BMW has revealed its latest Art Car, the M Hybrid V8, designed by New York-based artist Julie Mehretu. This marks the 20th unique Art Car since Alexander Calder's original 1975 3.0 CSL. The unveiling took place at the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
Inspired by past BMW Art Cars such as Frank Stella’s 1976 3.0 CSL and Jenny Holzer’s 1999 V12 LMR, Mehretu’s design adorns the M Hybrid V8 endurance race car. This new creation will be showcased alongside six iconic Art Cars at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, including Calder’s 3.0 CSL, Roy Lichtenstein’s 1977 320i Turbo, Andy Warhol’s 1979 M1, and Jeff Koons’ 2010 M3 GT2.
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The M Hybrid V8 is set to compete at Le Mans on June 15, with drivers Sheldon van der Linde, Robin Frijns, and René Rast. The race car sports a special wrap designed to meet FIA regulations, achieved through precise 3D mapping to fit its body perfectly.
Mehretu was chosen to create this Art Car in 2018 by a jury of esteemed art experts. Continuing a tradition started by French racing driver Hervé Poulain in the 1970s, this 640-horsepower vehicle follows John Baldessari’s 2016 M6 GTLM, merging art and high-performance engineering.
