Over the years, BMW has teamed up with individuals like Andy Warhol, Ken Done and Frank Stella to create some incredible art cars. It might not strictly fit into that art car lineage, but the newly unveiled i8 Futurism Edition wouldn't look out of place alongside the work of such legendary artists.
Designed to celebrate 50 years of BMW in Italy, the stunning supercar harks back to a Giacomo Balla painting currently held in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. According to BMW, the painting is relevant to the i8 because Bala was a part of the futurism movement, which was all about showing off the beauty of modern life.
That meant highlighting the beauty inherent in machines and technology that was helping to drive change. BMW and Garage Italia Customs, who partnered with the Munich giant for this project, felt this was an accurate embodiment of the i8's spirit.
"The BMW i8 Futurism Edition is a practice of style," says Lapo Elkhann, President and Founder of Garage Italia Customs. "It gave the Garage Italia Customs Maestros a chance to celebrate a car which is projected towards the future of mobility. At the same time, it honours Italian art with Giacomo Balla, who is a prominent figure of the Futurism movement."
Mechanically, the i8 uses the same 1.5-liter turbo engine and electric motor for power, putting it completely at odds with the cars it will be following at the Millie Miglia this year. That's right, BMW's hybrid supercar will be following the 328 driven by Sergio Solero and Gianluca Pellegrini in this year's Millie Miglia, which finishes in Brescia on the 22nd of May.
It's likely to stand out like a sore thumb alongside such beautiful classic cars, but when you look that good, that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Source: BMW
