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This modern and welcoming space is the ideal place to relax while you watch the action on the track. It has a lovely restaurant and a vast terrace that offers stunning views of the famous Corvette Corner. You can even head to the entertainment area on the ground floor, which is equipped with driving simulators, dart boards, a pool table and a host of other activities to keep everyone entertained.

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In a prime location right by the paddocks and pitlane building, the Le Mans Spirit Club - official FIA WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP hospitality - opens out onto a stunning terrace with outstanding views of the legendary Motul Raccordement Corner. Interested in this VIP package for another FIA World Endurance Championship race? Book now by <a href="https://www.fiawec.com/en/page/welcome-to-our-world/2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">clicking here</a>

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An exclusive outdoor space allows you to watch the action on the circuit while revelling in the race's characteristic atmosphere. Throughout the day and night, our high-class services and activity schedule keep you entertained for a truly unforgettable event.

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Step behind the scenes of this thrilling event, savour the moment in our high-class reception areas and enjoy a carefully-orchestrated event that combines elegance with excitement. From sunrise to sunset, a full schedule of activities will be rolled out just for you, to fully immerse you in the thrill of the race.

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Fifty years after the first BMW Art Car, the German marque honoured its legacy at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a living work of art Hypercar. The 2024 BMW M Hybrid V8 Art Car decorated by Julie Mehretu fused contemporary painting and endurance racing, transforming the track into an open-air gallery.

With a massive&nbsp;painting transposed onto the&nbsp;Hypercar, close collaboration between artist and engineers, and&nbsp;racing as the final stage of creation, in 2024 the&nbsp;BMW M Hybrid V8 Art Car decorated by Julie Mehretu&nbsp;embodied the carmaker&#39;s return to the highest level of endurance racing and carried on&nbsp;the remarkable history of BMW Art Cars at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

<h2>Born for the Track</h2>

In 2024, BMW celebrated a double anniversary: 50 years since the creation of the first Art Car, and the constructor&#39;s return to the top level of endurance racing via the Hypercar category at the&nbsp;24 Hours of Le Mans and in the FIA World Endurance&nbsp;Championship (FIA WEC). To mark the occasion, BMW entrusted the livery of the #20&nbsp;M Hybrid V8 to New York artist&nbsp;Julie Mehretu.&nbsp;Known for her monumental abstract paintings&nbsp;exhibited in major international institutions, Mehretu drew&nbsp;inspiration from her work Everywhen (2021-2023)&nbsp;which was presented in 2024 at the Palazzo Grassi in Venice before joining the MoMA permanent collection in NYC.

Her approach surpasses simple&nbsp;decoration. Julie Mehretu:&nbsp;To me, the car is a living painting. It was created for the circuit rather than the museum. As such, the&nbsp;BMW transformed into a moving canvas, a work of art&nbsp;whose final form could only be achieved after 24 hours of racing

Julie Mehretu imagined the&nbsp;M Hybrid V8 as an extension of her canvas. Mehretu: I saw the&nbsp;BMW M Hybrid V8&nbsp;in front of the finished painting in my studio and thought about what would happen if the car could move through the picture and merge with it. Now the BMW Art Car is another version&nbsp;of my painting and it looks like its grille has inhaled the paint.&nbsp;

The project was born from a close collaboration between the artist&nbsp;and BMW Motorsport designers&nbsp;and engineers. The challenge was&nbsp;to preserve&nbsp;artistic identity while respecting the aerodynamic and technical constraints of a Hypercar competing at the highest level of motorsport.

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<h2>Racing Activates the Design</h2>

At the&nbsp;92nd 24 Hours, the #20&nbsp;BMW M Hybrid V8 Art Car was shared by&nbsp;Sheldon van der Linde, Robin Frijns and&nbsp;Ren&eacute; Rast. The car qualified in P16 in&nbsp;03:26.223 and then navigated impactful setbacks early on.&nbsp;After suffering a punctured tyre in the first hour, the #20&nbsp;managed to claw its way into the top 10 before a violent collision with a&nbsp;stack of tyres at the Motul Chicane.&nbsp;Frijns returned the car to pit lane on three wheels resulting in a 24-minute delay.

