BMW has announced that the #20 M V8 Hybrid from Team WRT will be unveiled as their highly anticipated 20th ‘Art Car’ on 21 May, just before the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The German automaker has confirmed that this special Art Car will participate in this year’s edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which will take place on 15-16 June. For the 2024 FIA WEC season, the #20 Hypercar will be driven by Robin Frijns, Sheldon van der Linde, and Rene Rast.
Renowned artist Julie Mehretu has been chosen to create the design for the 20th BMW Art Car. BMW describes her style as utilizing the color and form vocabulary of a recent series of works, including obscured photographs, dotted grids, neon-colored spray paint, and her signature gestural markings. The resulting design will be transferred onto the vehicle’s contours using a 3D mapping technique, creating a unique artistic foiling for the BMW M Hybrid V8 during the Le Mans race. Mehretu was selected by a jury of representatives from the international art world in 2018 and will also design the racing suits for the drivers at Le Mans.
Mehretu shared her inspiration for the design, stating that it was after attending the 24 Hours race in Daytona last year that the concept for the BMW Art Car became clear to her. She drew inspiration from Frank Stella’s grid and wanted to pay homage to previous BMW Art Car artists. The painting in her studio and the model of the Art Car sparked the idea of having the car move through the painting, resulting in the final design.
The tradition of the BMW Art Car dates back to 1975 when the first Art Car, designed by Alexander Calder, also raced at the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans. The most recent BMW Art Car was created in 2017, featuring the BMW M6 GTLM designed by John Baldessari, which competed in the IMSA 24 Hours of Daytona. The BMW M Hybrid V8 made its debut at the same race last year and has since participated in the IMSA season. BMW’s partnership with Team WRT marks their return to the WEC after their previous GTE works program. This venture will also mark BMW’s return to the top class of sportscar racing since their Le Mans victory in 1999 with the BMW V12 LMR (LMP900).