Past Meets Present: The Ultra Exclusive Porsche 718 Spyder RS Panamerica Special

Commemorating one of Porsche’s historic achievements

The special-edition Porsche 718 Spyder RS commemorates Porsche’s win at the 1954 Carrera Panamericana. The grueling race spanned a 2,178-mile route, nine stages, and five days, through Mexico and was considered one of the most challenging and dangerous races in the world. The cars had to be driven on public roads, which were not in the best shape. It was in 1954 when Porsche won the Carrera Panamericana with Hans Hermann behind the wheel of the Porsche 550 Spyder, solidifying the brand’s reputation as a serious competitor in motorsports.

It is not coincidental that Porsche named two of its models – the 911 Carrera and Panamera – after this historic race. The ultra-lightweight car was so successful in racing against bigger, more powerful opponents that it earned one of the coolest Porsche nicknames - "The Giant Killer”. Despite having only a 1.5-liter flat-four with 110 horsepower, the 550 Spyder was capable of maintaining speeds of over 130 mph.

The Sonderwunsch treatment

The Porsche 718 Spyder RS Panamerica Special is all about the historical styling of the 550 Spyder Porsche entered in the Carrera Panamericana. The exterior is finished in Centenaire Silver and scores the racing livery of the 1954 race car. This includes the Tag Heuer shield proudly displayed on the car’s front end, finished in Seal Gray. The exterior styling is rounded off by yellow "55” racing numbers on the doors and engine cover, as well as Carmine Red stripes on the rear fenders.

The racing number is, of course, the same one featured on the 550 Spyder that won the 1954 Carrera Panamericana. The taillights are also entirely red, mimicking the small rear lights featured on the Porsche 550 Spyder. Porsche also decided to remind you (in case you forgot) what car you are driving by engraving "718” on the front intake grille.

The RS-style interior does a great job of conveying the racing feel of the original, albeit with much-needed, modern touches akin to the modern-day 718 Spyder RS. Most of the interior is black apart from the steering wheel, carbon-back bucket seats, lightweight door straps (instead of door handles), and rear parcel shelf, all of which are in contrasting red.

Other features exclusive to the Porsche 718 Spyder RS Panamericana Special are the Sonderwunsch floor mats and a TAG Heuer shield on the central armrest. The most exquisite feature of the 718 Spyder RS Panamericana Special is the integrated watch mount under the center armrest. This component is exclusive to the special-edition 718 Spyder RS and not available on any other Porsche model. The compartment is specially designed to securely house the TAG Heuer Chronograph Tourbillion, which is limited to 255 units.

The third one-off Porsche to commemorate the Carrera Panamericana

This is the third and last Porsche sports car to celebrate the Carrera Panamericana. The 718 Spyder RS Panamericana Special is a follow-up to the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Panamericana Special and the Porsche 911 (992) Panamericana Special. All three cars adorn exclusive styles reminiscent of Porsche’s race cars that entered the original editions of the Carrera Panamericana.

All three cars are one-offs, and would likely be of interest to Porsche collectors in the future. The one-off Porsche 718 was unveiled at a special gala event in Mexico City and will be auctioned off in charity, in 2025. The Porsche 718 Spyder RS was the perfect car for an homage as it is the most lightweight, most powerful, and most track-focused variant of Porsche’s modern-day, mid-engine sports car.