After starting from last place in the Hypercar category, the #20 BMW&nbsp;finally returned to the track shortly before the finish&nbsp;after a long pit stop. It passed&nbsp;under the chequered flag&nbsp;having completed 96 laps, unclassified, but nonetheless praised for having seen through a project where the race itself was an crucial&nbsp;part of the endeavor.

The M Hybrid V8 Art Car continued&nbsp;BMW&#39;s&nbsp;unique tradition of melding&nbsp;art and motorsport at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Fifty years after the first Art Car entered the race, Julie Mehretu left her mark on the&nbsp;lineage&nbsp;while simultaneously propelling it into the present.

&nbsp;

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To celebrate R&eacute;tromobile&#39;s 50th anniversary and the half-century mark of BMW Art Cars, the&nbsp;2026 show will present a <a href="http://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/all-seven-le-mans-bmw-art-cars-on-display-at-retromobile-2026-in-paris-60209">special exhibition in France</a> from 28 January&nbsp;to 1 February. The seven BMW Art Cars seen at Le Mans will be brought together at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, including the #20&nbsp;BMW M Hybrid V8 fielded by&nbsp;BMW M Team WRT in the 2024&nbsp;24 Hours.

BMW Art Cars at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – M Hybrid V8 by Julie Mehretu: living canvas

In 2010, the BMW Art Car saga renewed the Pop Art theme with the help of Jeff Koons. Thanks to the American artist, the BMW M3 GT2 (entered in the LMGT2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans) displayed its power on the outside in a splash of visual energy. The spectacular work, ideally suited to racing, was an immediate hit with fans.

The BMW M3 GT2 by Jeff Koons entered in the LMGT2 class at the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans was another flamboyant example of Pop Art in the Art Car series. Designed as an expression of speed, power and movement, it turned heads on track before its race was ended prematurely.

<h2>Designed for speed</h2>

No mention of BMW Art Cars could miss a reference to Jeff Koons. One of the most influential artists of his generation, the American was directly inspired by <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/bmw-art-cars-at-the-24-hours-of-le-mans-bmw-320i-turbo-the-pop-art-performer-60214" target="_blank">Roy Lichtenstein</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/bmw-art-cars-at-the-24-hours-of-le-mans-bmw-m1-andy-warhol-absolute-icon-60222" target="_blank">Andy Warhol</a>.His BMW M3 GT2 was the 17th Art Car, and completely in keeping with the spirit of the series. His design expressed a simple, universal message: speed.

With bright colours and vibrant lines with graphic fragments projected from back to front, this livery spelled raw energy. Even at a standstill, the car appeared ready to pounce. &ldquo;These race cars are like life, they are powerful and there is a lot of energy,&rdquo; said Koons. &quot;I want to let my ideas transcend with the car &ndash; it&rsquo;s really to connect with that power.&rdquo;

However, an&nbsp;impression of speed was not enough; the BMW M3 GT2 by Jeff Koons was intended for real pace on track. Koons worked alongside the BMW teams in Munich to ensure that the paintwork would not interfere with the car&rsquo;s aerodynamics and weight. Using 3-D computer-aided design models and digital simulations, he adapted his graphic design to the complex shapes of the bodywork. 
The artist was keen to experience racing speed for real, donning a helmet for tests at Sebring with Rahal Letterman Racing, enjoying laps in a classic BMW M1 as a passenger and driving a road-legal BMW M3. His intention was to get a feel for speed to inspire his design.

Decorating the Art Car was a challenge. Time was short &ndash; there were only two months between the first sketches and the premiere &ndash; so BMW opted for digital printing on car wrapping vinyl, protected by a double clear-coating. Hundreds of dynamic lines were carefully applied to the car and individual spare parts, a pattern of debris was added to the rear sides and two graphic rings on the rear represented supersonic acceleration.

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<h2>&ldquo;I would love to give it another chance and have it compete again.&rdquo;</h2>

The BMW M3 GT2 Art Car was unveiled on 1 June 2010 at the Centre Pompidou in Paris in front of 300 guests from all over the world. The venue was symbolic, Roy Lichtenstein having presented his Art Car there in 1977.

