67-year-old renowned artist Jeff Koons is a magician when it comes to sculptural art. He has in the past also instilled confidence in his sublime automotive art. Now the legendary American artist, based in New York, has morphed the BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe into a colorful set of wheels that will be limited to just 99 models worldwide.
Dubbed the BMW 8 x Jeff Koons, the special edition Gran Coupe has been remodeled inside out by the man himself. Today the striking ride makes its digital premiere on the occasion of Frieze Los Angeles art fair. BMW is the official partner of the fair, and later on, the car will make an appearance at New York City’s iconic Rockefeller Plaza from April 1-4, and a charity auction at Christie’s New York on April 4, 2022.
Extensive custom factory production process
According to Koons, he was eying to create a custom-designed BMW for a very long time, and finally, he wrote the next chapter in collaboration with BMW. On the other side of the spectrum, BMW lauded the 8 x Jeff Koons as a rolling sculpture that’s been one of the best creations as far as design goes.
Painting the car is a rigorous 11 stage process – literally consuming hundreds of hours for each one of the 99 rides. The exclusivity is undeniable given the time Koons and BMW’s team have spent bringing the limited edition to life.
The car embodies a graphic design on the exterior, exemplified by the palate of eleven different colors. Blue hues without question take precedence, expressing the vastness of space. In a way portraying the theme of work without borders. To the rear, the colors exploding are a homage to Koons’ 2010 BMW Art Car (originally the E92 M3 GT2) which raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. On the sides, there is the pop element and vapor thrust imagery depicting the car’s need for speed to perfection.
Exclusivity personified
The interior gets the matching multicolored theme with the high-end materials, fine leather, and cupholder lid getting the iconic signature and badging. BMW’s high-performance M division elements are present in the form of red and blue hues. This is also a tribute to superheroes and comic books.
Only two cars per week will be produced by the collaborative team, and they’ll come with a large-format authenticity certificate containing the unique vehicle identification number. Jeff Koons and BMW Chairman and CEO Oliver Zipse will personally sign the certificates, which makes it even rarer collectible.
For all the effort, the BMW 8 x Jeff Koons edition rightfully demands a premium price tag of $350,000 ($995 destination and handling charges extra).