As promised, here is the first of a handful of TSL exclusives, live from the sunny west coast. After the jump, I’ll take you inside the Petersen Automotive Museum in downtown Los Angeles for a quick peek at some of the exhibits currently on display. Never been? This may be the next best thing.

A quick introduction: The Petersen Automotive Museum, recognized internationally for its innovative design, is dedicated to the interpretive study of the automobile and its influence on our culture and lives. Encompassing more than 300,000 square feet, its exhibits and lifelike dioramas feature more than 150 rare and classic cars, trucks and motorcycles.

One of the first thing you’ll see on the ground level floor is this armor-plated Mercedes-Benz formerly owned by the Sultan of Brunei, a man worth an estimated $50 billion dollars. With over a ton of extra armor, reinforced windows and a faux sun-roof to help the car “blend in,” this vehicle is far from ordinary. You can check it out alongside a video of a partially-armored Cadillac being used for target practice, then get an up close and personal look at the Caddy’s front and rear doors.

One of the limited-time exhibits currently on display on the second level of the museum is called “Popes, Presidents and Potentates: Cars of Heads of State.” Inside you’ll see JFK’s ‘62 Lincoln Continental (above top), Pope John Paul II’s tricked-out ‘99 Cadillac De Ville (above bottom) and other cars with high-class cheek prints on the seats.

The above-pictured 1956 Jaguar convertible is just one of the multitude of cars featured in the “Steve McQueen: The Legend and the Cars” exhibit across the hall. Relive your favorite McQueen moments as you walk by the Mustang GT from Bullitt and peruse the literature available for an inside look at McQueen’s personal life and style.

The Petersen Automotive Museum is located at 6060 Wilshire Blvd. in downtown L.A., on the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax. If you’re young, old, a student or in the service, it’ll cost you $5 to get in. If you don’t fit into any of the aforementioned categories, they’ll charge you $10. Parking is $6/day in the connected garage, which also houses some exhibit cars including a land-speed-record-breaking jet car.

Also feel free to check out the Petersen online at Petersen dot org