the seats: the inscription and the stylized driver's cap. The latter also appears on the valve covers. The TAG Heuer logo is engraved on the armrest located between the driver and passenger.
Notable extras include the Sport Chrono package —which allows lap counting and lap times on the circuit— with a vintage-inspired design, aluminum pedal board, and passenger footrest, its exclusive floor mats, the use of red straps instead of the typical door handles, the metallic silver painted key with its leather cover and the personalization of the user's name in laser engraving.
As a final detail, the car is complemented by a sound system designed by Bose and several fascinating details such as the grilles of the interior ventilation system with discreet TAG Heuer logos.
The Carrera Panamericana was created in 1950, and organized by the National Automobile Association to commemorate the completion of the Mexican section of the Pan-American Highway. It is divided into two periods: the first from 1950 to 1954, a spectacular initial stage in which world-renowned drivers participated along with companies such as Porsche. Three decades later, in 1987, 'La Pana' returned in the so-called 'Modern Era' and has been disputed uninterruptedly until today. Since its incursion in 1952, Porsche has participated in all editions of the competition.
The relevance of the Carrera Panamericana in the history of Porsche and TAG Heuer is that it has given rise to the name "Carrera" for the timepieces, Porsche 356 and 911 models, as well as the name "Panamera" for the "Gran Turismo" category.
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