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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.

Editors' Picks June 2021 | Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sorento, McLaren 720S and more

A mix of crossovers and family cars were awarded Editors' Picks status this month. Plus, we got into a Porsche and a McLaren that share in the accolades. We finally spent some quality time in the Kia Carnival, too, which was the only minivan missing from our minivan-heavy month of Editors' Picks back in March. There were some near misses, with none closer than the updated Nissan Pathfinder. In case you missed our previous couple Editors' Picks posts, here’s a quick refresher on whatÂ’s going on here. We rate all the new cars we drive with a 1-10 score. Cars that are exemplary in their respective segments get EditorsÂ’ Pick status. Those are the ones weÂ’d recommend to our friends, family and anybody whoÂ’s curious and asks the question. The list that youÂ’ll find below consists of every car we rated in May that earned the honor of being an EditorsÂ’ Pick. 2022 Hyundai Tucson 2022 Hyundai Tucson View 45 Photos Quick take: The new Tucson is a design marvel for the compact crossover segment, and its wide range of powertrains combined with big utility means it has the usefulness to be a great family car. Score: 8 What it competes with: Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue, Mazda CX-5, Kia Sportage, Subaru Forester, VW Tiguan, Mitsubishi Outlander, Ford Escape, Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain Pros: Unique and attractive styling, wide range of powertrains, packed with tech Cons: Thrashing base engine, lack of volume knob From the editors: Associate Editor Byron Hurd — "I was really impressed by my brief time behind the wheel of the new Tucson. It's comfortable, quiet and (in hybrid form) surprisingly peppy and responsive. Hyundai really nailed the interior too. I smell a winner." In-depth analysis: 2022 Hyundai Tucson First Drive Review | A bold leap forward   2022 Kia Carnival 2022 Kia Carnival SX Prestige View 49 Photos Quick take: This minivan wins big in the style and interior tech department. It's super smooth and comfortable to drive, but the lack of powertrain options is disappointing. No matter, the numerous positives win out.

Race Recap: 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans defines 'endurance'

Commenting on the rush of events that rocked beginning and end of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Paul Truswell of Radio Le Mans said "the race is about the ability to endure, not just the ability of drivers to do what they do for a long time." The entire race machine, all the way down to the pit boards and radios, has to survive the stress and abuse of the entire day. This was the race to prove those words.
There were two Toyotas, two Porsches and three Audis, five of the seven led the race at some point, six of the seven ran in the top three. Toyota will be hugely disappointed that it didn't win when its car and drivers were so, so strong, but they gave Audi the kind of scare we haven't seen since the best of Peugeot's days, and Toyota did a better job of it even in the loss. Porsche blew away everyone's expectations, falling 3.5 hours short of a fairy tale ending that would have made Disney cry.
But Le Mans doesn't really do fairy tales. Well, not that fairy tale. Audi's Twitter handle during the event was #welcomechallenges. As usual, Le Mans answered for the entire field.