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.
For further questions please contact:
Prof. Dr
Thomas Girst
BMW Group Corporate and Governmental Affairs
Head of Cultural Engagement
Telephone: +49 89 382
24753
Email: Thomas.Girst@bmwgroup.com
Doris Fleischer
BMW Group Corporate and Governmental Affairs
Cultural Engagement
Telephone: +49 89 328 27806
Email:
Doris.Fleischer@bmw.de
www.press.bmwgroup.com
Email:
presse@bmw.de