BMW M850i ​​xDrive Gran Coupé as Edition THE 8 X JEFF KOONS!

Recently updated on February 22, 2022 at 09:50 am

The strictly limited edition of the M99i ​​xDrive Gran Coupé was created in a limited edition of only 850 copies in close cooperation between the American artist Jeff Koons and BMW over several years. With THE 8 X JEFF KOONS, the most elaborately designed vehicle in the history of BMW will be presented to an audience worldwide for the first time at Frieze Los Angeles. The strictly limited edition of the M99i ​​xDrive Gran Coupé was created in a limited edition of only 850 copies in close cooperation between the American artist Jeff Koons and BMW over several years. With THE 8 X JEFF KOONS, the most elaborately designed vehicle in the history of BMW will be presented to an audience worldwide for the first time at Frieze Los Angeles. BMW is a long-standing partner of the art fair, and Jeff Koons will be represented on Melrose Avenue by the Pace Gallery.

Edition THE 8 X JEFF KOONS

Jeff Koons, artist: "My edition of the BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé is my absolute dream car! I've always wanted to design a very special BMW and the project means a lot to me. The edition is sporty and eye-catching, but at the same time it is also minimalist and conceptual. I can't wait to drive around in my 8 Series Gran Coupe and I hope everyone else enjoys it as much as I do. Along the surface of the vehicle, the lines widen from the bonnet to the trunk, giving a sense of forward movement, just like the 'POP!' and the wind whirls. The blue color is reminiscent of the vastness of space and I like the idea that the vehicle is approved for the whole world. After all, what counts is the connection we all have to each other and our awareness of everything that surrounds us. This creates a special feeling of joy for the driver and all passengers. That's what my vehicle has to offer."

Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG: "BMW thrives on always looking for new challenges! Working with Jeff Koons again has inspired us all - at BMW headquarters, in our Munich research and innovation center as well as in our plants in Dingolfing and Landshut. Never before in the history of our company has a BMW been created with such extensive design effort as THE 8 X JEFF KOONS. A 'rolling sculpture' that will not only be shown as a coveted collector's item in museums, but will also be able to live out on the street as a real BMW."

More than 200 hours of work just for the exterior painting

The expressive and impressive design combines eleven colors from blue to silver and yellow to black. Only four bodies can be painted per week. The multicolored interior impresses with the processing of high-quality materials, the finest leather and an embedded signature of the artist. The seats are in rich red and blue tones, the colors of superheroes from the comic universe and the high-performance brand BMW M. The sporty, powerful design includes elements of pop art and geometric patterns - a nod to the sophisticated lines and shapes of the 8 Series Gran Coupé. The exploding color lines at the rear are in turn a direct homage of their own to the artist's BMW Art Car from 2010. The side-mounted "POP!" and the wind vortices symbolize the power and speed of THE 8 X JEFF KOONS, according to Koons.

More than 200 hours of manual labor were used by highly specialized specialists at the BMW Group plants in Dingolfing and Landshut just on the exterior paintwork, where the color samples were often applied using magnifying glasses. "Dynamic", "seductive" and "convincing" was the verdict of the international media after the publication of the first details of the design studies on the occasion of the announcement of the cooperation at the beginning of September 2021 in Munich's Pinakothek der Moderne. "Dozens of our engineers and designers did their very best to celebrate our partnership and bring Jeff Koons' vision to life," said Oliver Zipse. The artist himself spent many days on site at the Dingolfing plant over a period of months to discuss design options with all the BMW employees involved: “I thought intensively about what makes this vehicle special. What does performance mean? How do you communicate something that stands for the full power of the BMW 8 Series and also includes a human element?”

Koon's signature in the Bavarian blue of the BMW logo

Each vehicle is provided with a large-format certificate signed by Jeff Koons, which, in addition to Oliver Zipse's signature, also contains the vehicle's individual Vehicle Identification Number. The artist also designed the dust jacket for the Driver's Manual. There is also another signature of the artist on the cup holder panel. Koons deliberately chose the Bavarian blue from the BMW logo. The original BMW 850i was the first 1990 Series model in 8. Celebrated for his visionary approach to the future of motoring, he appealed to those car enthusiasts who value the perfect marriage of elegance and performance. THE 8 X JEFF KOONS also continues this tradition.

New York: Christie's auction for a good cause

As early as 2010, the American artist designed the BMW M3 GT2 Art Car, which took part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and was previously unveiled in Paris's Center Pompidou. That same year, U2 rock singer Bono wrote in a piece for The New York Times that Jeff Koons should help design the cars of the future. BMW and Koons then remained in contact and decided at the beginning of 2020 for a limited edition of the new BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé.

THE 8 X JEFF KOONS will initially be on view to the general public in Manhattan at Rockefeller Plaza before one of the edition vehicles, signed by Jeff Koons on the tailgate, will be auctioned internationally at Christie's in New York on April 4th. All proceeds from the highest bid go to the International Center for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC). Jeff Koons has had personal ties to the NGO for over two decades.

Following its world premiere, THE 8 X JEFF KOONS will be presented at numerous art fairs and events in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, including the 16th Istanbul Contemporary, Paris Photo, Goodwood Festival of Speed, Art Dubai, West Bund Art & Design Fair Shanghai and Art Basel Hong Kong.

History of BMW Art Cars

On the initiative of the French racing driver and art lover Hervé Poulain and in collaboration with the then BMW Motorsport Director Jochen Neerpasch, the artist Alexander Calder was asked in 1975 to design Poulain's BMW racing car. Since then, a total of 19 artists from all over the world have designed BMW automobiles of their time. The BMW Art Cars by Roy Lichtenstein, Esther Mahlangu, Jenny Holzer, Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Ólafur Elíasson, Frank Stella, Robert Rauschenberg, Cao Fei and John Baldessari, among others, take up very individual developments in art, design and technology. Jeff Koons designed the 3th BMW Art Car in 2 with the BMW M24 GT2010, which also competed in the 17 Hours of Le Mans. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the BMW Group's commitment to culture last year, the Art Cars found their way into the digital world and have been presented in augmented reality ever since. With Acute Art's free app, the rolling sculptures can be experienced digitally worldwide, for everyone and at any time.

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BMW M850i ​​xDrive as Edition THE 8 X JEFF KOONS!
Photo credit: BMW

THE 8 X JEFF KOONS painting process

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