In the world of automobiles, some people go all out for performance, some go all out for elegance, some want to be remembered for being affordable, and then there's BMW, which thinks about how to turn some of its most iconic models into real museum pieces.In the distance we can hear the sound of an accelerating engine, but when they approach? As soon as we catch a glimpse of them, we realize we should be talking about Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Roy Lichtenstein, and even Japanese artists who turn a hood into a canvas with a paint stroke.The first BMW Art Car was born in 1975 when Hervé Poulain, a racing driver and art dealer (a clear example of ante-litteram multitasking), decided to engage Alexander Calder to turn a BMW 3.0 CSL racing car into a museum piece.Each Art Car is a unique work, an unlikely marriage of art and German engineering.Over the years, all artists who have been chosen to transform BMW Art Cars have been through a selection process based on: artistic relevance and innovation, connection to BMW philosophy, cultural diversity and interdisciplinarity, but also personal involvement and original artistic vision.It is not just a matter of choosing a famous name, but of finding creatives capable of interpreting the car as an expressive medium, going beyond mechanical functionality to transform it into a work of art.
Finally, here is an overview for each of the 20 BMW Art Cars, in chronological order:
Finally, here is an overview for each of the 20 BMW Art Cars, in chronological order:
1. BMW 3.0 CSL (1975) - Alexander Calder
The series debut is an explosion of primary colors. Calder transforms the powerful 3.0 CSL into a moving sculpture, proving that a racing car should not only speed, but also make an artistic statement: “I am fast, I am beautiful, and I am a work of art.” Square lines and sharp colors, Calder's colorful car, with the number 93, made noise, even if it did not win the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans.
2. BMW 3.0 CSL (1976) - Frank Stella
With almost maniacal precision, Stella dresses the CSL in a mathematical grid pattern that seems to say, “Even nerds can be cool.” It's a graph paper with the number 21 on it, and being the engine fan he was, Stella had fun costuming 750 hp of pure power.
3. BMW 320i Turbo (1977) - Roy Lichtenstein
Lichtenstein takes comic books on the road, painting a 320i that looks like something straight out of a graphic novel. The dots and narrative lines suggest speed and movement, even when stopped at traffic lights. The pop art artist brought good luck, and that year at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the BMW, with the number 50, finished first in its class.
4. BMW M1 (1979) - Andy Warhol
The Pop Art genius decided to paint the M1 by hand, making it an icon of spontaneity and color. It took him only 28 minutes, because Warhol knew that art doesn't wait - and neither do racing engines. The number printed on this show is 76.
5. BMW 635 CSi (1982) - Ernst Fuchs
This car looks like something straight out of a mystical dream. Fuchs creates a design that mixes flames and fantastical creatures, turning the 635 CSi into a car for poets and visionaries...or for those who want to impress at the next gathering. Iconic.
6. BMW 635 CSi (1986) - Robert Rauschenberg
Rauschenberg inserts photographic images into the bodywork, with a mix of classic and modern. It's like carrying around a museum on four wheels, because who said paintings only have to be on the walls? This is the only Art Car we might actually encounter on the road, driven by Rauschenberg himself.
7. BMW M3 Group A (1989) - Michael Jagamara Nelson
Yellow, orange, sienna and very little white. A work of art inspired by the culture and terrain of Australia's indigenous people. If you see it wondering what those cave paintings represent, it appears to be about the artist's dreams.
8. BMW M3 (1989) - Ken Done
Pop colors that scream “Australia!” Done's M3 is an ode to visual joy, perfect for those who believe that cars should never go unnoticed, even at night.
9. BMW 525i (1990) - Matazo Kayama
Japanese elegance and tradition come together in this 525i, decorated with patterns inspired by kimonos and nature. A car that looks more suited to a Zen garden than a highway. Kayama said his work was inspired by a snow crystal.
10. BMW 730i (1990) - César Manrique.
With its bright colors and organic shapes, Manrique turns the 730i into a celebration of nature. A car that could easily park next to a Gaudí work without disfiguring. Here it seems that it was the island of Lanzarote that inspired the artist.
11. BMW M3 GTR (1991) - A.R. Penck
A mix of symbols and stylized figures that seem to come out of a futuristic prehistoric cave. Penck's M3 GTR is perfect for being an asphalt warrior. Two colors that the artist mixes without giving us his own interpretation, each of us can see in it what we want.
12. BMW 525i (1991) - Ester Mahlangu
The first woman to paint an art car does so by drawing inspiration from the African tribal tradition of home decorating, a tradition passed on only by women women. Car n12 is, of course, a unique piece kept in the BMW Museum.
13. BMW M3 GTR (1992) - Sandro Chia
Chia said that many eyes rest on cars, in this one he wanted to reflect their gazes. A racing prototype that does not go unnoticed, indeed, that makes us feel observed.
14. BMW 850CSi (1995) - David Hockney
Hockney paints the inside of the car...on the outside! With this 850CSi, it is as if we can see inside, including the seats, the engine, and even the driver (of course, what is inside the car according to the artist). It is the art of transparency, literally.
15. BMW V12 LMR (1999) - Jenny Holzer
Minimalist yet impactful, the V12 LMR is decorated with provocative phrases that seem to say to the world, “Read my hood!” The artist wants to make us think, she wants to make us read, she wants to make us educated, and above all, PROTECT ME FROM WHAT I WANT.
16. BMW H2R (2007) - Olafur Eliasson
Eliasson covers the H2R with ice and mirrors, turning it into a sculpture that reflects climate change. Sheet metal was assembled to form the shell, then sprayed with water and set to freeze. The result is that a supercar is as still inside the ice as our society is when it chooses to deal with sustainability.
17. BMW M3 GT2 (2010) - Jeff Koons
An explosion of visual energy, with bright colors and lines that seem to shoot toward infinity. Koons' GT2 is pure visual adrenaline, even before turning on the engine.
18. BMW M6 GT3 (2016-2017) - Cao Fei
The Chinese artist brings the art car into the digital age with an interactive car that comes alive through augmented reality. The M6 GT3 thus becomes a portal to the future through augmented reality.
19. BMW M6 GT3 (2016) - John Baldessari
Few elements but a very clear title FAST.
20. BMW 8 Series (2024) - Julie Mehretu
Almost 50 years later, the latest addition to the collection is a triumph of abstract lines and fluid movements. Mehretu turns the 8 Series into an emotional map, and to do so, she asks what would a painting look like if the car drove through it and was affected by it?
Each car is a small universe that blends creativity and engineering, turning the simple act of driving into a cultural experience.If you're wondering whether these cars actually run on the road or are just parlor objects, the answer is: both. Some of these works have actually raced, such as Calder's BMW, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Others, however, were created to be admired in exhibitions, making any motoring enthusiast feel a little more intellectual.
Here you are served a topic to look more cultured at your next cocktail party, remember: the next time you see a BMW, ask yourself if it is just a car or if it hides the soul of an artist.
Here you are served a topic to look more cultured at your next cocktail party, remember: the next time you see a BMW, ask yourself if it is just a car or if it hides the soul of an artist.
