Patrick Dempsey is mostly recognized for his brilliant acting career, but the rest who closely follow his exploits beyond Hollywood know he is also an accomplished racing driver and co-owner of a racing team. Then there’s his love affair with a certain German marque, which places him behind the wheel of one of the two TAG Heuer x Porsche—Legends of Panamericana Sonderwunsch project race cars.

It is a huge honor to be selected and it means the manufacturer also acknowledges his skills behind the wheel. Translated to English, the name means “special request” in German. The donor vehicle for these high-performance builds is the 718 Cayman GT4 RS. Of course, the examples presented underwent extensive ahead of the big day.

Looking back at Porsche’s motorsport history, the duo is a tribute to its 1950 racers, particularly, the 550. The TAG Heuer x Porsche—Legends of Panamericana Sonderwunsch models were unveiled during the Rennsport Reunion 7, at Northern California’s legendary WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

The machines in question will participate in the La Carrera Panamericana, which will be held in Mexico. Most notably, the competition was recognized as extremely dangerous during at early days with 24 fatalities recorded during its five-year stint between 1950 to 1954.

Of course, steps have been taken to minimize the risks since then and Dempsey even stated, “I’m excited to drive the Porsche and bring more exposure to the race.” The TAG Heuer x Porsche—Legends of Panamericana Sonderwunsch units are decked in Le Mans Silver Metallic with liveries of its co-brand, classic Mobil Oil red Pegasi, and roundels on the roof and doors.

Dempsey will race in car number 154, while car number 152’s driver is yet to be specified. Inside the coupes’ cockpits, we have elements primarily in black with Guard’s Red upholstery and accents. Moreover, the stitching features the three colors of the Mexican flag.

Double analog stopwatches are mounted on the center console and are an homage to the watchmaker’s Rally Master silhouettes. As an added bonus, there are commemorative timepieces available as well. After the race, TAG Heuer x Porsche—Legends of Panamericana Sonderwunsch will then head to auction for charity.

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Images courtesy of Porsche/TAG Heuer