BMW unveils M Hybrid V8 Art Car by Julie Mehretu for 24 Hours of Le Mans

BMW on Tuesday unveiled its new BMW M Hybrid V8 Art Car. Set to compete at this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans in the flagship Hypercar category, this unique racing car features a livery designed by internationally renowned New York artist Julie Mehretu.

For the design of the 20th BMW art car (the first dates back to 1975 when Alexander Calder painted a BMW 3.0 CSL), Mehretu transformed a two-dimensional image into a three-dimensional representation for the first time, with which she succeeded in bringing dynamism into form.

The artist used the colour and form vocabulary of her painting Everywhen (2021-2023), as a starting point for her design. Its abstract visual form results from digitally altered photographs superimposed in several layers of dot grids, neon-coloured veils and the black markings characteristic of Mehretu's work.

“In the studio, where I had the model of the BMW M Hybrid V8, I was sitting in front of the painting and I thought, what would happen if this car seemed to go through that painting and becomes affected by it?” said Mehretu.

“The idea was to make a remix, a mash-up of the painting. I kept seeing that painting dripping into the car.”

The fusion of image and vehicle was realised with the help of 3D mapping, with which the motif was transferred to the contours of the vehicle using an elaborate foiling process. 

BMW M Motorsport works drivers Sheldon van der Linde, Robin Frijns and René Rast will enter the M Hybrid V8 Art Car (start number 20) at the Circuit de la Sarthe on June 15.

Like the drivers, Mehretu says she is eagerly awaiting the race.

“I went to see the BMW M Hybrid V8 race at Daytona and that experience was overwhelming. Designers, engineers, aerodynamicists and so many other creative minds are working on taking this vehicle to its extreme. When it goes out on the racetrack so many dreams will be fulfilled.”

South African DTM champion and Le Mans rookie Van der Linde, 25, said he was thrilled to be part of the project.

“It’s a huge honour to be selected as one of the drivers for the 20th edition of the art car at my first Le Mans 24-hour in our Hypercar,” he said.

“I love the bold graffiti look Julie Mehretu has gone for with our art car. I’m a huge fan of abstract art and have tried to incorporate her style into a one-off helmet design I will have for Le Mans. If the car is as fast and bold as it looks we’re in for a good weekend.”

Leading up to race day, Mehretu's BMW Art Car will make an appearance at the Concorso d'Eleganza at Villa d'Este in Lake Como, Italy, on its way to Le Mans. As part of the exhibition for historic vehicles organised by the BMW Group and the Grand Hotel Villa d'Este, Mehretu will present the 20th edition of the BMW Art Car Collection.

It will be featured in the grounds of Villa Erba with the celebrated BMW Art Cars by Alexander Calder, Frank Stella (1976), Roy Lichtenstein (1977), Andy Warhol (1979), Jenny Holzer (1999) and Jeff Koons (2010), which also made their race debuts at Le Mans.