Frequent listeners of the JRE podcast would know that Joe Rogan is a self-described car nut and geeks out when he gets to talk to other car guys. He’s always had a love for cars especially American muscle cars. Rogan admits that he doesn’t know all the ins-and-outs of how cars work, he just really loves the experience of driving.
The first car Rogan owned was a 1973 Chevrolet Chevelle. Once he started earning decent money, buying a nice car was the one big ticket item he would splurge on. It started with a 1994 Toyota Supra Turbo and continues to this day. Rogan says that classic cars are the only things he spends money on that are kinda ridiculous. Other vehicles he previously owned include an Acura NSX, Porsche 996 Turbo, 1970 Sick Fish Barracuda, and Porsche 997 Mark II GT3.
When it comes to Rogan’s current vehicle collection, he’s a big fan of restomods (restored and modified) owning at least four. He prefers the old school looks combined with reliable mechanics and modern technology. With too many cars for his home garage, Rogan stores a few at the massive podcast studio. Fortunately, several of his cars have been showcased in various YouTube clips so you can see them for yourself.
Tesla Model S P100D
Prior to Elon Musk’s first appearance on the podcast, Joe Rogan had been highly critical of electric cars and routinely mocked his friends who drove Teslas. During the podcast, Musk was able to convince Rogan to try a Tesla and said it would blow his mind. Just a few months later, Rogan bought a Model S P100D and was instantly converted to a Tesla fanboy. He says it’s like a spaceship and he absolutely loves driving it. Not a single car he’s ever driven is as fast. It even makes his Porsche GT3 feel slow. The podcast studio has a Tesla wall connector installed for charging his Model S.
1971 ICON BR Ford Bronco restomod
Jonathan Ward is the founder and CEO of ICON 4×4. They specialize in restomods done on old Ford Broncos as well as a few other vehicles. Ward first appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast back in 2015 (JRE #678) and he returned in 2020 (JRE #1443). Both episodes are highly recommended if you’re into cars and craftsmanship. Rogan’s 1971 ICON BR Ford Bronco was delivered in 2017. With a restomod Rogan gets the best of both worlds – the old school aesthetics combined with modern upgrades and reliable driving. A lot of podcast guests have commented on the ICON Bronco after seeing it parked in the studio. In the video above, Ward takes Rogan’s matte silver ICON BR #41 for a test drive and describes all the work done on it.
1995 TLC4x4 Toyota Land Cruiser FZJ80 restomod
This 1995 TLC4x4 Toyota Land Cruiser FZJ80 is Joe Rogan’s newest restomod and his 2nd from Jonathan Ward. TLC 4×4 is Ward’s company for restoring Toyota Land Cruisers. Rogan’s FZJ80 was built for serious off-road use and designed specifically for his outdoor hobbies. He uses a rooftop tent for camping and hunting trips in the FZJ80. There’s even a locking quick-draw gun mount in the center console. About 3000 man-hours went into this build. The above video was recorded in the spring of 2019 just prior to delivery and features Jonathan Ward driving Rogan’s TLC 4×4 while describing all of the engineering and design work in detail.
2008 SharkWerks Porsche 997 GT3 RS
Joe Rogan has been a longtime fan of Porsches owning several over the years. When he purchased a white 2008 Porsche 997 GT3 RS he had it sent straight from the dealer to SharkWerks to get customized. They installed a SharkWerks 3.9L engine with 500hp and 8800rpms, a noselift system, wheels and more. Rogan says it’s so fun to drive that it feels like you shouldn’t be allowed to have a car like this on the road. Car enthusiast and JRE podcast guest Matt Farah of The Smoking Tire took Rogan’s SharkWerks Porsche GT3 RS for a spin in the video above and said “it’s the best car ever.” There are a ton of photos of Rogan’s car on the SharkWerks website.
1993 Porsche 964 RS America
The slowest car that Joe Rogan says he owns is a 1993 Porsche 964 RS America. He spoke about it with Elon Musk during JRE #1169 (timestamped video above). Even though it’s not very fast, Rogan said he gets a weird thrill while driving it from the satisfying mechanical feeling of steering and shifting. It’s a lightweight car that’s extremely fun to drive. Photographers caught Rogan out and about with his red Porsche 964 in 2018.
1965 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray restomod
American muscle cars are Joe Rogan’s favorite cars to drive ever. He loves the muscle car design in combination with the rumble of the engine. In Rogan’s opinion, his 1965 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is one of the best looking cars of all time. He purchased this Corvette Stingray as an existing restomod to get fixed and customized by Steve Strope of Pure Vision Design who previously worked on Rogan’s Sick Fish Barracuda. The team at Pure Vision installed a supercharger, redid the interior, replaced the wheels and made some other modifications. Strope, Rogan and his silver ’65 Corvette Stingray were featured on an episode of Jay Leno’s Garage. Leno took it for a test drive and agreed that it’s an iconic and beautiful looking car.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlPmgJ0nacZ/
1969 Chevrolet Nova
In this video from Hot Rod Magazine, Steve Strope of Pure Vision Design shows off Joe Rogan’s still-in-progress 1969 Chevrolet Nova restomod in bare metal. Strope talks about the metal work, body design, and which parts and stylings were incorporated from a Camaro. Hot Rod Magazine also featured Rogan’s Chevy Nova on the cover of their April 2019 issue. Click here for more information and build photos.
2005 BMW E46 M3
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1cUa-bl4XQ/
Joe Rogan mentioned being a big fan of BMW E46 M3s to Richard Rawlings of Fast N’ Loud/Gas Monkey Garage fame when he appeared on JRE #1229 (@154:00). He finds them very appealing but claims that people overlook them even though they could be the gold standard for M3s. Rogan previously leased two BMW M3 V8s in a row to use as daily drivers and said they have everything he likes in a car. He really loves how they drive, their perfect balance, and understated look. During the conversation with Rawlings, Rogan seemingly convinced himself to buy a BMW E46 M3 and now he’s the proud owner of one from 2005 that he found online with only 15,000 original miles. He spoke about it on JRE #1484 with Reggie Watts (@73:22) and JRE #1443 with Jonathan Ward (@40:55). The Instagram post above showcases the Avant Garde wheels Rogan had installed in 2019.
1970 Plymouth “Sick Fish” Barracuda restomod
The 1970 Barracuda that Joe Rogan previously owned is the same one he reacquired in November 2019. It’s a restomod designed by Chip Foose and was featured on the TV show Rides. Rogan discussed his history with the car in detail on Ari Shaffir’s Skeptic Tank Podcast #410. At one point, it was owned by former NFL player Reggie Bush. Roadster Shop has been working on a complete overhaul of Rogan’s Barracuda which includes a new chassis, 900hp Mercury engine and manual transmission conversion.