Entered for the 78th 24 Hours of Le Mans, the BMW M3 GT2 Art Car competed under the BMW Motorsport banner. Driving duties were entrusted to Dirk M&uuml;ller, Dirk Werner and Andy Priaulx. On track, it attracted immediate attention from spectators and journalists. But the race proved cruel and the car was not destined to cross the finish line. However, the #78 BMW M3 GT2 finished sixth, with J&ouml;rg M&uuml;ller, Augusto Farfus and Uwe Alzen at the wheel.

Despite the disappointment, Jeff Koons remembers the human element of the race. &ldquo;This race has been a very invigorating experience. It&rsquo;s amazing to see the commitment of all the people involved. The fans sleep in tents and stay awake for far more than 24 hours to celebrate this event. This has me really going, as I understand that it is something truly special for all the people to be here.&rdquo; 
Talking of the team: &ldquo;Yes, I would have loved to see the team win, but it wasn&rsquo;t to be. I know how committed they are and how much precision and care they put into their work. Of course we would have loved to see the car win. I would love to give it another chance and have it compete again.&rdquo;

To Koons, race cars are metaphors: &quot;These race cars are like gladiators out there. They are performing with full power and full impact.&rdquo;

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It may not have run the full course, nevertheless Jeff Koons&rsquo; BMW M3 GT2 remains one of the most emblematic Art Cars ever to have entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Its explosive look and performance-oriented design are the perfect embodiment of the BMW Art Car spirit: to strike up a conversation between contemporary art and endurance racing.

In a tribute to a half-century of fantastic liveries, this year&rsquo;s R&eacute;tromobile show (28 January to 1 February at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles) will be <a href="https://www.retromobile.com/en/news/bmw-art-car-world-tour">showcasing the seven 24 Hours of Le Mans BMW Art Cars</a> including the BMW M3 GT2 by Jeff Koons.

BMW Art Cars at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – BMW M3 GT2 by Jeff Koons: the colour of speed

In 1999, BMW Art Cars entered the prototypes era and American artist Jenny Holtzer transformed the BMW V12 LMR into a rolling political declaration. Through to striking slogans, chrome lettering and fluorescent overlays, the car itself became a message, and its speed a medium for reflection at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The&nbsp;BMW V12 LMR Art Car decorated by Jenny Holzer, commissioned during prequalifying at the 1999&nbsp;24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans, represented a new&nbsp;form of expression in the&nbsp;BMW Art Car series. On the V12&nbsp;prototype (top speed of&nbsp;340 kph), the artiste inscribed famous phrases from the&nbsp;Truisms&nbsp;and&nbsp;Survival&nbsp;series, transforming the racing car into a textual and political work of art.

<h2>Jenny Holzer, When an Art Car delivers a&nbsp;message</h2>

Known for her works projected onto urban facades and monuments, Holzer brought a unique dimension to the BMW Art Car saga in 1999.&nbsp;Her weapon of expression: words. Her goal: to provoke thought. On the BMW V12 LMR&#39;s body, she applied statements in reflective chrome lettering&nbsp;and fluorescent overlays to challenge the viewer directly:

<ul>
	<li>Protect me from what I want</li>
	<li>Lack of charisma can be fatal</li>
	<li>The unattainable is invariably attractive</li>
	<li>Monomania is a prerequisite of success</li>
	<li>You are so complex you don&rsquo;t respond to danger</li>
</ul>

Working in a male-dominated field, she&nbsp;stood up for what she believed. Jenny Holzer:&nbsp;I thought it would be nice if women could participate in ways other than just standing around in bikinis.&nbsp;Thanks to&nbsp;Holzer, this Art Car became&nbsp;a work of art, a social message&nbsp;and a feminist manifesto all in one.

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<h2>BMW V12 LMR: Winning&nbsp;prototype at the 24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans</h2>

The&nbsp;BMW V12 LMR represented the peak of endurance racing&nbsp;technology at the end of the 1990s with a&nbsp;nearly 6-litre V12 engine, 580 hp&nbsp;and a top speed of 340 kph and was designed&nbsp;to conquer the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In 1999, three V12 LMRs were entered by BMW in prequalifying. The #16 Art Car decorated by Jenny Holzer&nbsp;was entrusted to Joachim Winkelhock and Tom Kristensen.

