JEFF KOONS X BMW. The artist creates a special edition of the BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe.

Munich. Yes, they're doing it again! Jeff Koons, together with Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management, BMW AG, announced today that the artist will create a special edition of the M850i xDrive Gran Coupe. The luxurious 8 Series Gran Coupe will be for sale in a very limited collector’s edition after its world premiere at Frieze Los Angeles in February 2022. In 2010, the American artist already created a unique BMW M3 GT2 Art Car which performed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. That same year, the rock singer Bono from U2 wrote in an editorial for the New York Times that Jeff Koons should have a part in designing the car of the future. BMW and Koons continued the conversation and are now proud to announce their latest collaboration at the invitation of Angelika Nollert, director of Neue Sammlung – The Design Museum, in Munich’s Pinakothek der Moderne.  

Jeff Koons, Artist: “I am really thrilled and honoured about the opportunity to work with BMW again and to create a special edition car. 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 Series that is also able to touch upon the human element? Again, it’s just a wonderful opportunity to be working as part of the BMW family again.”

“I am very proud to announce a new partnership with Jeff Koons. And let me say: I love what he has come up with! The 8 Series Gran Coupe is very close to our hearts and Jeff’s design of the car is full of joy and passion. Ever since we relaunched our collaboration, Jeff has said that he’s proud to be back with the BMW family. Dozens of engineers and designers have given their all to celebrate our partnership and make his vision come true. Welcome home, Jeff Koons!” said Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management, BMW AG.

Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design: “In 2021, we celebrate 50 years of cultural engagement worldwide. We just love the arts and the bold voices of our time. Our passion is emotion and to be able to work closely with Jeff Koons again has been an extraordinary source of inspiration. What better artist to collaborate with on the 8 Series Gran Coupe? Car Design takes inspiration from Art and Engineering and turns that into highly emotional experiences. Working with  Jeff Koons again to jointly create something truly special is a great pleasure. He is one of the greatest artists of our time and one of the most inspiring and engaging human beings to work with.”

Currently the cars are being produced in secret at the BMW Group Plant Dingolfing, Bavaria. During an exclusive evening event at Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich’s major museum of contemporary art and a few days prior to the opening of the IAA MOBILITY 2021, Jeff Koons and Oliver Zipse revealed first glimpses and close-up details of the artist’s 8 Series Gran Coupe.

THE 8 X JEFF KOONS is the embodiment of precision, refinement and craftmenship, with a multi-layer paint taking 285 hours to apply onto each car. The expressive and striking design combines eleven different exterior colors ranging from blue to silver as well as from yellow to black. Only two cars will be produced each week. The multi-colored interior is comprised of high-end materials, fine leather and a cupholder lid with an edition badging and the artist’s engraved signature. The seats are made up of the striking red and blue colors of the company’s high-performance unit BMW M. Overall, the energetic and powerful design includes both elements of pop art as well as geometric patterns paying homage to the sporty 8 Series Gran Coupe’s intricate contours and shape.

The BMW 850i was the first model of the 8 Series launched in 1990 and was celebrated as creating a new perspective of progress in advanced motoring, appealing to the connoisseur who acknowledges elegance and performance as the ultimate blend of perfection. In February 2022, BMW will present the special edition by Jeff Koons. On the occasion of the announcement in Munich, the artist’s very own Art Car as well as those by Alexander Calder, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg, John Baldessari and Esther Mahlangu are on display at the Pinakothek der Moderne, showcasing the great legacy of BMW’s worldwide commitment to the arts for half a century.

Ends

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