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By ALEXIS KUNSAK, Associated Press Writer – Fri Jan 30, 6:13 am ET

STUTTGART, Germany – Porsche's new museum is a sprawling monument to
60 years of German engineering, with its exhibits displayed in
surroundings worthy of the masterpieces it considers them to be.

Engines, interactive displays, Porsche memorabilia and 80 cars —
including prototypes and icons like the 911, all polished to a
mirror-sheen — are parked on two floors of pristine, white
galleries. The museum opens to the public on Saturday.

The collection includes a 550 Spyder — the model James Dean was
driving when he died in a collision with a Studebaker in 1955.

Other models, like the 917 type that Hollywood star Steve McQueen
made famous in "Le Mans" and the 928 version Tom Cruise's character
in "Risky Business" used to elude trouble, are parked bumper-to-
bumper under dazzling spotlights.

Three dramatic concrete pillars support the museum building,
designed by the Viennese architecture firm Delugan Meissl, which
seems to float above its industrial surroundings.

A handcrafted aluminum recreation of the very first Porsche, a Type
64 'VW Aerocoupe,' shines in the center of the first floor.

On the top floor five generations of 911 turbos rotate together,
showing off the slight differences in their styling.

Other cars stand out for their oddity, such as the 1957 "Jagdwagen"
or hunting car, an amphibious vehicle ready for road and pond —
whose unique design brought back memories for invited guests at this
week's official opening of the museum.

"Oh, would you look at that," exclaimed a white-haired visitor to an
elderly friend, as he came around the corner face-to-face with the
Jagdwagen. "That thing was the best in the Black Forest and in the
lake. But it was so expensive."

Visitors can get up-close-and-personal with the vehicles, with no
barriers keeping them at a distance.

Another favorite is the 917/20 race car nicknamed the "Pink Pig."
The extra-wide car was painted pink and labeled with the names of
different cuts of meat after a designer complained about its shape.

Prototypes on display include a 928 model almost long enough for
four doors, a 1989 "Panamericana" with odd curves, and the darling
of the museum staff: the 1992 Boxster prototype that won Best in
Show at the 1993 Detroit Auto Show.

"I love it. It's my favorite," said museum guide Liron Koll. "It's
so much more beautiful than the production model."

Porsche owns more than 400 classic race and sports cars.

Many of those in display still race in events around the world and
almost every car in the museum is road ready — leaving the building
perfumed with the smell of fresh grease and motor oil.

When models are taken out of the museum on the road, Porsche plans
to rotate in others to take their place.

Behind a glass wall opposite the main entrance, visitors can watch
mechanics working on the museum's collection.

Porsche hopes to lure 200,000 visitors a year to the museum —
competition for the rival Mercedes museum, located a half-hour away
in Untertuerkheim, a Stuttgart suburb.

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Admission is euro8 ($10.50) for adults. Children under 14 enter for
free when accompanied by an adult.

www.porsche.com/museum