The car&#39;s performance did not disappoint, qualifying in seventh position with a time of&nbsp;3:34.493 and&nbsp;showing real potential for the big race. Unfortunately, BMW&#39;s sporting strategy required withdrawing the Art Car to focus&nbsp;its efforts on the two other official prototypes.

Though Holzer&#39;s&nbsp;BMW V12 LMR did not take the start in the 1999&nbsp;24 Hours, it left a lasting impression in Art Car history. Twist of fate:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/24-hours-of-le-mans-bmws-astonishing-1999-v12-lmr-56547" target="_blank">the #15 BMW sister car</a>&nbsp;driven by&nbsp;Joachim Winkelhock, Pierluigi Martini and&nbsp;Yannick Dalmas won that&nbsp;67th running of the race.

Thanks to Holzer&#39;s V12 LMR, BMW&#39;s Art Cars saga entered a new chapter. Artistic expression&nbsp;was no longer limited&nbsp;to colour or form: it questioned and challenged, all at more than&nbsp;300 kph. Even without having participated the race, this Art Car remains one of the most conceptual in the history of Le Mans.

To celebrate R&eacute;tromobile&#39;s 50th anniversary and the half-century mark of BMW Art Cars, the&nbsp;2026 show will present a <a href="http://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/all-seven-le-mans-bmw-art-cars-on-display-at-retromobile-2026-in-paris-60209">special exhibition in France</a> from 28 January&nbsp;to 1 February. The seven BMW Art Cars seen at&nbsp;the 24 Hours of Le Mans will be brought together at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, including none other than&nbsp;Jenny Holzer&#39;s BMW V12 LMR.

BMW Art Cars at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – BMW V12 LMR by Jenny Holzer: Art Car manifesto

In 1979, a BMW M1 sporting a livery designed by Andy Warhol took the start in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. A Pop Art masterpiece was applied directly to the bodywork, inspiring an impressive performance and remarkable result in the race. Consequently, this Art Car has become one of the most famous and valuable racing cars in motorsport history.

Entered in the 1979 24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans by&nbsp;Herv&eacute; Poulain, the&nbsp;BMW M1 decorated by&nbsp;Andy Warhol embodied speed, performance and art. After finishing sixth overall, the car emerged as the quintessential Art Car of the BMW era.

<h2>Andy Warhol: the Pop Art Pioneer Takes on a Racing Car</h2>

Born in&nbsp;Pittsburgh in 1928, Warhol&nbsp;trained in advertising graphic design before revolutionising contemporary art at The Factory, his&nbsp;studio in New York City. He transformed everyday objects and popular icons into works of art. In 1979, BMW entrusted its fourth Art Car to Warhol.&nbsp;Like his predecessors, he&nbsp;received no payment, but&nbsp;unlike the other artists, he refused to&nbsp;settle for a scale model, painting&nbsp;the car himself&nbsp;directly onto the bodywork.

Andy Warhol:&nbsp;I have tried to show speed as a visual image. When an automobile is really traveling fast, all the lines and colors are transformed into a blur.&nbsp;In just 28 minutes, he applied nearly 6 kg of paint, transforming the&nbsp;BMW M1&nbsp;into a vibrant and destinctive canvas.

The #76&nbsp;BMW M1 fielded in the IMSA category was shared by&nbsp;Herv&eacute; Poulain, Marcel Mignot and&nbsp;Manfred Winkelhock. After qualifying 23rd, the car&nbsp;proved its&nbsp;potential during the race, reaching the chequered flag in sixth place overall and securing one of the top results for any BMW Art Car ever at the&nbsp;24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans.

Herv&eacute; Poulain: I was expecting a livery based on Marilyn Monroe and cans of soup.&nbsp;Instead, Andy Warhol was most interested in the mixing of the colours.&nbsp;He wondered which colour would prevail over another at 300 kph.

