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McQueen's Porsche 917 from Le Mans races to the auction block

Steve McQueen may have been the headline actor of the motorsport cult classic film Le Mans, but we all know who the real star was. Or rather, what: the Porsche 917. More specifically, it was the Gulf-liveried #22 - not McQueen's #21 - that won the race, making it one of the most iconic cars ever to drive across the silver screen. And now it's going up for auction.
This 1969 Porsche 917K, chassis 917-024, has a storied history both on and off the screen, even if it didn't win any (off-screen) races of note. This example was the first 917 to be campaigned in an actual race when Porsche handed it to Jo Siffert to drive against the Ferrari 312P and Ford GT40 at the Spa-Francorchamps 1000 Km race in 1969. Siffert found the early example too unstable and ultimately drove an earlier 908 to the checkered flag, but after 917-024 set the fastest time at the following year's Le Mans test day, Siffert acquired it outright.
The Swiss racing driver loaned the car to Solar Productions for use in the film, after which it returned to Siffert's collection until he was killed in an F1 exposition race at Brands Hatch in 1971. In a testament to how much he loved the car, it was 917-024 that lead the funeral procession. The car subsequently fell off the radar until it resurfaced in 2001 as one of the greatest barn finds of the new millennium. Now fully restored and resplendent in its original baby blue and orange, 917-024 is headed to the auction block at Pebble Beach where you can be sure that Gooding & Company will bring in a suitably high price for arguably the most iconic example of one of the most iconic Porsches of all time.

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.

Xcar tests Cayman GT4, wonders if it's finally knocked off big brother

Should you buy a Porsche Cayman and save a whole butt-load of money, or just get a 911? That question, friends, has never been as difficult to answer as it is today, where you can get a Cayman that not only undercuts its big brother on price, but in many ways, delivers a better driving experience. Of course, we're talking about the Cayman GT4, a car that pilfers the old 911 Carrera S 3.8-liter, flat-six engine and the GT3's adaptive suspension system and carbon-ceramic brakes. Not only does it borrow from big brother, but it's arranged in what some might argue is a more logical manner, parking that naturally aspirated boxer smack-dab in the middle, rather than at the back like the 911. Oh, and the manual-only GT4 is only a tenth slower to 60 than the new, turbocharged Carrera S, but has a starting price that's $18,800 lower. Yes, you read that correctly, the GT4 is a Ford Focus less than the standard-bearing Porsche. Naturally, Xcar keeps all this in mind as it tests the GT4, a vehicle that it comes to a rather interesting conclusion about. Of course, we won't spoil that for you, so head on up and check out the entire test, as Xcar's Alex Goy tests out what may well be a genuine alternative to the 911. Related Video: