BMW unveils an 'Art Car'

BMW have revealed that their latest Le Mans entry is to be an Art Car designed by Jeff Koons. Unveiled at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the car features a design inspired by performance.

The German manufacturer last tasted success at the 24 hour endurance race in 1999 with their V12 LMR. In recent years, the race has been dominated by Audi, who have powered 6 of the last 10 winners.

To be raced by Andy Prialux, Dirk Muller and Dirk Werner, this new art car is attracting a plethora of interest from enthusiasts - although the car won't be made available to car buyers, it provides an inspiration for those looking for something a little different.

The BMW M3 GT2 has been decorated in an array of vibrant colours, sure to mesmerise any competitors following in its wake. Koons used CAD software to ensure his artwork would be displayed perfectly, with the coloured lines design printed onto vinyl before encasing the car itself.

Explaining his choice of design in Car Magazine Koons said: ''These race cars are like life, they are powerful and there is a lot of energy... There is a lot of power under that hood and I want to let my ideas transcend with the car - it's really to connect with that power.''

Unlike the bodywork, the engine of the M3 GT2 has not been revamped, remaining in all its classic 500 bhp, 4 litre V8 glory.

The Koons-designed art car is the latest in a string of creative cars from BMW. Previous art cars have included collaborations with Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and David Hockney.

 

Tim Pugh, Haverfordwest, Seat Leon FR

John Child, West Yorkshire, Caterham 7