Writer ordered to pay $174,000 after rare Porsche blows up in test drive

The Porsche 917 Le Mans race cars weren't just stars on the track, where they led Porsche to its first wins at Le Mans; they also made Steve McQueen's film of the race a masterpiece. One of the drivers injured in that race let a journalist take his personal 917 back on the track — and then sued him when the car engine failed. The journalist's new job: Finding a way to pay $174,000 in damages and legal costs.

British journalist Mark Hales arranged with retired racer and collector David Piper to drive his original Porsche 917 around a British race circuit against a similar vintage Ferrari car in April 2009 as part of a magazine photo shoot. Such events happen all the time; the old car's owner gets publicity for his ride, and the writer or magazine gets exclusive, and sometimes incredible, shots of antique machinery at full wail.