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Janis Joplin's psychedelic Porsche nets $1.76M at auction

Even though she famously asked the Lord for a Mercedes-Benz, Janis Joplin loved her 1964 Porsche 356C Cabriolet with its psychedelic mural called History of the Universe. The mind-bending droptop went for an amazing $1.76 million at a recent RM Sotheby's auction in New York City and shattered the original estimate of between $400,000 and $600,000 for the sale. Seven bidders in a fight over the trippy car helped push up the price, and this is now the most ever paid for a 356 at public auction. According to RM Sotheby's listing, Joplin bought the Porsche used in 1968 and quickly gave it to a roadie for her band Big Brother and the Holding Company to create the mural. He covered the entire exterior with a variety of motifs including a landscape across the passenger side, butterfly on the driver's door, a rainbow connecting two faces at the back, and an eye on the front. Joplin proudly drove the convertible regularly until her death at just 27 years old in 1970. After the singer's passing, Joplin's siblings eventually took control of the groovy Porsche but made the odd choice to repaint the car in the original Dolphin Gray. They eventually realized that was an awful idea, and two artists used photos to recreate the mural. The family then loaned the 356 to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH, in 1995, and this auction was the first time the convertible went up for sale since Joplin bought it. You can get a great look at all the psychedelic details in the gallery above. PSYCHEDELIC JANIS JOPLIN PORSCHE SHATTERS ESTIMATE, BRINGS RECORD $1.76 MILLION IN NEW YORK CITY NEW YORK (December 10, 2015) - Tonight at the RM Sotheby's 'Driven By Disruption' auction in New York City, The Janis Joplin 1964 Porsche 356 C 1600 SC Cabriolet sold for $1,760,000*, well over the pre-sale estimate of $400/600,000. Spurring a spirited bidding contest between collectors in the room and on the phones, seven bidders competed for the iconic daily driver of legendary rocker Janis Joplin. The outstanding sales price represents a new record for any Porsche 356 sold at public auction. Purchased by the Queen of Rock'n'Roll from a used car lot in 1968, Joplin engaged Dave Richards, a friend and roadie with her band, Big Brother and the Holding Company, to customize it with a psychedelic 'History of the Universe' mural, rendering it one of the first true 'art cars' and one of the most famous and important Porsches of all time.

Watch Evo pick its 2015 Car of the Year in this epic video

With just a few days left in 2015, it's the perfect time to check out Evo's annual Car of the Year test to determine the greatest performance vehicle of the last 12 months. The writers' picks for the 11 finalists spanned a breadth of engaging models and included: Peugeot 208 GTi by Peugeot Sport, Lamborghini Aventador SV, Seat Leon Cupra Sub8, McLaren 675LT, Porsche 991 GT3 RS, Porsche Cayman GT4, Honda Civic Type R, Ferrari 488 GTB, Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, Lotus Evora 400, and Mercedes-AMG GT S. For the venue to test the mettle of these performance machines, Evo stuck close to home this year and visited the twisting roads at the beautiful north coast of Scotland. Racing brothers Marino and Dario Franchitti also came along for the ride to provide two more voices in the competitive challenge to determine a winner. Evo's video explains why each model deserves to be among such rarified company but doesn't gloss over their faults either. There can be only one winner, though. We don't want to spoil it, so check out the clip for magnificent views of these performance machines through the Scottish countryside.

Best Convertibles for 2022

The past decade has not been kind to the drop-top enthusiast. No matter which dealer you walk into, convertible models have been biting the dust left and right. Nissan Z? Audi TT? Buick Cascada? Volkswagen Eos? All gone. Remember the humble Chrysler Sebring/200? Well, you do now. Fortunately, though, the news isn't all bad. There are still plenty of options out there for those who absolutely must have a convertible. Whether you need something to haul behind your retirement cruiser, a performance car that can go toe-to-toe with the best in the world or just something that allows you to sling the roof back after a long day of on-location business meetings before catching the flight back to your everyday hustle and bustle, there's at least one cabriolet out there to suit your needs. Here are our picks and starting prices for the top convertibles in several categories for 2022.  For the frugal open-top lover: 2022 Mini Convertible ($34,650) Let's face it; gas ain't cheap. But open-top motoring doesn't need to be a wallet killer. The Mini is cheap (at least by 2022 standards) and an absolute joy to drive, so there's really no downside here ... except for the roof. Get it?    For the hardtop lover: 2022 Mazda MX-5 RF ($37,260) / 2022 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible ($69,695) The number of hardtop convertibles has seriously dwindled due to weight concerns and the fact that fabric roofs have gotten so quiet, but there are still some options for those who prefer a more coupe-like look with the roof up. Our picks here are the delightfully Targa-like MX-5 Miata RF and literally any Corvette Stingray — even the hardtop has a removable roof!    For long road trips: 2022 Ford Mustang Convertible ($34,100) The first image that comes to mind for many who are told to visualize an American convertible is the classic Ford Mustang. It's not the only drop-top pony car out there, but thanks to the Camaro's tiny trunk, it's much harder to see the USA in a Chevrolet when a drop-top enters the equation. The Mustang has much more cargo space and a much larger opening, which is likely the difference between keeping your bags under lock and key or leaving them exposed in the back seat.    For towing behind an RV: 2022 Jeep Wrangler ($31,590) While many small runabouts make sense for towing behind a motor home (or nestled up inside a fancier one), the Wrangler has a serious advantage when it comes to RVing: it can easily be flat-towed.