BMW Motorsport has announced that the No. 20 Team WRT’s M Hybrid V8 Hypercar will participate in the 2024 Le Mans 24 Hours as the brand’s 20th ‘Art Car’. The unique design for the No. 20 vehicle, to be driven by Sheldon van der Linde, Robin Frijns, and René Rast, will be unveiled at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, France on May 21st. American artist Julie Mehretu is collaborating with BMW for the first time to create a new color scheme for the car, using a three-dimensional format.
Mehretu’s design for the 20th BMW art car draws inspiration from her recent series of works, incorporating elements such as obscured photographs, dotted grids, neon-colored spray paint, and her signature gestural markings. The resulting image motif is transferred onto the vehicle’s contours using a 3D mapping technique, creating a unique artistic foiling for the BMW M Hybrid V8 that will compete in the Le Mans race.
To adhere to FIA regulations, the 3D version of the artwork will be applied to the BMW M Hybrid V8 using a film wrap. Mehretu is collaborating closely with the German Race Spirit team, led by Manuel Eberl and Gertraud Brenninger, who were previously involved in realizing Jeff Koons’ design for the 17th BMW Art Car.
Mehretu explained that the idea for the BMW Art Car came to her after attending the 24 Hours race in Daytona last year. She drew inspiration from Frank Stella’s grid and wanted to pay homage to previous BMW Art Car artists. The concept of having the car move through one of her paintings in her studio sparked her imagination. She emphasized the collaborative nature of the project, involving designers, drivers, and their desires and aspirations to create a space where painting, conceptual art, aerodynamics, speed, and aesthetics converge.
This will be BMW’s first Art Car since the 2017 season, when a BMW M6 GTLM designed by John Baldessari raced at the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, and a ‘virtual’ BMW M6 GT3 Art Car by Cao Fei competed at the FIA GT World Cup in Macau. The announcement follows the recent reveal of BMW Team WRT’s full driver lineup for the 2024 season, as they prepare to participate in the FIA WEC and World Challenge Europe with multiple cars and classes.
