The Petersen Museum announced a pair of temporary exhibits that should convince you to book a flight to Los Angeles. One will cast light on noteworthy wedge-shaped cars built since the design world started exploring how to leave curves behind, and another puts BMW 3 Series–based race cars front and center.
The first is called “The Wedge Revolution: Cars on the Cutting Edge.” It will open on August 2, 2025, in the museum’s Design Gallery, and run until September 2026. It was co-curated with Franz von Holzhausen, the head of Tesla’s design department, so we’re not surprised to see a Cybertruck on the list of vehicles displayed. There are several older, door-stop-shaped vehicles in the collection as well.
The exhibit highlights the period when designers shifted away from the curves that characterized cars for decades and began adopting flatter, more geometric surfaces. With a handful of exceptions, this trend permeated the entire industry: The Citroën Dyane released on the European market in 1967 landed as a boxier-looking evolution of the 2CV, and the Alfa Romeo Alfetta launched in 1972 stood out with sharper-looking styling than its predecessor. Futuristic-looking concepts helped accelerate this change.
Some of the most influential wedges will be displayed at the Petersen, including the obscure but hugely significant 1966 Cannara I, the 1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero, the 1973 Chevrolet Aerovette, and the Villa d’Este Concours–winning 1979 Aston Martin Bulldog. Of course, no exhibit dedicated to wedge-shaped cars would be complete without a Lamborghini Countach, so the Petersen will display a 1974 LP400 Periscopio, too.
Before you leave the Petersen Museum, head downstairs to the Phil Hill Legends Room to check out a second temporary exhibit that sounds like it’s just as fascinating. “The Ultimate Racing Machine: 50 Years of the BMW 3 Series in Motorsports” highlights five decades of 3 Series–based race cars. BMW co-curated the display, choosing one car from each of the seven generations of the 3 Series released since 1975.
The oldest car on display is an E21-generation 1978 320i Group 5, which raced in the 1978 Championship for Makes with fiberglass body panels, titanium coil springs, and a 340-horsepower four-cylinder engine. There’s also an E30-generation 1990 M3 Group A DTM, an E36-generation M3 GT-2, an E46-generation M3 GTR, plus several more modern cars like a last-generation M4 DTM and a current-generation M4 GT4.
BMW also shipped out three road-going 3 Series, including a 2001 M3 GTR Straßenversion. It’s one of 10 built, though only three remain today, and it was developed to homologate the racing version of the M3 GTR. It’s powered by a detuned version of the race car’s 4.0-liter V-8, so it stands proud as the first street-legal eight-cylinder M3, and it features a comprehensively updated suspension, a specific body kit, and a long list of weight-saving parts such as a carbon-fiber roof panel. Seeing one in the metal is a rare treat.
The 3 Series–themed exhibit opened its doors in July 2025 and will run through June of next year, so you can see cool 3 Series–based racers and wedges on wheels in one visit. Petersen Museum tickets start at $21.
