Given TAG Heuer and Porsche are both stalwarts of the motorsport world and each make a halo product called the Carrera, we’re not sure why it took the powers that be so long to join forces. In the case of TAG Heuer, it’s the chronograph wrist replica watches for sale that Jack Heuer introduced in 1963 after he was left spellbound by tales of the hair-raising Carrera PanAmericana cross-Mexico road race.
As for Porsche, it first used the Carrera name in 1955, applying it to a ‘hot’ engine option made available for versions of its 356 in celebration of works driver Hans Hermann taking third overall in the final running of the 2,100-mile, balls-out race the previous year.
But it wasn’t until 1972 that the combination of ‘Porsche’ and ‘Carrera’ was truly seared into the automotive history books when the Zuffenhausen marque pulled the wraps off its now-legendary 911 Carrera RS 2.7 – a souped-up, stripped-out, pared-down, no-compromise version of the regular 911 that it planned to build in just 500 homologation models for Group 4 GT racing.
But the unveiling at the Paris motor show on 5 October that year prompted so much interest that the entire run sold out before the end of the following month, leading to an eventual tally of 1,580 examples being produced: 200 ultra-light ‘Sport’ versions; 1,308 made to marginally less uncompromising ‘Touring’ specification, 55 pure race cars and 17 ‘base’ models .
What most had in common, however, was the coolest look on wheels – the 2.7RS was the first series production car to feature front and rear spoilers (the back one being a cheeky duck tail) and, when it came to colours and graphics, Porsche threw all Teutonic reserve out of the window.
The majority were finished in Grand Prix White with that famous ‘Carrera’ door script in blue, red or green to match the five spokes of their Fuchs rims – but there were mad hues, too, such as Dalmatian Blue, Lilac, Blood Orange, and India Red.
This all becomes relevant today (Wednesday, October 5) as Porsche and AAA UK TAG Heuer fake watches are holding a giant party in Paris to mark the exact half-century since the Carrera RS 2.7 made its debut there. They’re celebrating the event by unveiling a brace of special edition replica watches wholesale that riff heavily on the cars’ legendary colour schemes.
The first will be available in 500 examples to reflect the original RS 2.7 production run. It’s based on the existing 42mm best copy TAG Heuer Carrera chronograph watches but with a dial in dazzling ‘Grand Prix White’ with blue detailing that picks up the blue of a miniaturised copy of the ‘Carrera’ script running along the side of the case.
Flip the perfect replica watches over, and the transparent back reveals a winding rotor in the shape of a Carrera steering wheel. And, in addition to a regular steel bracelet, the piece is also supplied with a funky fabric strap in white and emblazoned with the Carrera logo.
The other version of the 1:1 Swiss super clone watches, which will be available in 250 pieces, gets a rose gold case and a white dial with red detailing and gold hands and applied indexes. It also features the ‘steering wheel’ rotor and will be delivered on a red, alligator leather strap.
“The two luxury fake watches we imagined together are sleek, assertive, memorable; they reflect their illustrious past while also projecting something even more exciting – what Porsche and TAG Heuer can now achieve together,” adds TAG Heuer’s CEO, Frédéric Arnault.
With the large majority of Carrera RS 2.7s still surviving, it’s unlikely that there will be any shortage of takers for these two limited editions – especially since the price tags will likely seem insignificant to most owners of the cars. The cars cost 34,000 German marks at launch (around £7,000) and were fetching around £65,000 by 2004 – but prices went stratospheric during the following decade, with the best Touring specification cars hitting £500,000 and the rarer ‘Sport’ versions even more. Nowadays, in fact, even a half-decent replica is likely to set you back six figures. Hindsight. Is it really a wonderful thing?
