The 50-year history of BMW Art Cars

When art and automotive worlds collide

BMW has revealed the latest addition to its famous Art Car Project, with a glitzy event at the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

Designed by New York-based Julie Mehretu, the BMW M Hybrid V8 Art Car will compete in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. It arrives 25 years after BMW last entered one of its artistic creations in the classic endurance race.

With 20 official Art Cars in the collection, what better time to take a wander through this automotive gallery? Our roundup also includes some other artistic highlights from BMW history.

1975 BMW 3.0 CSL – Alexander Calder

The Art Car story began in the mid-1970s, when racing driver and auctioneer Herve Poulain commissioned American artist Alexander Calder to paint his BMW 3.0 CSL.

Poulain drove the car himself in the 1975 24 Hours of Le Mans, with Calder’s use of primary colours intended to create the illusion of movement. Although Poulain failed to finish the race, the Art Car captured enough attention to convince BMW of the idea.

The original Art Car was one of the last works by Alexander Calder, who passed away in 1976.

1976 BMW 3.0 CSL – Frank Stella

A year later, another Le Mans-bound BMW 3.0 CSL underwent the Art Car treatment. This time, the late Frank Stella created a design based upon an oversized interpretation of graph paper.

The geometric black and white livery was Stella’s vision of a blueprint for the 3.0 CSL, and meant the 750hp turbocharged race car certainly made a statement at Le Mans.

Sadly, the impressive paint scheme did not result in success, with the team of Brian Redman and Peter Gregg retiring after just five hours.

1977 BMW 320i Turbo – Roy Lichenstein

Fast-forward to 1977, and the third BMW Art Car was the product of Roy Lichenstein’s iconic style. The American applied his distinctive ‘pop art’ to the 320i Turbo, ahead of its entry into the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Using ‘Ben Day Dots’, combined with abstract colours and shapes, the 320i Turbo looked fast even when parked in the pit lane.

With Herve Poulain and Marcel Mignot on driving duties, the BMW made it to the finish of the endurance race. It took first place in its class, along with an impressive ninth overall.

1979 BMW M1 – Andy Warhol

Arguably the most famous Art Car of all was the fourth model in the collection. Andy Warhol painted the BMW M1 himself, whereas other artists had used scale models to channel their creative intent. Warhol managed to add 6kg of paint to the mid-engined M1 in just 28 minutes.

Speaking about the eye-popping design, Warhol said: “I attempted to show speed as a visual image. When an automobile is really traveling fast, all the lines and colors are transformed into a blur”.

The extra weight of Warhol’s design did little to damage the M1’s performance. At Le Mans in 1979, the car’s only race, it finished in a commendable sixth position.

1982 BMW 635 CSi – Ernst Fuchs

In 1982, the Austrian painter, poet and composer Ernst Fuchs was responsible for designing the first Art Car with a regular production car as its base. It was also the first model in the collection by a European artist.

Titled ‘Fire Fox on a Hare Hunt’, the design by Fuchs placed striking flames atop a black background.

Painted by hand, Fuchs described his work as expressing “a wide range of experiences, fears, desires and invocations”.

1986 BMW 635 CSi – Robert Rauschenberg

BMW made a return to pop art for Art Car number six, enlisting the services of American artist, Robert Rauschenberg. The road-going BMW 635 CSi was the vehicle of choice again, but this would be the first time an Art Car would actually be driven on the street.

Rauschenberg decorated the 635 CSi with a collage design, taking inspiration from other artists. The hubcaps were, in fact, photographs of antique plates.

The finished product, applied to the BMW using foils, was intended to be a moving museum.

1989 BMW E30 M3 Group A – Kumantje Jagamara

Aboriginal Australian artist ​​Kumantje Jagamara, formerly known as Michael Jagamara Nelson, was a proponent of the Papunya art style.

His career highlights included a mosaic in the foyer of the New Parliament House in Canberra, and a painting featured in the Sydney Opera House.

His design for the BMW M3 touring car racer was an abstract mosaic, intended to reflect Aboriginal culture. Painted by hand, Jagamara completed the intricate design in just seven days.

The M3 used had previously been raced in the Australian Touring Car Championship, winning the 1987 AMSCAR Series.

1989 BMW E30 M3 Group A – Ken Done

Complementing the work of Kumantje Jagamara was another BMW M3 Art Car, created by an Australian artist. Ken Done’s project car was intended to represent modern Australia, with an unmistakably colourful design.

Beaches, sun, fish and even parrots were all captured by Done’s artwork. The artist himself said: “I have painted parrots and parrot fish. Both are beautiful and able to move at fantastic speeds. I wanted my BMW Art Car to express the same qualities”.

Before it became a piece of art, the BMW M3 was driven by Jim Richards to victory in the 1987 Australian Group A Driver’s Championship.