An extraordinary&nbsp;work of art, an authentic racing car and a&nbsp;Pop Art emblem: the&nbsp;Andy Warhol BMW M1 transcended the&nbsp;status of&nbsp;mere machine to claim&nbsp;definitively&nbsp;its role in the legacy of the&nbsp;24 Hours of Le Mans.

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BMW Art Cars at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – BMW M1 by Andy Warhol: absolute icon

Last year, Ford Racing announced its return to the top tier of the endurance discipline. Today, the team has provided more details concerning its Hypercar programme.

Ford Racing steps up the pace in preparation for the 2027 24 Hours of Le Mans and FIA World Endurance Championship. Having publicised its intentions to enter <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/ford-in-the-top-class-at-the-24-hours-of-le-mans-in-2027-59293" target="_blank">a Hypercar entry</a>&nbsp;in January 2025, the American manufacturer spent a year putting together its programme, posing the technical foundations and forming a team. Now, twelve months later, the marque has revealed the scope of its campaign and the philosophy behind it.

The Ford Hypercar will be powered by a naturally-aspirated 5.4-litre &lsquo;Coyote&rsquo; V8 engine entirely developed inhouse and based on its Dark Horse R, GT4 and GT3 powerplants. The strategy is presented as a nod to Ford&rsquo;s glorious past at Le Mans, in particular the historic 1966 victory. According to the press release, the Dearborn team has been working with Red Bull Ford Powertrains to &ldquo;marry high-voltage technology to raw, Detroit-born power.&rdquo;

<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/ford-partners-with-oreca-for-hypercar-programme-launching-in-2027-59768" target="_blank">Ford has elected to use an Oreca chassis</a>. The aim is clear: to build a Hypercar capable of winning WEC races in its first season, 24 Hours of Le Mans included.

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<h2>Preparation in real conditions</h2>

Three drivers have already been named: Sebastian Priaulx, Mike Rockenfeller and Logan Sargeant. The first two are already members of the Ford family. In 2025 they drove the <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/ford-mustang-gt3-a-major-evolution-introduced-for-2026-60189" target="_blank">Mustang GT3</a>&nbsp;to victory in two rounds of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Former 24 Hours of Le Mans winner (in 2010 with Audi) Mike Rockenfeller brings precious experience to the campaign.

As for Logan Sargeant, with 36 Formula One races to his name, he brings technical expertise and solid experience of racing single-seaters with high downforce &ndash; a great advantage in Hypercar development. An American driver at the wheel of a Ford at Le Mans is symbolic, and reminiscent of icons Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt.

Sebastian Priaulx and Mike Rockenfeller will take part in the European Le Mans Series 2026 in LMP2. The goal is to build up a methodology, refine procedures and garner operational experience ahead of the Hypercar entry. Ford is likely to turn to Proton Competition and its Oreca 07-Gibson for support. Ford Racing&rsquo;s hypercar programme manager Dan Sayers summarises the learning phase as a way of taking: &ldquo;the building blocks of this programme and stress-test them under the most demanding conditions on the planet.&nbsp;We are building more than just a car; we are building a legacy. We are reclaiming our seat at the top table of endurance racing. We are America&rsquo;s Race Team, and we are coming for the world.&rdquo;

Ford Racing is well and truly on the way back to the top tier of endurance. The next stage is no doubt the unveiling of the Hypercar ahead of the first track tests this summer.

Ford Racing has announced details of its Hypercar programme

In 1977, the BMW Art Car series turned to Pop Art with a comic-inspired design by Roy Lichtenstein for the new BMW 320i Turbo. The car covered in the artist’s famous Ben-Day dots crossed the 1977 24 Hours of Le Mans finish line.

In 1977, a major figure of Pop Art took on the challenge of turning a race car into a work of art. Roy Lichtenstein was the third artist, and the third American after <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/bmw-art-cars-at-the-24-hours-of-le-mans-bmw-3-0-csl-by-calder-the-pioneer-60204">Alexander Calder</a> and <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/bmw-art-cars-at-the-24-hours-of-le-mans-bmw-3-0-csl-by-frank-stella-the-graph-60206">Frank Stella</a> to illustrate a BMW fielded at Le Mans. The BMW 320i Turbo combined striking artwork with excellent results, claiming ninth place overall and a class win.

