OVERVIEW

Offered at auction on SBX Cars is this limited-edition 2022 BMW M850i xDrive Gran Coupé ‘THE 8 X JEFF KOONS’, featuring an eye-catching comic-book themed exterior design over a multi-colored interior, with its odometer showing only delivery mileage.

MODEL HISTORY

Jeff Koons is no stranger to BMW, the American artist having previously aesthetically reworked a M3 GT2 as part of the BMW Arts Cars series. Unveiled to the world at the Centre Pompidou in Paris in June 2010 to great acclaim, that particular car sported the racing number 79 – a tribute to the BMW M1 body work-over presented by Andy Warhol in 1979. The striking colors exuded a boisterous sense of power, motion and energy, and much like Warhol’s M1, Koon’s BMW also participated in the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The world-renowned artist teamed up with the German automaker once again, this time using a 2022 BMW M850i xDrive Gran Coupé as the canvas. The result was a colorful rolling art piece dubbed ‘THE 8 X JEFF KOONS’ - the most elaborately designed vehicle in all of BMW’s history, which was presented to a global audience at Friez Los Angeles.

The expressive and striking design of THE 8 X JEFF KOONS combines 11 different exterior colors, ranging from blue to silver, yellow to black, taking 285 hours per car to apply. In an exclusive edition of only 99 cars, four cars were hand-painted each week during production. Over 200 hours of manual work were spent by highly specialized professionals at BMW’s German plants in Dingolfing and Landshut on the exterior work alone, where color samples were often applied with magnifying glass.

Meanwhile, inside the cabin, there’s a multi-colored interior comprising high-end materials, fine leather, and a cupholder lid with an edition badging and the artist’s signature. The seats are made up of the striking red and blue, reflecting the colors of superheroes from the comic-book universe, as well as those of the company’s high-performance unit BMW M.

Overall, the energetic and powerful design of THE 8 X JEFF KOONS includes both elements of pop art, as well as geometric patterns paying homage to the sporty 8 Series Gran Coupé’s intricate contours and shape. The exploding lines of color at the rear, in turn, are their own unmediated homage to the artist’s 2010 BMW Art Car, while the ‘POP!’ on each side, as well as the vapor thrust imagery, symbolize the power and speed of THE 8 X JEFF KOONS, according to the artist.

Considered more of a collectible than a daily driver, if the owner does choose to get behind the wheel, THE 8 X JEFF KOONS has a 4.4-liter V8 engine, producing 523 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque, mated to an eight-speed shiftable automatic transmission, and BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system on offer.

THIS 2022 BMW M850i xDrive Gran Coupé ‘THE 8 X JEFF KOONS’

The particular example, one of just 99 units produced for worldwide distribution, is presented in new condition having never been driven, with its odometer showing only delivery mileage (22 kilometers / 13 miles).

MECHANICAL

As this vehicle is new, with no previous owners, no restoration or service work has been carried out, therefore, no service history file exists.

WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THE SALE

Included in the sale of this vehicle are its original invoice from BMW AG, two key fobs, and a large-format certificate signed by Koons, which in addition to the signature of Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, also contains the individual Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Also included is a Koons-designed dust jacket for the owner’s manual.

SUMMARY

The auction of this 2022 BMW M850i xDrive Gran Coupé ‘THE 8 X JEFF KOONS’ not only presents a rare opportunity to acquire a ‘rolling sculpture’ that has the potential to be displayed as a coveted collector’s item, but a unique piece that could and should be allowed to flourish on the road as a genuine BMW.

For full details, please see listing at sbxcars.com