1990 BMW 535i – Matazo Kayama

After two racing cars, BMW returned to road cars for the ninth vehicle in the Art Car collection. The E34-generation BMW 535i saloon was the canvas for the work of the first Asian artist involved in the project.

Matazo Kayama combined airbrushing with traditional Japanese techniques, basing his design on a piece he had previously completed for the Tokyo National Museum of Arts.

The theme of ‘snow, moon and cherry blossoms’ was achieved with the use of metal foil printing. Kayama himself said of his inspiration: “I wanted to give the impression of snow crystals in my work.”

1990 BMW 730i – César Manrique

There is a BMW 7 Series beneath this dramatic paintwork, we promise. Spanish artist César Manrique applied his avant-garde style to the large luxury saloon.

Manrique took inspiration from Lanzarote for his Art Car. The black elements of the design represent the lava rock found on the island, with green used for the lush rainforest, and red for life.

1991 BMW Z1 – A.R. Penck

The BMW Z1 was already a radical-looking car, with its plastic interchangeable body panels and doors that retracted vertically into the sills. A total of 8,000 roadsters were built between 1989 and 1991, but this is the rarest of them all.

German-born artist A.R. Penck was inspired by ancient cave paintings for his Art Car, with abstract symbols adorning the bodywork. Penck’s classic stick figures were also included.

What does it all mean? Penck never actually explained the thinking behind his artwork, and he passed away in 2017. So the Z1 will remain a mystery…

1991 BMW 525i – Esther Mahlangu

The 12th BMW Art Car was the first by a female artist, and also the first by an African. Esther Mahlangu is one of South Africa’s most famous artists, with a distinctive style inspired by her ethnic tribal Ndebele art.

This meant adorning the 525i saloon with bold colours and geometric shapes, using Ndebele patterns passed down from generation to generation.

After some initial practice runs, Mahlangu took one week to paint her design directly onto the bodywork of a BMW 525i.

1992 BMW E36 M3 GTR – Sandro Chia

Conceived for use in the German DTM series, the BMW E36 M3 GTR was raced successfully in the ADAC GT Championship.

Italian artist Sandro Chia approached BMW with a request to create an Art Car, with the result being a dramatic design of silhouettes and portraits.

Describing the artwork, Chia said: “The automobile is a sought-after possession in society, and all eyes are upon it. People look closely at cars. The one I have painted here reflects their gaze. Like a mirror, it confronts the people who look at it”.

1995 BMW 850 CSi – David Hockney

Bradford’s very own David Hockney, one of the most famous contemporary artists in the world, got his chance to design an Art Car in 1995. Fittingly, the flagship BMW 850 CSi coupe would be his ‘canvas’, after BMW finally convinced him to be involved in the project.

Hockney’s vision for the 850 CSi brought the inside of the car to the outside, featuring an abstract interpretation of the 5.5-litre V12’s intake manifold on the bonnet.

A dachshund was added by Hockney for good measure, too.

1999 BMW V12 LMR – Jenny Holzer

BMW last took an Art Car to the 24 Hours of Le Mans a quarter of a century ago, using the V12 LMR. An alliance between BMW Motorsport and Williams Racing, a two-car team took on the French endurance race.

The Art Car version of the V12 LMR was designed by Jenny Holzer, with lightweight foil and chrome letters used. Holzer covered the BMW with six dramatic statements taken from her Truisms series.

Although the Art Car V12 LMR failed to finish, its sister car would take victory, driven by Joachim Winkelhock, Yannick Dalmas and Pierluigi Martini.

2007 BMW H2R – Olafur Eliasson

Yes, there is a car beneath this bizarre metal cocoon. Danish-born Olafur Eliasson used BMW’s H2R prototype hydrogen-powered race car as a base, but removed the original aluminium bodywork.

Instead, Eliasson added a complex skin of mesh and metal plates, completing it with layers of ice. The latter was achieved by spraying the Art Car with more than 2,000 litres of water, and keeping it in a temperature-controlled room.

Without the Art Car bodywork, the BMW H2R was capable of reaching more than 186mph, with water the only byproduct from its hydrogen-fuelled V12.

2009 BMW Z4 – Robin Rhode

Technically not part of the BMW Art Car Project, the work of Robin Rhode promoted the launch of the second-generation Z4 roadster in 2009.

Instead of making an Art Car, the South African artist used the rear-wheel drive Z4 to create a giant work of art. Special nozzles were used to spray 160 litres of paint directly onto the Z4’s wheels, with a huge canvas to capture the creativity.

Along with a live action TV advert, sections from the 1,800-square metre canvas were displayed at motor shows around the world.