Lichtenstein turned to his emblematic Ben-Day dot pattern to decorate the BMW 320i Turbo, adding a reference to the car&rsquo;s racing environment on the sides. The design is reminiscent of the comic strip inspiration favoured by Lichtenstein since the sixties, and also portrays the surroundings through which the car is driven.

That year the initiator of the Art Car project Herv&eacute; Poulain shared the wheel with Marcel Mignot. The #50 started the race with the firm intention of finishing. &ldquo;Roy Lichtenstein used the sun rays and dots that are part of all his work, because they both were the right match for the 24 Hours of Le Mans,&rdquo; explained Poulain. &ldquo;The dots gave the car a feline look.&rdquo;

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<h2>An Art Car at the finish of the 24 Hours of Le Mans</h2>

The 1977 Art Car was a different model to the previous ones. The 320i Turbo was part of the 3 Series introduced in 1975 to replace the celebrated BMW 2002 and BMW elected to field the new car opposite the Porsche 935 in the new Group 5 classification. Its first Le Mans appearance was in 1977.

Marcel Mignot remembers being on tenterhooks throughout the race. &ldquo;Around 8 pm, I noticed the oil pressure was at zero. I went in and they sent me back out. The pressure went up from time to time, then back down again later on. I decided to ease off to protect the engine.&rdquo; Both drivers skilfully make up for the default and despite temperamental weather ranked sixth by daybreak. 
The BMW 320i Turbo gradually lost power as the hours ticked by, yet soldiered on.&ldquo;By the end of the race, the car was more and more difficult to handle due to the lack of power, but we finished ninth all the same,&rdquo; says Marcel Mignot. A remarkable result overall, and a class win. &ldquo;The sun on the car&rsquo;s side probably acted as a good-luck charm&rdquo; jokes the driver.

The BMW 320i Turbo by Lichtenstein marked an important stage in the Art Car saga: for the first time, the car didn&rsquo;t just attract attention in the early hours of the race as a work of art, it finished the race. In a fusion of Pop Art, endurance and mechanical engineering, the BMW Art Car went from cultural exhibit to real race car, earning a place in the history books.

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In a tribute to a half-century of fantastic liveries, this year&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.retromobile.com/en/">R&eacute;tromobile show</a> (28 January to 1 February at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles) will be showcasing the seven 24 Hours of Le Mans BMW Art Cars including the BMW 320i Turbo by Roy Lichtenstein.

BMW Art Cars at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – BMW 320i Turbo: the Pop Art performer

McLaren Racing has named Mikkel Jensen as driver for its 2027 24 Hours of Le Mans entry and FIA World Endurance Championship campaign.

McLaren Racing will be fielding a Hypercar at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and in the FIA World Endurance Championship from 2027. The British manufacturer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/2025-24-hours-of-le-mans-mclaren-introduces-the-world-to-its-hypercar-59772" target="_blank">took the wraps off</a> the twin-turbo V6 Hypercar&nbsp;with its Dallara-designed chassis at the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans. The time has come to constitute a driver crew. Mikkel Jensen is to race for the official McLaren United AS WEC Hypercar Team.

The 31-year-old&rsquo;s professional career began in 2017. He was rapidly successful in the various international GT classes and won European Le Mans Series and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship titles at the wheel of prototypes, catching the eye of the Peugeot scouts who hired him to drive the 9X8 from 2023-5.

McLaren will spend 2026 developing its Hypercar. Mikkel Jensen has an important role to play in the programme. Meanwhile, he will be racing under the United Autosports banner in the Asian Le Mans Series and at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, round 1 of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Mikkel Jensen: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m extremely proud to be joining the World Championship-winning McLaren family and excited to be a part of its Hypercar project from the early stages. Stepping onto the boulevard at the McLaren Technology Centre gives me goosebumps &ndash; it not only brings to life how much history McLaren has in Formula 1 but the 1995 Le Mans-winning F1 GTR reminds me that we have an incredible endurance story to continue.&rdquo;

