When you think of art cars, you may automatically call BMW to mind, but there's another luxury German automaker with a rich history of splashing crazy designs across its cars from time to time. Porsche has shown us a few amazing reinterpretations of its cars over the past year, the first of which was a 930 911. Then we saw a modern 911 customized by a South African artist, and finally, the results of an art car showdown between two prominent artists showed us two crazy vinyl wraps applied to the Porsche Taycan. These are just a few of the recent art cars that the Stuttgart-based brand has presented to us, so let's take a look back at some of the greatest fusions of cars and creativity.
968 L'ART by L'Art de L'Automobile
The first car is one we featured back in September. The brainchild of Arthur Kar, this creation was unveiled at Paris Fashion Week 2021 and aims to capture the collision of the worlds of fashion, art, and cars. Revealed to mark the 30th anniversary of the 968, this unique creation is finished in Green Pearl, although you can see three other hues depending on what angle you view the car from. The roof is gone, Recaro seats are in, and Bose ensures that the driver can hear their favorite tunes even when cruising along a seaside road. Add in the matching TAG Heuer chronograph and you've got a combination that is guaranteed to turn heads.
996 Swan by Chris Labrooy
This is arguably the strangest thing we've seen all year. Created as a real-life representation of a digital artwork penned by Scottish digital artist Chris Labrooy, the unique Porker was built for Porsche's 20th anniversary of selling cars in China and ties in the first car that was ever sold there - a 996-generation 911 - with the swan, which stands for happiness. The car's first public appearance took place in Shanghai early this month and will be seen at various other displays and exhibitions over the coming months. Thankfully, you don't have to see this one at your local Porsche dealer.
911 Carrera by Nelson Makamo
Next up is the 911 Carrera that we touched on at the outset. Famed South African artist Nelson Makamo always had the dream of owning a Porsche, and when he finally got his hands on a Jet Black Metallic example, he decided to hand-paint the rear bumper applique, the door mirror covers, and the door panel trim inserts. The seatbacks are also repainted in the vibrant colors, which are said to signify "a reflection of his success, the important people he's met along the way, and his hope that his work will spark the imagination of children all over the continent of Africa."
Janis Joplin's 356 C by Dave Richards
The car you see here is one of the earliest examples of a Porsche art car and was originally bought by the rock legend in 1968, when it was finished in Dolphin Grey. This was one of just nine colors available at the time, but Joplin wanted more. According to the story, she paid her roadie, David Richards, to portray The History of the Universe in almost every color imaginable. This history included images of Joplin's band, Californian landscapes, the eye of God, skulls, mushrooms, and many more interesting details. The car was restored to its original gray hue after Joplin's death before being repainted in its psychedelic theme in the Nineties. It was eventually sent to auction where it broke all Porsche 356 records, netting the seller $1.76 million.
Notable Mentions
These are just some of the special art cars that Porsche has given its backing in the last few decades, but there have also been Taycan art cars by the likes of Richard Phillips, Dale Chihuly, SUMO!, Megan Claire Keho, and Rei Misiri. A crystal-embellished 911 was also created by Daniel Arsham in 2019, as well as a 911 RSR Le Mans racer by Richard Phillips. A 1970 911 S designed by Ornamental Conifer featured a unique style of signwriting in gray that reads 'Stay forever far out,' while a 911 Fat Car NFT by Erwin Wurm showed us a car that was designed to look like it's melting. There's also been a 996 enhanced by Biggibilla, featuring gorgeously intricate depictions of Australian animals, but whatever your personal style, it's clear that Porsches are great for customization.