What happens when a legendary artist designs an iconic automobile? You can see for yourself at Schomp BMW of Highlands Ranch.
World-renowned Pop artist Jeff Koons turned his talent to work on a BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé, enveloping it in color, inside and out. And, in contrast to other BMW Art Cars – including a 2010 BMW M3 that Koons designed – this time, 99 of them have been produced. And Schomp BMW has one that you can see. As BMW CEO Oliver Zipse said, this BMW 8 X Jeff Koons edition will be “displayed as a coved collector’s item in museums but will also be allowed to flourish on the road as a genuine BMW.” Previous BMW Art Cars by such art-world icons as Warhol, Calder, Lichtenstein, and Hockney, have been one-offs designed for display, not driving.
The design for the BMW 8X Jeff Koons edition combines Pop Art elements with geometric shapes that complement the 8 Series Gran Coupé’s exterior. It took more than 200 hours of labor and 11 colors to complete the job. The design continues on the car’s interior with seats in bright red and blue hues – not coincidentally both comic-book colors as well as the BMW M cars.
The BMW 8 X Jeff Koons edition proved to be the perfect backdrop for Koons’ Pop Art style, down to the comic book “Pop” on either side. Koons says:
“My edition of the BMW 8 Series is my dream car! It is very special to me, and I’ve wanted to create a special edition BMW for a long time.”
Each of the 99 cars brought a Koons-signed certificate of authenticity, along with a special owner’s manual with cover art by Koons. One will take its place alongside other BMW Art Cars in the BMW Art Car Collection. One also was auctioned off in New York by Christie’s last April and brought in $475,000 to benefit the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.
You won’t want to miss seeing this rolling Pop sculpture created especially for BMW by Jeff Koons. It will be on display in the Schomp BMW showroom starting in October. Oh, and while you’re visiting, check out some of the other gorgeous vehicles that we have, too!