James Barclay, McLaren Endurance Racing&rsquo;s Team Principal: &ldquo;Announcing Mikkel is another important milestone in the formation of our newHypercar team. He has already proven himself as one of the most competitive and well-rounded sportscar racing drivers in the world and will bring with him a wealth of experience from the Hypercar category. 
We will enter the World Endurance Championship and Le Mans in what will arguably be the most-competitive season of all time. We are delighted to have a driver of Mikkel&rsquo;s calibre, experience and future potential. Like us, he is a true racer and is therefore a great fit with our philosophy on people and culture, which has been integral to McLaren Racing&rsquo;s world championship-winning success in Formula 1. OurWorld Endurance Championship team is coming together nicely and Mikkel is a fantastic addition.&rdquo;

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McLaren Racing announces its first Hypercar driver

The 1976 24 Hours of Le Mans featured the second BMW 3.0 CSL Art Car, with a contrasting style to the previous year. After Alexander Calder’s explosion of colour came a black and white grid design by Frank Stella based on oversize graph paper.

The BMW 3.0 CSL by Frank Stella fielded at the 1976 24 Hours of Le Mans introduced a striking new Art Car: a technical drawing becoming a work of art as the car&rsquo;s livery.

Following on from the first Art Car, the <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/bmw-art-cars-at-the-24-hours-of-le-mans-bmw-3-0-csl-by-calder-the-pioneer-60204">BMW 3.0 CSL by Alexander Calder</a> fielded in 1975, BMW continued the series, offering racegoers a new artistic experience. Once again, the Bavarian manufacturer chose an American artist to design a livery. Motorsport aficionado Frank Stella was said to be delighted &ndash; honoured even &ndash; to accept the commission. Stella&rsquo;s design set colour aside to concentrate on structure.

<h2>An Art Car intended to attract attention</h2>

The distinctive black and white made the BMW 3.0 CSL stand out from the crowd, with the previous year&rsquo;s blocks of colour replaced by a reference to the squared paper used for technical drawing. The grid pattern highlighted the design of the car itself, as if it were wearing its structure on its bodywork. Applied by Walter Maurer, BMW&rsquo;s bodywork artist, the paintwork turned the 3.0 CSL into a fast-moving graphical object, in stark contrast to the many coloured liveries in the field. &ldquo;Painting cars, I think, is insanely difficult. You have to think of a new idea, and I didn&rsquo;t think of this idea. It was just luck. It was the first thing that I did, but it worked out quite well,&rdquo; said Stella.

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The strict lines hint at the formidable machinery beneath. With 750hp, the BMW 3.0 CSL was quick, and required expert driving. In the hands of Brian Redman and Peter Gregg it lived up to its potential, clocking the eighth best time in qualifying. But Le Mans is unforgiving and an oil issue forced withdrawal from the race.The car was not necessarily destined to win Le Mans, but &ldquo;They just wanted to take the lead, so that they could be in the newspapers. [The car] turned out to be a bonanza, because black and white reproduces really well so it separated itself from the field, you could really see it in the photos. So, it really served its purpose.&rdquo;

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<h2>The car on display for the 50th anniversary of R&eacute;tromobile</h2>

Frank Stella&rsquo;s career took a new turn thanks to the Art Car. A three-dimensional design was very different to flat surfaces. It fleshed out his work. &ldquo;The car must have had some influence because after that I tried to make shapes that were wavy and had more volume.&rdquo;

The BMW 3.0 CSL by Frank Stella confirmed the Art Car as an annual statement by BMW at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. As a reflection on volume, speed and perception, Stella&rsquo;s work confirmed the Art Car&rsquo;s status as part of the culture of the world&rsquo;s greatest endurance race.

In a tribute to a half-century of fantastic liveries, <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/all-seven-le-mans-bmw-art-cars-on-display-at-retromobile-2026-in-paris-60209">this year&rsquo;s R&eacute;tromobile show </a>(28 January to 1 February at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles) will be showcasing the seven 24 Hours of Le Mans BMW Art Cars, including the BMW 3.0 CSL by Frank Stella.

BMW Art Cars at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – BMW 3.0 CSL by Frank Stella: the graph

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