BMW M Hybrid V8's Wild Art Car Wrap for 2024 Le Mans

To date, there have been 19 BMW Art Cars, created by influential artists such as Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, and John Baldessari. These cars aren't just everyday vehicles, they include powerful models like the M1, Z1, and M6 GTLM.

For this year's Le Mans race, BMW is making a grand return with the M Hybrid V8, its first official entry on the French circuit since the V12 LMR's victory in 1999. This high-performance car has already made waves in the North American IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Competing in the Hypercars category at Le Mans, the M Hybrid V8 boasts a 4.0-liter V8 engine paired with an electric motor, delivering a combined 640 horsepower and a top speed of 214 mph (345 kph).

In honor of this significant return, BMW is unveiling its 20th Art Car featuring the M Hybrid V8. This year marks the 49th anniversary of the first BMW Art Car, making the occasion even more special. The artist chosen for this project is Ethiopian American Julie Mehretu, known for her large-scale, abstract, multi-layered landscape paintings.

Mehretu’s artwork has been transformed from a bi-dimensional canvas to a three-dimensional car wrap for the M Hybrid V8. Originally displayed at the Palazzo Grassi in Venice, it will be exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. For the Art Car, Mehretu utilized 3D mapping and digitally altered photographs of the painting, layering dot grids, neon colors, and black markings to fit the contours of the V8.

The M Hybrid V8 with its unique wrap was first showcased on May 21 at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Before racing at Le Mans on June 15, it will be displayed at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este in Italy. At Le Mans, drivers Sheldon van der Linde (South Africa), Robin Frijns (The Netherlands), and René Rast (Germany) will take turns behind the wheel.

The car, numbered 20 to match its place in the Art Car lineup, will compete against formidable rivals like the Lamborghini SC63, Porsche 963, and Ferrari 499P. Another M Hybrid V8, numbered 15 and without a special wrap, will also race, driven by Dries Vanthoor (Belgium), Raffaele Marchielo (Switzerland), and Marco Wittmann (Germany).

After its racing days, the fate of this special Art Car is yet to be decided. BMW Art Cars are displayed at the BMW Museum in Munich and occasionally tour globally, allowing more people to appreciate these extraordinary creations.