1997 Porsche Boxster Zenith Blue Low Miles Hard Top on 2040-cars

Auto blog

5 highlights from the 2018 Petersen Automotive Museum Auction

From the avant garde exterior design to the collection of vehicles between the walls, the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles is one of the coolest car museums in the U.S., and possibly the world. Among several others, the Petersen has two featured exhibits, The Porsche Effect and Legends of L.A. But the museum has a different type of viewing coming up at which you could touch, or even buy, a variety of special vehicles. After hosting its SoCal auction on the coast in Santa Monica for several years, RM Sotheby's has moved the event to the more central location of the museum. In addition to several works of art, the auction which takes place the weekend of December 7, will show several dozens of blue-chip vehicles, chosen by RM Sotheby's 30 car specialists. After sorting through lots that range from microcars to new-age supercars, here are five of the highlights that caught our eyes. 1956 Ferrari 290 MM by Scaglietti Projected Value: $22,000,000-$26,000,000 Without question, this is the crown jewel of the entire show. As the eldest and most experienced of the 11 total Ferrari lots, its estimated value of $26 million is more than five times the values of the other five cars listed below combined. From the jump, Ferrari threw the 290 into the line of fire. Starting its life with a four-cylinder 860 Monza engine and a Tipo 520 chassis, its first race was the Mille Miglia. Peter Collins was behind the wheel and racing photographer Louis Klemantaski was his copilot. Ferrari took the top five spots in the race, with this car, chassis No. 0628, finishing second. It went on to see multiple races and took on multiple forms, including a V12 swap at one point. After switching through the hands of multiple owners, it was sent to Ferrari Classiche in Maranello, where it was restored to its form at the time of the 1957 12 Hours of Sebring. It retains its original chassis, original bodywork, and original transmission, and houses the V12 from its 290 MM spec. The restoration was completed in 2015, and the car remains in incredible shape today. 1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV by Bertone Projected Value: $2,100,000-$2,500,000 Simply put, the Miura is one of the most significant supercars, and therefore one of the most important cars, of all time. Its two-seat, mid-engined configuration seismically shifted what a performance could and should look like, and its V12 gave it the power to be the fastest car in the world when it debuted.

Porsche Panamera wagon won't come to America until 2018

Porsche has teased us with a wagon version of the Panamera for years now. First as the Panamera Sport Turismo concept at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, and more recently we've seen prototype spy photos of extended rooflines Panameras as well. Now Automotive News confirms that the wagon is not only in the works, but that it will be sold in North America. "We have to have some patience for [the wagon] to arrive in the U.S.," Porsche Cars North America CEO Klaus Zellmer told AN. "But we are confident that this car will be well received here, despite the fact that this country doesn't really like hatchbacks or wagons." Wagons are particularly popular in Germany, encouraging local automakers to continue developing and producing them even as they expand their crossover offerings. Only some of those make their way across the Atlantic, however. Though Audi, for example, offers Avant wagon versions of its A4 and A6 models, it brings only the latter over in ruggedized Allroad trim. Mercedes similarly offers wagon versions of the C-Class, CLA, and CLS back home, but only sells the E-Class wagon in America. And BMW keeps the Touring version of its 5 Series back home while brining over only the 3 Series wagon. Porsche is slated to reveal the new Panamera in four-door form at the Paris show in September, with the wagon version to hit the European market sometime next year. Don't expect to see the five-door model in US showrooms, then, until 2018 at the earliest.

How Porsche got Patrick Dempsey into the driver's seat for Le Mans

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice. Ask Patrick Dempsey and he'll likely tell you the same secret for landing a role on a hit TV show or, for that matter, driving a Porsche in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
That's because, like McQueen and Newman, Dempsey has earned his place in that rarified field of actors who also race. He's competed in Baja and Grand-Am, co-owns an IndyCar team, and this year returned to Le Mans where he and his teammates Joe Foster and Patrick Long finished fourth in the GTE-Am class behind the wheel of their Porsche 911 RSR.
It's a grueling race, and the fluid transition between drivers behind the wheel is a key element to success. Check out the satirical video below to see how Dempsey and company got ready.