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The Petersen museum in Los Angeles is celebrating all-things Porsche in a special exhibition entitled The Porsche Effect.
But you need to be quick to see it. Extended by popular demand, the exhibition will finally end on April 15, 2019.
Porsche produced its first production model 71 years ago, in 1948, and the exhibition at the Petersen celebrates some of its greatest cars. Autocar visited it, and we've chosen some of the best and most interesting cars that feature.
Extensively rebuilt in 2015 with a dramatic exterior design, the Petersen Automotive Museum is a tribute to all things automotive, located in the city marked by the automobile like no other that is Los Angeles. Its amazing regular collection is frequently enhanced by special collections like this one. If you can't make it in person then you should buckle up and join us for a virtual tour of The Porsche Effect:
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1973 PORSCHE 917/30 CAN-AM SPYDER
For the 1973 Can-Am series, Porsche and Penske Racing produced the 917/30. The 5.3L, twin turbo charged flat-12 produced more than 1500 bhp, making it the most powerful sports car racer ever. The 917/3 dominated the 1973 season and set a closed-course speed record of 221.12mph at the Talladega Superspeedway in 1975. Of the six 917/30 built, only three would see racing, becoming unusable in the 1974 season due to regulation changes.
Top speed: 250 mph
Horsepower: 1500
Engine: 5.4-liter flat-12 (turbocharged)
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1998 PORSCHE 911 GT1 STRASSENVERSION
The 911 GT1 Strassenversion (“street version") was a road-legal version of the 911 GT1 racer. It was designed and built as part of the certification process for the GT1. Adapted for road-going use, the Strassenversion was fitted with a softer suspension, a de-tuned engine, a less race focused cockpit and elevated ground clearance. A total of 25 cars had to be built in order for the GT1 to pass homologation, two were built with 993 front headlights, the remaining were delivered with 996 style headlights.
When Autocar drove it back in 1998 we branded it “the world’s most focused sports car”. As a road going racer, we felt “driving the GT1 on the road feels as if it ought to be illegal” owing to the car’s sheer raw power and performance.
Top Speed: 194 mph (electronically limited)
Horsepower: 544
Engine: 3.2-liter flat-6 (turbocharged)
Number built: 25
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1997 PORSCHE 911 GT1
The GT1 was Porsche’s first race car based on a mid-engine 911. It was also the first to use an engine that was fully water-cooled. For the 1997 FlA GT Championship, nine GT1s were purchased by private racing teams. The car pictured competed in 36 races, taking eight wins out of its 21 podium finishes in that 1997 season.
Top speed: 206 mph
Horsepower: 600
Engine: 3.2-liter flat-6 (turbocharged)
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1967 PORSCHE 910
Based on the road legal 906, Porsche built the race-only 910 (or 906/10) to compete in 1966/67. At the 1967 Nürburgring 1000 Kms, three 6-cylinder 910s claimed a 1-2-3, giving Porsche a dominant grasp on its home event. However on the track the 910 struggled to compete against its American and Italian rivals, leading to a very short racing career.
Top speed: 165 mph
Horsepower: 210
Engine: 2.0-liter flat-6
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1964 PORSCHE 904 CARRERA GTS
The 904 Carrera GTS was another first for Porsche; it was the manufacturer’s first car to utilise a fiberglass body and a ladder-type chassis. Furthermore, using the experience from developing cars like the 550 and RSK Spyders, Porsche made the 904 its first closed mid-engine car. The 904 enjoyed great success on the track, claiming class wins at Sebring, Le Mans, the Nürburgring, Spa and the Paris 1000 Kilometre.
It also enjoyed rallying success, most notably at Monte Carlo in 1965 where only 22 out of 237 starters finished in the points.
Top speed: 160 mph
Horsepower: 200 (6-cylinder)
Engine: 2.0-liter flat-6
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1979 PORSCHE 935 K3
The 935 was the greatest 911-based race car of its time and among a small number of production cars to claim overall victory at Le Mans. This 935 K3 was the winner of the 1979 championship. The "K" stands for Kremer Racing, a German customer constructor that tunes Porsches for its own and also other non-factory teams’ uses.
