Drawing on its history of producing ‘art cars’, an exclusive run of 99 BMW M850i xDrive Gran Coupés have created by artist Jeff Koons in conjunction with the German manufacturer. The car was revealed to the world at the Frieze art fair in Los Angeles, California, this week.
Commenting on his creation, Koons explained, “My edition of the BMW 8 Series is my dream car! It is very special to me and I’ve wanted to create a special edition BMW for a long time. It is sporty and flashy as well as minimalist and conceptual. I can’t wait to drive it and ride in it, and I hope that people will enjoy the Gran Coupé just as much as I do.
“On the car, the lines are getting bigger on their journey from the hood toward the trunk, creating a sense of forward movement just as the ‘POP!’ and the vapor thrust design elements do. The blue color resembles the vastness of space and I like the idea of the car being a global car. What matters is how we relate to each other and our awareness of everything we are surrounded by. For the driver and all passengers, there is a heightened state of pleasure. This is what my car has to offer.”
The striking design combines 11 different exterior colors ranging from blue to silver and yellow to black. Only four cars will be painted each week. The multi-colored interior is trimmed exclusively in leather and even includes a cupholder cover with the artist’s signature. The seats are trimmed in red and blue to reflect the colors of comic book superheroes as well as those of the company’s high-performance unit BMW M.
Oliver Zipse, chairman of the board of management at BMW remarked, “BMW thrives on constantly seeking out new challenges! Working with Jeff Koons again has inspired us all – throughout headquarters and across our plants in Germany. Never before in the history of our company has a BMW been created with such an extensive design effort as The 8 X Jeff Koons. A ‘rolling sculpture’ that will not only be displayed as a coveted collector’s item in museums but will also be allowed to flourish on the road as a genuine BMW.”
