Photos: 20th BMW Art Car preps for most iconic endurance race in world

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Julie Mehretu unveiled the automobile at the Centre Pompidou in Paris on May 21.

Published: May 23, 2024 09:36 AM EST

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BMW Art Car #20 by artist Julie Mehretu

Tereza Mundilová © BMW AG

Renowned Ethiopian American artist Julie Mehretu has designed the 20th BMW Art Car: the BMW M Hybrid V8.

The BMW Art Car initiative, which began in 1975, is driven by a passion for art and creativity. BMW has retained this long-standing artistic tradition since then.

This clean-energy BMW Art Car will participate in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of the most iconic endurance races in the world.

“The whole BMW Art Car project is about invention, about imagination, about pushing limits of what can be possible. I don’t think of this car as something you would exhibit. I am thinking of it as something that will race in Le Mans. It’s a performative painting. My BMW Art Car was created in close collaboration with motorsport and engineering teams and is only completed once the race is over,” said Mehretu.

Julie Mehretu unveiled the automobile at the Centre Pompidou in Paris on May 21.

Offers peak speed of up to 345 km/h

The race car is powered by a hybrid electric drivetrain system combining a turbo engine and electric motor. This system combines a 4.0-liter V8 engine and an electric motor to deliver impressive power and efficiency. The BMW M Hybrid V8 produces around 640 horsepower and has a peak speed of up to 345 km/h.
Weighs roughly 1,030 kilograms

With dimensions of 4,991 millimeters in length, 1,994 millimeters in width, and around 1,200 millimeters in height, and a weight of only 1,030 kilograms, the prototype race vehicle exhibits the distinctive M performance and the appeal of electric driving. These criteria show the car’s agility, aerodynamic design, and lightweight construction, all necessary for great performance on the racetrack.
It will compete in FIA World Endurance Championship

In the upcoming official FIA World Endurance Championship races, the BMW M Hybrid V8 will face tough competition in the Hypercars category, showcasing its capabilities against other high-performance vehicles. This category is the peak of endurance racing, where cutting-edge technology and exceptional driving skills are put to the test.
The race will showcase BMW M Hybrid V8’s capabilities

Interestingly, the hybrid race is the first BMW M Motorsport prototype to enter the 24 Hours of Le Mans, since the victorious BMW V12 LMR in 1999. “The prospect of competing in a BMW Art Car at the 24 Hours of Le Mans is an additional incentive for the entire M Motorsport team to prepare the BMW M Hybrid V8 as perfectly as possible for this big stage,” said Franciscus van Meel, CEO of BMW M GmbH.
Designed inspired by Mehretu’s “Everywhen” painting

Mehretu’s creative works have continually featured space, movement, and energy themes. She took a new method to design the 20th BMW Art Car, transforming a two-dimensional image into a three-dimensional depiction. Mehretu drew inspiration from the color palette and formal elements of her monumental painting, “Everywhen,” as the foundation for her artistic vision.
Everywhen is on display at the Palazzo Grassi

“Everywhen” is now on display at the Palazzo Grassi in Venice as part of the artist’s big retrospective exhibition. The artwork will be added to the permanent collection of New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).
BMW Art race car project started in 1975

In 1975, during a casual conversation, racing driver Hervé Poulain asked his friend, American artist Alexander Calder, to paint a BMW 3.0 CSL. The result was a stunning display of color combined with the sleek design of a race car. Poulain brought the automobile to the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France. Since then, some of the most famous names in art history have painted these racecars.
The car will be driven by three racers

BMW Motorsport drivers Sheldon van der Linde, Robin Frijns, and René Rast will drive the Art Car, starting at number 20. Mehretu even designed racing outfits for drivers. It will be exhibited at museums and art galleries worldwide after the race at Le Mans.
A team of designers, engineers, aerodynamicists came together

Mehretu added in the BMW release: “I went to see the BMW M Hybrid V8 race in Daytona, and this experience was overwhelming. Designers, engineers, aerodynamicists and so many other creative minds are working on taking this vehicle to its extreme. When it goes out on the racetrack now, so many dreams will be fulfilled.”