Top speed: 217 mph
Horsepower: 750-800
Engine: 3.0-liter flat-6 (turbocharged)
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2015 PORSCHE 919 HYBRID
The 919 Hybrid was constructed for use at Le Mans in the Prototype 1 Hybrid category. It features a four-cylinder turbocharged engine that produces 500hp. The additional 400+hp comes from an electric motor that transforms braking and exhaust energy into power. This 919 Hybrid won three endurance races in 2015: the 6 Hours of Nürburgring, 6 Hours of Circuits of the Americas and 6 Hours of Fuji.
We placed the performance of the 919 at Le Mans in our top 10 motorsport moments of 2015, which gave Porsche its 17th outright win and first since 1987.
Top speed: 211 mph
Horsepower: 900 (est. combined fuel + electric)
Engine: 2.0-liter V-4 + one electric motor (turbocharged)
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2008 PORSCHE RS SPIDER
To comply with LMP2 (Le Mans Prototype 2) category regulations, Porsche privately developed the RS Spyder in 2005. As LMP2 is a non-factory team class, Porsche formed a partnership with Penske Motorsport. In a three-season span, RS Spyders scored 24 class wins and 11 overall wins and also claimed multiple manufacturer, driver and team championships. It then gave its engine to the 918 Spyder concept car of 2010.
Top speed: 205 mph
Horsepower: 480
Engine: 3.4-liter V8
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1985 PORSCHE 959 "PARIS - DAKAR"
In its first-ever desert race in 1984, Porsche claimed overall victory in the Paris-Dakar Rally with a modified 4x4 959. The 959’s advance engineering came in the form of electronic all-wheel drive and sequential turbocharging system. Porsche 959s carried the initial success over to the 1986 Paris-Dakar Rally and claimed 1st, 2nd and 6th positions.
The car has been kept in its original rally winning condition, which explains the coating of African desert dust!
Top speed: 130 mph
Horsepower: 232 (1985 959 Paris - Dakars)
Engine: 3.2-liter flat-6 (1985 959 Paris - Dakars)
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1958 PORSCHE 356A 1600 SUPER SPEEDSTER
Celebrity ownership can promote both a car’s reputation and a company's overall image. Actor Steve McQueen bought a Porsche Speedster to pursue his passion for racing. His triumphs at Santa Barbara, Del Mar, Willow Springs and Laguna Seca helped cement the perception of Porsche as a producer of desirable and capable cars.
Top speed: 99 mph
Horsepower: 75
Engine: 1.6-liter flat-4
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PORSCHE 911 TURBO
1975 saw the Porsche 911 spawn a turbocharged variant, the 930, with styling marking it out as one of the most iconic automotive designs. The muscular body and huge rear spoiler complemented the classic 911 shape. The aesthetics were a definite interpretation for the Turbo's twitchy dynamics and 155mph top speed.
Look closely: despite the first owner paying serious money for this 911, they couldn't quite stretch to ticking the passenger-side door-mirror option box...
Top speed: 160 mph
Horsepower: 300
Engine: 3.3-liter flat-6 (turbocharged)
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1983 PORSCHE 956
Due to new FIA regulations in 1982, Porsche needed to create an all-new racer with a monocoque chassis. By exploring new aerodynamic principles, Porsche’s engineers created a ‘ground effect’ by directing airflow under the car. The suction produced by the air stream generates down force which keeps the car stable while not compromising speed. The 956 became one of the most successful race cars in history, winning Le Mans four times in a row.
Top speed: 217 mph
Horsepower: 620
Engine: 2.65-liter flat-6 (turbocharged)
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1969 PORSCHE 917K
The legendary 917 is another creation that was a result of Porsche complying with new FIA rulings, albeit this time the regulation changes were favourable. Initially, advanced lightweight materials combined with an air-cooled flat-12 (designed by Hans Mezger) that produced almost 600hp proved to be problematic due to a lack of downforce.
