1984 Porsche 928 S Black W Tan Interior on 2040-cars

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Petrolicious profiles the rare Italian Porschephile

If you're Italian, you love Ferrari. It's almost a national requirement. If not Ferrari, then Lamborghini, or if you're a bit contrarian, perhaps Alfa Romeo or Maserati. This common belief, though, flies in the face of Rosita Corato's devotion to a certain unique Porsche. Despite growing up around cars from Italy's most treasured automakers, Rosita's family of coachbuilders had a passion for Porsche. This love was fostered by her father, who made a living repairing Ferraris. Despite his work, he'd longed for a rear-engined German, finally picking up a 1959 356 Speedster that was in desperate need of restoration. Rosita describes it as "practically a heap of metal" before her masterful metalworking father got to work on it. While it was originally meant to be a racer, it could best be described today as a restomod, and Rosita still uses it regularly on rallies. The engine and brakes have been upgraded, while the ratios on the manual transmission have been tightened up for improved performance. To save weight – remember, Rosita's father wanted a racer – the doors and hood were replaced with aluminum units, while other aesthetic upgrades were made as well, such as moving the fuel access up onto the hood. Check out Rosita's gorgeous 356 Speedster in the very latest episode from the team at Petrolicious. Related Video:

Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Mercedes-AMG, Porsche and Koenigsegg Lego sets coming this summer

Lego has announced a slew of new automotive-themed sets. As is typical fashion for brand of building toys, the subject matter leans toward ultra-exotic, ultra-expensive vehicles, ranging from a $139,000 Mercedes SL63 on the low end to a $3 million Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut on the high end. If you can't afford those cars in real life, soon you'll be able to build your own plastic models of them. Some of the real-world counterparts aren't obtainable no matter what the cost. Take the Lamborghini Lambo V12 Vision Gran Turismo, for example. The one-off concept was designed by Lamborghini exclusively for Gran Turismo, the PlayStation racing simulator. However, Lamborghini did build a 1:1 version for the physical world, with the 808-horsepoewer hybrid V12 from the Sian FKP 37 beneath its bodywork. The Lego version is part of the company's Speed Champions line, which measure about 6 inches long. It does an excellent job of capturing the original's insectoid look and Y-shaped taillights. The set is made up of 230 pieces and will retail for $26.99. This is Lego's first Vision Gran Turismo car but we hope to see more.  Also joining the Speed Champions line are two 2-car sets. An Aston Martin-themed set pairs a Vantage safety car with an AMR23 Formula 1 racer. Both are finished in AMR's bright green with actual sponsor logos. The set contains 564 pieces and will cost $44.99. Also arriving as a 2-car set are a pair of Mercedes-AMGs. A black G 63 and yellow SL 63 Roadster, along with a pair of sunglasses-clad bros, make up the 808-piece set. It also retails for $44.99. All three Speed Champions sets arrive on June 1, 2024. If you're looking for something a bit more advanced and detailed, Lego also offers the Technic line. First up is a Porsche GT4 e-Performance, a 1,000-horsepower race car based on the 718 Cayman. This set can also function as a remote controlled car that moves forward, backward, and steers via a downloadable smartphone app. The 834-piece set costs $169.99. Last but not least, there's the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut, a model of the Swedish supercar that is said to have a top speed of over 300 mph. The model does an admirable job of capturing the car's 0.278 Cd drag coefficient, considering it's comprised of 801 individual plastic bricks. This set will retail for $49.99 and, along with the Porsche, comes out August 1, 2024. Related Video LEGO Speed Champion Build: 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback

Prosecutors in Argentina wants Top Gear to stand trial

Jeremy Clarkson may have left Top Gear behind, but some of his actions on the show may come back to haunt him. Prosecutors in Argentina reopened a criminal case against Clarkson last week, which may result in a prison sentence, over last year's now infamous insulting license plate incident, the Telegraph reported. Top Gear, and Clarkson in particular, had a reputation for going out of their way to insult other cultures. Clarkson was already on notice for racist remarks and social media posts when he punched a producer, ending his career at the BBC. So it was not a huge surprise when the team ran into trouble in Argentina while filming a 1,400-mile road trip for the show's 2014 Christmas special. Now for the history; Argentina and England have a long running disagreement that goes all the way back to the age of empire. At various times, a small set of islands off the coast of Argentina, called the Falklands, have had French, British, Spanish, and Argentine settlements. Britain claimed for their own in 1833. In 1982, Argentina and Britain fought a short, bloody war over the islands. Britain emerged victorious and still holds the islands to this day, though Argentina still claims them. Enter the Top Gear lads and their cars. Clarkson was driving a Porsche 928 with a license plate reading H982 FLK. Producers for the show deny up and down that the plates were not intended to cause such ire. Intentional or no, residents took the plate as a jab at the country's defeat in 1982. First, Clarkson was banned from the city where the road trip was supposed to wrap up. Then, angry Argentines threw stones at the hosts, forcing Top Gear to abandon filming and flee the country. In April, a judge deemed the plates intentionally disrespectful and blamed the show for causing a riot. Now the case is being reopened in Argentine courts, partly at the urging of veterans from the Falklands War. Prosecutors are saying that Top Gear changed the Porsche's plates with full knowledge that such actions were illegal. The case could take years to wind its way through the court system and drag all three Top Gear presenters in front of a judge. At the end, if found guilty, Clarkson could face three years in an Argentine prison.