BMW Art Cars are Rolling Masterpieces
Famous artists, inspired by BMW, have created a series of cars that serve not only as muse but as the canvas itself.
The BMW Art Car project is an ongoing collaboration between artists and BMW with the goal of creating one-of-a-kind pieces of automotive art. The project kicked off in 1975 when racecar driver Herve Poulain and BMW teamed up with artist Alexander Calder to turn Poulain’s Le Mans-bound BMW 3.0 CSL car into a show stopper. Since then the BMW Art Car project has been a great success, turning out some inspired BMWs with exciting and inventive designs. Some of the most notable names in art have participated in the BMW Art Car, transforming 19 cars into works of three-dimensional art.
One exciting aspect about the BMW Art Car continues to be how different artists see and interpret the BMW. Some use color to add a sense of motion. Others play on the shape, lines, and contours of the car. Others paint the BMW aesthetic with words, patterns, and concepts. But all draw on what makes the BMW an exciting car to drive: Power, energy, and speed.
Outside of the official Art Cars, there have been various “unofficial” Art Car projects, also supported by BMW. The most recent is WRAPsody, sponsored by Winslow BMW and Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Participants will design and add their own artistry to a BMW i8 Coupe. Even late, great artist Keith Haring once adorned a BMW with his iconic graphics, as seen above.
As we await the next BMW Art Car, official or unofficial, we highlight some of our favorites from the collection.
Andy Warhol, 1979 BMW M1
Andy Warhol was the perfect artist to collaborate on the BMW project. Warhol was a celebrated artist who rebelled against the norms of the art world, blurring and even meshing the lines between art and commercialism in his brand of pop art. Warhol rose to fame with a unique voice that explored the beauty, irony, and humor in the icons of consumerism and production with striking images. But in taking on the BMW, he did so with was a stroke of brilliance, and true respect for the M1 Group 4 racer.
“I tried to portray a sense of speed, Warhol said. “When a car is going really fast all the lines and colors become a blur.”
Warhol started the work at his famous studio and art collective, The Factory. He began with a small scale model of the M1, then completed every brush stroke himself and by hand on the full scale car. Upon completion, Warhol said, “I love that car. It has turned out better than the artwork.”
The M1 Group 4 racer has a six cylinder engine producing 470 bhp with top speeds exceeding 190 mph. The Warhol car was used in the 24-hour race at Le Mans in 1979, and came in sixth place overall, and second in its class. It has continues to be showcased at various BMW and art events.
Jeff Koons, 2010 BMW M3 GT2
When modern artist Jeff Koons was approached by BMW to create an art car, he began doing extensive research. Koons gathered images not only of race cars, but of graphics, colors, and speed to inspire this dynamic design. Known for his bold and colorful work, Koons seemed to incorporate his aesthetic organically with the M3 GT2 speed demon.
“These race cars are like life, they are powerful and there is a lot of energy,” said Koons. “You can participate with it, add to it and let yourself transcend with its energy. There is a lot of power under that hood and I want to let my ideas transcend with the car–it‟s really to connect with that power.”
The way Koons used dynamic colors and lines to intensify the velocity, strength, and energy of the 2010 BMW M3 GT2. As a nod to Warhol, Koons chose the number 79, the year of the car Warhol painted.
Koons worked closely with the team at BMW, and even joined the BMW’s American Le Mans Series race team in Florida for a few laps to experience the race car’s unbridled sound and fury first-hand. With the BMW M3 GT2’s 4.0-liter V8 engine, 500 bhp, top speeds of 186 mph, and able to reach 100 mph in 3.4 seconds, there was much to be inspired by.
Koons’s BMW Art Car competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2010. Unfortunately, due to technical problems it has been retired from racing. The car tours art and motor sport events for BMW.
John Baldessari, 2016 BMW M6 GTLM
Conceptual artist John Baldessari seemed an unusual choice for BMW at first glance, but it turned out to be an excellent match. Baldessari told The Verge “I’ve driven BMWs all my life.” He stayed true to his minimalist roots by letting the car have a strong voice, then adding strategic but effective dots of color in red, yellow, blue, and green. He also added some playfulness with the concept of speed by adding the word ‘Fast’ on the side.
“Considering the car as an icon of contemporary life, my concept turned out playfully satirical,” said Baldessari. “But it also highlights some of the trademark ideas that I use. So you can say, the BMW Art Car is definitely a typical Baldessari and the fastest artwork I ever created!”
And fast is a bit of an understatement when it comes to the BMW M6 GTLM. boasting an eight-cylinder V engine, 585 hp, and top speeds of 186 mph.
As Baldessari told The Verge, “It was a challenge. I’ve never designed anything three-dimensional. Working on it from all different directions, I was happy with how it came out.” He explained that it was meant to be raced, “I thought about it being very fast. I hope it looks good [on the race track]. I put this red dot on top because I had this idea that there would be a helicopter shot going down so it can be identified.”
So far Baldessari’s car has gotten a chance to show off on the track, competing in 24 Hours of Daytona, and will be participating in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC).
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