Modification to the tail helped enhance stability and reduce rear end lift. In 1970, a 917K delivered Porsche its first of 19 wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Top speed: 220 mph
Horsepower: 630
Engine: 5.0-liter flat-12
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1966 906 Carrera 6
The 906 was one of a series of lightweight race cars that were developed by the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, Ferdinand Piëch. The 906 had a fiberglass covered body, which resulted in a massive reduction in overall weight, when compared to the 904 it was replacing.
At the 1966 LeMans 24 hour race, the 906 placed 4-5-6-7 behind the legendary Ford GT40s but crucially, ahead of the V12 powered Ferraris. Piëch would later develop Audi's Quattro division, and was chairman of Volkswagen 1993-2002.
Top speed: 170 mph
Horsepower: 210
Engine: 2.0-liter flat-6
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1955 PORSCHE 550/1500 RS SPYDER
The mid-engined 550 Spyder was Porsche’s first car developed for the sole purpose of racing. Porsche used an aluminium body and tube-frame chassis for weight reduction. Weighing just 1298 lb (590kg), this meant that the 110 hp quad cam flat-four provided brisk performance, with help from a slippery shape derived from wind-tunnel testing.
The car was so low that racer Hans Hermann successfully drove his Spyder under a railroad level-crossing barrier in the Mille Miglia race in May 1954.
Top speed: 137 mph
Horsepower: 110
Engine: 1.5-liter flat-4
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1987 PORSCHE 928 H5O STUDY
The 942 was a four seat concept car based on the then current 928. Porsche developed this concept further with the 928 H50 Study. It experimented with four doors to ease access to the rear seats. It's considered by many to be the forerunner of the Panamera, which first appeared in 2010.
Top speed: 160 mph
Horsepower: 310
Engine: 5.0-liter V8
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2016 PORSCHE 911 GTS CLUB COUPE
Porsche and the Porsche Club of America (PCA) have a very close relationship, and the GTS Club Coupe is a product of this. Porsche produced the car in honour of the PCA's 60th anniversary in 2015; it's a variation of the 911 Carrera GTS. It features a distinctive colour called "Club Blau" (Club Blue) along with special trim parts. Among the 60 special PCA Porsches, 59 were sold to PCA members via a lottery system, while the remaining car was won for free.
The GTS featured a Carrera S engine and was well equipped with kit you might actually want, but for a lower premium than adding them to a standard 911.
Top speed: 189 mph
Horsepower: 430
Engine: 3.8-liter flat-6
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1955 PORSCHE CONTINENTAL CABRIOLET
The name Continental was a result of the highly influential New York car importer Max Hoffman who wanted to have Porsches in the American market named with an expressive title, rather than by mere numbers.
Since Ford had already trademarked the ‘Continental’ name, Porsche had to re-badge the car. As a result, only a small number of Continentals were produced and the name was briefly changed to 'European’, then back to 356.
Top speed: 100 mph
Horsepower: 60
Engine: 1.5-liter flat-4
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2000 PORSCHE CARRERA GT PROTOTYPE
The Carrera GT was a challenge for Porsche engineers to create a car that featured advanced racing technology while also possessing a design that still stuck to Porsche’s design ethos. The result subtly embodied numerous 911 styling elements in a substantially more aggressive package. Of the two Carrera GT prototypes constructed, this car is the only survivor.
When Autocar drove the production car, we found it to be “one of the most thrilling cars you could buy, being technically modern and yet also so edgy and dramatic.”
Top speed: 205 mph
Horsepower: 558
Engine: 5.5-liter V10
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1976 PORSCHE 911 TURBO CARRERA
Another look at the original 911 Turbo. Encouraged by the racing success of the turbocharged 917 race car, Porsche began work on a turbocharged 911 in 1972. Series production began in 1975, and the 911 Turbo became one of the most iconic cars of the 1970s. It was also one of the most controversial, since its short wheelbase and turbo-lag made for a challenging driving experience.
