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200-Hours of Time Was Put Into Designing BMW’s Latest Art Car
By Ben McKimm - News Published: , Last Updated:
Over several years of collaboration, artist Jeff Koons and BMW have dreamt up some of the wildest looking vehicles on the planet. More than just a mere wrap and repeat concept these cars are pieces of art and take the famous ‘art car’ moniker to new heights. In their latest venture, Koons has applied his touch to the gorgeous lines of the BMW 850i xDrive Gran Coupe, taking its rather subtle factory exterior and turning it on its head to become a rare comic book on wheels. It’s a striking vehicle limited to just 99 units, and by the time you’ve read this, it’s probably already sold out. Let’s take a look anyway, shall we?
BMW M850i xDrive Gran Coupe Specifications
Price: $277,900 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 4.4-litre V8 twin-turbo petrol
Output: 390kW/750Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Image: BMW
More than 200-hours of work time was put into the exterior paint job, combining eleven different colours ranging from blue to silver as well as yellow to black. Specialised professionals were brought in for the occasion, with magnifying glasses often used to work with intricate detail.
“I was thinking very intensely about it: What is the essence of the 8 Series Gran Coupe? what is the essence of power? How to create something that exemplifies all the energy of the BMW 8 Seris that is also able to touch upon the human element?” said Jeff Koons.
We think he found it. Take a step inside and find one of the wildest interiors we’ve ever seen on a car; multi-coloured, with fine leather and intricate details such as the cupholder lid with edition badging and Koons signature. Overall, it looks like the inside of a comic book and reflects the extravagant exterior. The seats are the highlight in our books, red and blue which reflects the superheroes from the comic universe, but more importantly, those colours found on the highest performance ‘M’ division vehicles. Keen eyes will note the exploding rear lines of colour at the rear of the 850i that pay homage to the previous 2010 generation ‘Art Car’.
“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,” said Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG.
The first BMW ‘Art Car’ debuted in 1975 as a commission piece by Alexander Calder for Herve Poulain’s BMW Motorsport Jochen Neerpasch race car. Since then, 19 artists from around the world have had provided their artistic expression to the panels and lines of a BMW vehicle. Jeff Koons also created the 17th art car in 2010, alongside the livery for the BMW M3 GT2 race car that competed at Le Mans.
Pricing for the Jeff Koons x BMW M850i xDrive Gran Coupe is upon request via all BMW dealerships on a first come first serve basis. More information can be found via the links below.
Image: BMW
Image: BMW
Image: BMW
Image: BMW
Image: BMW
Image: BMW
Image: BMW
Image: BMW
Image: BMW
Image: BMW
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