BMW has given the scale model treatment to the M3 GT2 art car designed by Jeff Koons. Somehow, his art just got a little more pop.
The automaker has been using cars as canvases since 1975, when Alexander Calder designed the paint job for a 3.0 CSL. Since then, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg, Jenny Holzer and others have painted 17 BMW art cars, all of which the automaker has offered as 1/18th scale miniatures.
The Koons car, which made its debut in June, 2010, is the latest headed to gearheads' shelves. It features such details as steerable front wheels, a removable hood and an authentic silver interior with plastic seatbelts.
There's good reason to take this one home. When the commission was first announced, our own Tony Borroz feared Koons wouldn't be up to the task of creating an art car for BMW -- perhaps the artist would just turn it into a balloon animal, or paste some erotic photos of himself on the hood. But Koons really got into the project, pleasing both the art and automotive realms and joining BMW for a few laps at Sebring.
The resulting car featured a vinyl wrap of bright colors, flying debris and lines suggesting motion, all of which combine to evoke the feeling of racing even when the car is parked.
"These race cars are lifelike, they are powerful and there is a lot of energy," Koons said after the car was unveiled.
BMW says that only 5,000 models went on sale online and in select dealerships, though we weren't able to find one for sale on their official online store. The company didn't announce pricing for the Koons replica, but other model art cars sell for $160.
Photo: BMW