Top speed: 155 mph
Horsepower: 260
Engine: 3.0-liter flat-6 (turbocharged)
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1949 PORSCHE 356-2 "GMUND" COUPE
By 1944 Porsche's design facilities had moved to Gmünd in Austria. There, Ferry Porsche with his engineers and designers created the Type 356. The prototype 356-1 roadster’s design was based on the pre-war Type 64 racer and many of its design features were carried into the production 356-2 coupes and cabriolets.
This example was the 50th "Gmünd" car and possibly the last built in Austria ahead of the company's move to Stuttgart in Germany.
Top speed: 88 mph
Horsepower: 40
Engine: 1.1-liter flat-4
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1939 PORSCHE TYPE 64 60K10
The Porsche Type 64 60K10 is the original Porsche and set the overall blueprint for aerodynamic Porsche design. It was built to compete in the 1939 Berlin-Rome endurance race, which was cancelled due to the outbreak of the Second World War. Just three identical cars were built, each of which used a Volkswagen platform and a streamlined aluminium body.
This particular car was reconstructed of major components from the second Type 64, which had been dismantled after the war.
Top speed: 90 mph
Horsepower: 40
Engine: 1.1-liter flat-4
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1951 SAUTER PORSCHE 356 ROADSTER
Industrialist Heinrich Sauter and fabricator Hans Klenk wanted to develop a more competitive 356 racer and so worked with Porsche to create the 356 roadster. The stock 1.3-liter unit was replaced by a 1.5-liter and was mated to re-worked body. The modifications were successful and the car won six of the seven races it entered in 1952.
In a break from Porsche design norm, the 356 roadster featured reverse-hinged doors. This gave drivers a split-second advantage in Le Mans-style racing, in which drivers began the race by sprinting to their cars.
Last driven in competition at Pebble Beach in 1954, the Sauter Roadster was returned to the area in 1987 to participate in the Monterey Historic Races.
Top speed: 115 mph
Horsepower: 55
Engine: 1.5-liter flat-4
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2015 PORSCHE 918 SPYDER
Although Porsche launched the 918 Spyder at the 2010 Geneva auto show, production didn't begin until September 2013. A very short production run ended in June 2015, during which time 918 vehicles were built. A true gasoline-electric hybrid, its V-8 engine operates in conjunction with two electric motors, one on each axle giving the 918 all-wheel drive.
A 918 Spyder fitted with the Weissach Package, which makes the car 90 lb (41kg) lighter, became the first road-legal production car to complete the 12.8 mile circuit at the Nürburgring in less than seven minutes, knocking 14 seconds off the previous lap record for that class of car.
Autocar’s Matt Saunders had this to say after driving the 918: "The Porsche 918 Spyder smashed our dry handling track lap record when we road tested it - but it's forgiving and easy to drive. It’s still my favourite hypercar, and I’d bet it always will be." We gave it a spot in our ’39 cars that changed the world’ feature, back in February 2017.
Top speed: 211 mph
Horsepower: 887 (combined fuel + electric)
Engine: 4.6-liter V8 + two electric motors
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Petersen Automotive Museum
The museum opens every day from 10am to 6pm, except Christmas Day – it closes early on New Year’s Day.
The Porsche Effect exhibition runs until April 15 2019; general entry tickets to the museum also covers entry to it.
Current museum entry fees are:
Adults (aged 18-61): $16
Seniors (62+): $14
Children (4-17): $11
Children under 3, members, and active members of the military (with ID) get in for free.
Vault entry to see the cars not currently on display - highly recommended - is from $23 on top of the above prices.
If you can convince them you have a substantial social media following, you may even get in for free… Ample parking is available.
Petersen Automotive Museum
6060 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles
CA 90036
Phone: +1 323-930-2277
Website: www.petersen.org
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