SPORT Dream team at the Carrera Panamericana

The Carrera Panamericana kicked off in fine style on Friday. This 2023 edition is particularly special because it adds yet another chapter to the intertwining stories of TAG Heuer, Porsche, and the legendary Mexican endurance race. Over the week the cars swept through Veracruz and Oaxaca and reached Mexico City on Saturday. During those first two stages, it wasn’t just the motor racing that turned heads. Many fans caught sight of actor, racing driver and TAG Heuer ambassador Patrick Dempsey revving up in the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS alongside Mexican driver Victor Medina. 

The dynamic duo of Dempsey and Medina raced through the roads of Mexico under the number 154. Their sports car, the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS, isn’t just a sleek machine; it’s a nod to TAG Heuer and Porsche’s inextricable links with the Carrera Panamericana. From its design to its livery to the dashboard mounted TAG Heuer timing device, the car is steeped in motor racing heritage. Part of a very special project between TAG Heuer and Porsche, the car was unveiled at the Porsche Rennsport Reunion just a few weeks ago. 

There’s a lot of history behind this collaboration. Seventy years ago, two customer teams, each with a Porsche 550 Coupé, participated in La Carrera Panamericana. A few years later, in 1963, Jack Heuer introduced a chronograph crafted for racing drivers: the TAG Heuer Carrera. To mark these two anniversaries, and their exhilarating partnership, the two icons have brought to life a sports car that gets hearts racing. And with Patrick Dempsey at the helm, sporting the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronosprint x Porsche on his wrist, things got even more exciting.

When the race reached Mexico City, TAG Heuer and Porsche hosted a cocktail celebration for special guests in the Kaluz Museum on Saturday night. The museum, a historical venue that exhibits Mexican art from the 18th to 19th centuries, was the perfect place for the two partners to reveal another surprise. They announced a second car, labeled with competition number 152. This motoring marvel differs slightly from 154 and will be auctioned off in early 2024. All proceeds will be donated to charity. 

All in all, it’s been an incredible weekend in Mexico. Not just for TAG Heuer and Porsche but also for the Carrera Panamericana and its rich legacy. Since the 1950s it has been, and always will be, one of the most influential events on the motor racing calendar. 

The Carrera Panamericana continues its journey through five states of the Republic, ending on October 19 in Nuevo Leon. You can follow the race here.

If you’d like to know more about the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronosprint x Porsche on Patrick Dempsey’s wrist, visit here.