'The 8 X - Jeff Koons has designed his very own 2022 BMW M850i xDrive Gran Coupé G16
BMW has teamed-up with US artist Jeff Koons to create an exclusive run of 99 M850i xDrive Gran Coupé G16 cars painted in a striking pop art style.
BMW Art Cars are nothing new, the first was commissioned by French race car driver and art aficionado Hervé Poulain and founder of BMW Motorsport, Jochen Neerpasch. The duo tasked Alexander Calder to design Poulain’s BMW race car in 1975 and since that time 19 artists have created memorable BMW Art Cars, from Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol to David Hockney. Jeff Koons designed the 17th Art Car in 2010 based on an M3 GT2, which competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and now he is back.
Koons has created what BMW is calling the most elaborately designed vehicle in its history, 'THE 8 X JEFF KOONS' uses the M850i xDrive Gran Coupé as its basis and will be replicated for an exclusive run of just 99 cars. It was presented to a global audience for the first time at Frieze Los Angeles in February, of which BMW is a long-term partner, Koons is represented by Pace Gallery on site, located on the famous Melrose Avenue on the border between Beverly Hills and West Hollywood. Over 200 hours of manual work have gone into the striking exterior paint job, the design combines eleven different colours and due to its complex, handmade nature, only four cars will be painted each week. Inside come high-end materials and fine leather with a cupholder cover featuring the artist’s signature. The seats are made up of a striking red and blue which reflects the colours of superheroes from the comic book universe, as well as the iconic BMW M colours. Overall, the design includes elements of pop art as well as geometric patterns paying homage to the 8 Series Gran Coupe’s intricate contours and shape. The exploding lines of colour at the rear, in turn, are their own unmediated homage to Koon's BMW Art Car of 2010, while the «POP!» on each side symbolizes the power and speed of THE 8 X JEFF KOONS, according to the artist.
The work was conducted at BMW plants in Dingolfing and Landshut, Koons himself spent many days on site at Dingolfing over a period of numerous months discussing design options with the BMW employees involved.
“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," said Koons. «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 towards 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.” Each vehicle comes with a large-format certificate signed by Jeff Koons, which in addition to the signature of BMW's Oliver Zipse, also contains the individual Vehicle Identification Number of the respective vehicle. The artist also designed a unique dust jacket for the Driver's Manual.
One THE 8 X JEFF KOONS will be signed by Koons and auctioned with all proceeds going to the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), Koons has been personally involved with the nonprofit organisation for over two decades.