2010 BMW E92 M3 GT2 – Jeff Koons

American concept artist and sculptor Jeff Koons had wanted to paint a BMW Art Car since the early 2000s, and finally got his chance in 2010. He used the BMW M3 GT2 racer, ahead of the marque’s return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Koons fully immersed himself in the project, working with the BMW Motorsport team at the 12 Hours of Sebring race, and even getting on-track himself. It led to a pop art-style design, intended to make the M3 GT2 look like it was going flat-out even when stationary.

Using number 79, a nod to Andy Warhol’s Art Car, the M3 GT2 sadly failed to finish at Le Mans. However, it still became a strong crowd favourite, thanks to its stunning livery.

2017 BMW M6 GT3 – Cao Fei

Art Car number 18 was the brainchild of Cao Fei, the youngest artist to contribute to the project. The multimedia artist was also the first from China to be involved.

Fei’s work concentrated on celebrating the lightweight carbon fibre used to build the BMW M6 GT3 race car. This saw the M6 in its bare carbon form, with Fei making a special video and an associated smartphone app for the project.

The app created an augmented reality image, with coloured light particles appearing above the M6 GT3. Fei took three years to complete her contribution to the Art Car Project.

2016 BMW M6 GTLM – John Baldessari

The late John Baldessari was the artist picked for the 19th Art Car, with his conceptual style applied to the BMW M6 GTLM racing car.

Known for his minimalist approach, the Californian added monochrome dots to the front and roof of the M6, with ‘FAST’ lettering added to the driver’s door. It was a simple but effective livery.

As the artist himself put it: “The BMW Art Car is definitely the fastest artwork I ever created.” The GTLM made its public debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona, finishing eighth in class and 12th overall.

2020 BMW M2 Competition – Futura

Internationally renowned graffiti artist Futura collaborated with BMW to produce a series of three bespoke examples of the M2 Competition. Although not counted as part of the Art Car Project, they do demonstrate the marque’s commitment to encouraging creativity.

New York-based Futura hand-painted both the exterior and interior of the M2 Competition cars, with one of them displayed at Frieze LA 2020 in Los Angeles.

Futura created three cars to be sold to BMW customers, each wearing a completely unique design. Like any good graffiti artist, Futura tagged each car with his signature.

2024 BMW i5 Flow Nostokana

For the 2024 edition of Frieze Los Angeles, BMW revealed a tribute to one of the most recognisable Art Cars.

A design inspired by Esther Mahlangu’s 1991 Art Car was applied to the new, all-electric BMW i5 saloon, using E-Ink panels. Fitted to the bonnet, boot and sides of the EV, the panels allow the pattern and colours to be changed by applying an electrical current.

Not listed as an official BMW Art Car, the one-off electric i5 takes its ‘Nostokana’ name from Mahlangu’s first son.

2024 BMW M Hybrid V8 – Julie Mehretu

The 20th car and latest in the BMW Art Car Project celebrates the return of the German marque to the top level of competition at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

After 25 years, BMW is coming back to the French endurance race, competing for outright victory with the M Hybrid V8.

Just as in 1999, BMW will field two cars in the top Hypercar class, and one of these will wear an Art Car design. Ethiopian-born Julie Mehretu is the artist chosen by a secret jury to create the new mobile artwork, with the finished car unveiled at the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

2024 BMW M Hybrid V8

For her Art Car project, Julie Mehretu has transformed a 2D image into a 3D representation for the first time in her career. She made use of 3D mapping technology to transfer the design onto the M Hybrid V8, applying it through a special wrap.

Digitally altered photographs, superimposed in several layers of dot grids, neon-coloured veils and black markings, make up Mehretu’s creation. She made use of a previous artwork, ‘Everywhen’ as the starting point for her Art Car.

Mehretu went to watch the M Hybrid V8 compete at the 24 Hours of Daytona earlier in the year, saying that the experience was “overwhelming”.

2024 BMW M Hybrid V8

Born in Addis Ababa, Julie Mehretu moved to the United States with her family at the age of seven. She completed her bachelor’s degree at Kalamazoo College in Michigan, then gained a master’s in fine art from The Rhode Island School of Design in 1997.

Living and working between New York City and Berlin, Mehretu has received numerous awards on both sides of the Atlantic.

Mehretu is also helping develop an Art Car World Tour for 2025 with BMW, and organising a series of support projects for artists throughout the African continent.

2024 BMW M Hybrid V8

Speaking about the project, Mehretu said: “The whole BMW Art Car project is about invention, about imagination, about pushing limits of what can be possible. I don’t think of this car as something you would exhibit. I am thinking of it as something that will race in Le Mans. It’s a performative painting. My BMW Art Car was created in close collaboration with motorsport and engineering teams”.

She concluded by saying: “The BMW Art Car is only completed once the race is over.”

Mehretu hopes the M Hybrid V8 Art Car can emulate the on-track performance of past creations by Andy Warhol and Roy Lichenstein at Le Mans. We’ll see how it gets on next month.