Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS pays tribute to Panamericana racers

Two special one-off Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS sports cars were presented at the recent Porsche Rennsport Reunion at Laguna Seca in California, paying tribute to the Porsche 550 racers that competed in the Carrera Panamericana 70 years ago.

Created in collaboration with watch-maker Tag Heuer, which named its first-ever wristwatch after the Mexican road race, the two Cayman GT4 RS coupes both feature design elements from the original number 152 and 154 Porsche 550 race cars.

Those references include the numbers painted on the roof and doors of the extreme track-focused GT4 RS, plus the Le Mans Silver metallic paint that matches the 1953 Porsche’s hue.

The special paint was actually created for the 100th anniversary of the Le Mans 24 in partnership with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, which organises the world’s most famous endurance race.

The French motorsport organisation helped Porsche match the colour with the very first Le Mans winner, a 1951 Porsche 356 SL Coupe

In the middle of the GT4 RS bonnet is the Tag Heuer logo in a darker grey, which is also repeated on the rear wing end plates.

Other commemorative touches include the Mobil Oil winged horse Pegasus motif on the front fender or rear wheel-arch, depending on the car.

Inside, Guards Red leather seats contrast with a black dash and door cards. Tricoloured green, white and red stitching can be seen throughout on both the steering wheel and dash, mimicking the Mexican flag and Tag Heuer logo.

‘GT4 RS Panamericana Special’ logos also appear on the kickplates, cup holder on the passenger side, valve caps and, of course, the head restraints of those bright red seats. A further Tag Heuer logo is also found on the arm rest.

Taking pride of place in the cabin is a Tag Heuer stopwatch that’s mounted in a new module in the centre console and has been specially created for the special-editions.

The mechanical three-hand clock is said to feature a power reserve of eight days and is said to help the driver maintain the average speed often required for today’s road rallies.

Beneath the rear boot lid, the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS uses the same 4.0-litre naturally-aspirated flat six-cylinder as the previous-gen 911 GT3, pumping out an identical 368kW and 450Nm of torque.

Last year, Porsche chose a one-off 911 S Cabriolet Panamericana Special to pay tribute to the German brand’s first 1952 entry to the Mexican road race with a 356 S Cabriolet.

To celebrate its arrival, the new Cayman GT4 RS special will be driven by actor-turned-Porsche racer Patrick Dempsey in the 2023 Carrera Panamericana that will be held later this month.

Once its public duties are finished, the car number 152 will be auctioned, with all proceeds going to charity.

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