Skip to main content

Not a modern art fan? BMW’s functional masterpieces might just move you

Have you ever stood idly in an art gallery, gazing upon some esoteric work and wondered to yourself, ‘what the hell does this mean?’

If you have, you’re not alone. Sometimes art speaks to you, sometimes it’s pretty to look at, and other times it’s just some paint on a canvas.

Recommended Videos

Because you’re reading this right now, BMW’s Art Cars might just be the works to move you. Two standouts from the German automaker’s collection, a 1977 320i by Roy Lichtenstein and a 1989 M3 by Michael Jagamara Nelson, are scheduled to be displayed at the 2014 Art Besel in Miami beach this December.

Lichtenstein’s 320i started with the wide-bodied, Group 5 racing version, with a vibrant color scheme inspired by the car’s natural habitat.

“I wanted the lines I painted to be a depiction the road showing the car where to go,” said the late American pop artist. “The design also shows the countryside through which the car has travelled. One could call it an enumeration of everything a car experiences – only that this car reflects all of these things before actually having been on a road.”

BMW M3 Art Car
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Australian painter Michael Jagamara Nelson’s 1989 M3 painting is a boldly styled representation of his native countryside, although there isn’t much nostalgic sentiment in his description of it.

“A car is a landscape as it would be seen from a plane – I have included water, the kangaroo and the opossum,” he said.

The great thing about Nelson’s piece is because of the abstract element of the Aborigine shapes, one onlooker could see something completely different than the next. The artist describes the M3 as an aerial amalgamation of his home country, but from some angles, it looks like a delicate collection of autumn leaves.

BMW also announced a new collaborative art initiative with Art Basel. The two companies hope to support emerging independent artists with the project, and will officially reveal the details on December 3rd in Miami.

Andrew Hard
Andrew first started writing in middle school and hasn't put the pen down since. Whether it's technology, music, sports, or…
I tried an e-bike for the first time and now I’m hooked
It’s not about being a 'bike person', it’s about finding small upgrades to everyday life
A woman sitting on the Aventon Pace 4

Before this year, I’d never even touched an e-bike before, and the thought of riding one was never on my radar. With life already in constant motion thanks to two toddlers, biking wasn’t something I ever considered adding to the mix.

I’d always assumed e-bikes were for hardcore commuters or serious cyclists, not someone like me. I wasn’t looking for a big lifestyle change. I just wanted a quicker way to get to the park so we’d have more time to play before dinner.

Read more
This week in EV tech: Audi exemplifies auto industry’s EV holding pattern
Close-up of 2025 Audi SQ5 grille, headlight, and badge.

The road to the future runs through the present, and it’s not a straight line. This week, we’re focusing on how Audi is negotiating the twists and turns on the way to an electrified future. EVs are here to stay at Audi, but a gasoline crossover SUV is still the automaker’s bestselling model, and it’s not ready to risk those sales just yet. That’s why the 2025 Audi Q5 received a top-to-bottom overhaul for this model year, bringing its tech features and styling up to date without altering the what has proven to be a very popular package. By maintaining parallel lineups of electric and internal-combustion cars, Audi hopes to give customers more choices. But that doesn’t completely level the playing field. The new Q5 may have yesterday’s powertrain, but Audi isn’t holding back on tech. It features the same electrical architecture, operating system, and three-screen dashboard display as the latest Audi EVs, like the Q6 e-tron. So aside from a little engine noise, there’s little difference in what you can see and interact with from the driver’s seat. It’s not just the infotainment systems. The Q5 and Q6 e-tron are close in size, with similar space for passengers across their two rows of seats. The Q6 e-tron has a bit more cargo space, but not as much as you’d think given the lack of a bulky engine, transmission, and driveshafts. The two SUVs also have similar styling but, having now driven both, we can say that the Q5 is the more pleasant of the two.

More than a difference of powertrain tech

Read more
Take a peek inside the factory making tomorrow’s ride
A Zoox robotaxi.

Amazon-owned Zoox has opened its first facility producing fully autonomous robotaxis. 

A video (above) released by the California-based company offers a peek inside the factory, which, when it reaches full capacity, could roll out as many as 10,000 autonomous vehicles per year.

Read more