Living the Porsche Effect at the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles

The Petersen Museum, located on Miracle Mile in downtown Los Angeles, is still a must-see destination for any gear. Recently refurbished, it features a wild exterior design and an interior filled with some of the rarest wheeled machines ever made. The main exhibition this year is called The Porsche Effect, and it presents the cream of Stuttgart's history, from first aerodynamic efforts to modern hybrid speed. Come take a closer look.

This 1956 original 550 Speedster is a twin to the car that James Dean died in, about sixty years ago. Seeing it gives the viewer chills, but there is nothing threatening about the car itself. Like the 550, the 904 GTS was a race special built on the premise that weight subtraction was more important than adding power. The road racing version is on the left, the street variant is in the foreground

This model 959 is in the center of a screen presenting various Porsche Designs. As a supercar in the 1980s, the 959 was Porsche's best estimate of what the future might look like – and they were right. All-wheel drive, dual turbocharger and adjustable suspension are now commonly found in very fast trams

If James Dean is tied to the 550, then the Carrera GT has its own status of tragic celebrity. Paul Walker died in the passenger seat of one of these cars, probably because of old-fashioned tires. Still, it is a car to respect more than dreaded, and a favorite of veteran Porsche test driver Walter Rohrl.

If the 959 was Porsche guessing correctly, the 911 Targa is what happened when they got it wrong. While waiting for the United States to ban conventional cabriolets, Porsche introduced a 911 variant that featured a prominent rollover bar. The law has never come, but the Targa has always found favor with buyers, to the point that there is still a modern version.

Intended to replace the 911, the 928 front-engine was a large tourer, V-8-powered fast. Fortunately, Porsche has decided to keep the 911, although the 928 has a growing number of fans. This 928 three-door, long wheelbase gives an insight into Porsche's reflections on larger family cars. Call it a Proto-Panamera

Do not Wash Me! The dirt on this Dakar 959 is not negligence, it's the original dust picked up on a sprint across the deserts of Africa. Porsche keeps the car exactly the same as when it won the race.

The Porsche 935 is colloquially called Moby Dick – and it's pretty easy to see why. Strongly turbocharged, the 935 has been very successful in endurance, both in the factory and in private. The race-obsessed Canadian millionaire, Walter Wolf, had a specially manufactured street version in 1980, one of the most extreme machines of the time.

Porsche's classic advertising is simple and effective. as with the old cars themselves. Here, there is a call to the sportsman – ski and golf – and a link with Steve McQueen. Thanks to the 1945 film Le Mans McQueen and Porsche will be linked forever.

From Le Mans, Here Is Second Place Of The Edition 2015 of the race. Paired with the winning car, this 919 hybrid represents the peak of Porsche speed and perhaps a type of racing machine that we will never see again. The high-end endurance races require an investment of several million, and many competitors, including Porsche, are starting to work on electrification again.

In the modern era, Porsche's greatest challenge remains true to its heritage while incorporating new technologies. So, the new cars are still rear-engined, but come with traction control systems to curb the polar drive and all-wheel drive capable of reducing power. All that goes on under the skin, a duck tail spoiler and Fuchs-look wheels still look good on a 911.

Gathering everything from coffee mugs to the traditional Speedsters to the proven racing machines, the Petersen screen shows the strengths of all facets of Porsche design.

With a pure excess of the 1970s, the "Turbo" script on the hips of this 930 of 1976 swells on the wide wheels. The turbocharger has changed the game for Porsche, allowing it to accumulate more and more power in their six-cylinder engines without sacrificing light weights or packaging.

was founded in Washington in 1955. Thirteen members attended the initial meeting, but only 12 were admitted – 13, a Volkswagen owner, was politely invited from. Since that time, club sections have spread throughout North America and are often involved not only in shows and cruises, but also in charitable and fundraising endeavors.

by Steve Smith, a Mohawk artist based in Hagersville, Ont. Used as a trophy for PCA events, it features both the heraldic coat of arms of Stuttgart and symbols of Iroquois culture.

a victory lap for a racing Porsche crowd, with the 919 hybrid at the back . Brendan McAleer / The Globe and Mail