Porsche Builds One-off 911 Turbo S to Honor Pedro Rodriguez

The one-off model was named Porsche 911 Turbo S "One of a Kind" Pedro Rodriguez. It was developed with the help of the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur division, and it was painted in the Gulf Oil livery, inspired by the paint scheme of the Porsche 917 KH that Rodriguez raced to victory in many endurance competitions of the era.

The B-pillar bears the Mexican flag next to Rodriguez's name and signature. Porsche's Exclusive Manufaktur division has chosen to place the same detail in the carbon fiber moldings on the lower part of the door frames. A look under the rear spoiler will reveal the names of the eight races that Pedro Rodriguez won with the Porsche 917 KH.

Inside, the Gulf Oil livery is also present, as the cockpit is upholstered in graphite blue leather with orange stitching. The headrests of the front seats bear the silhouette of the 917 KH racecar. Pedro Rodriguez's signature is present on the center armrest, as well as the carbon fiber trim on the dash.

Pedro Rodriguez died while racing at the 200 Miles (321 km) of Norisring on July 11, 1971, after the Ferrari 512 M he was hired to drive crashed into the bridge wall just before the track's chicane. The track was then altered to make it slower and safer in that particular section. Two drivers withdrew from the race following Rodriguez's fatal accident.

Five decades ago, Rodriguez was regarded as the King of the Wet, and he raced everything from bicycles and motorcycles to rally cars. Rodriguez competed in Formula 1 from 1963 to 1971, had 55 entries, out of which he obtained seven podiums and two wins.

Thanks to Rodriguez's wins in the Porsche 917 KH, the German brand won the Manufacturers' World Championship in 1970 and 1971 in endurance racing. Even the late Ferdinand Piech, the car's designer, said that nobody understood the 917 K better than Pedro Rodriguez, according to a press release from Porsche Mexico.