futura 2000 reveals hand-painted BMW M2 during frieze LA 2020

futura 2000 and BMW have unveiled their collaborative M2 art car at frieze los angeles 2020. hand-painted by the american artist, it features an all-over graffiti treatment bearing his unique signature of dripping paint, skewed lines and concentric forms.

images courtesy of BMW

inside, the trim strips on the instrument panel and the centre console of each vehicle boast a special, individually created futura 2000 design. in addition, the M alcantara leather-clad sports steering wheel has a grey 12 o’clock marking and special door sill trims bearing the consecutive limited-edition number and a futura signature.

BMW will reveal three special versions of the M2 competition art car, one of which made its debut at frieze LA 2020. since introducing the BMW art car project in 1975, the german manufacturer has invited artists from around the world to add their signature to one of its models. previous collaborations include jeff koons, cao fei, olafur eliasson, andy warhol, and roy lichtenstein.

the BMW M2 competition is powered by a dual-charged, straight six-cylinder with m twinpower turbo technology and 302 kW (410HP). adding to the dark scheme, each one will sport 19-inch jet black light-alloy wheels and dark-tinted windows. unlike previous collaborators, the futura 2000 x BMW M2 art car will go on sale and can be inquired about on BMW’s website.

‘the BMW M2 competition is dynamic, extroverted and, to a certain degree, pleasantly provocative. I consider it a great honour to be able to add a special touch to this vehicle,’ says futura 2000.

‘we are very proud of having been able to gain such an internationally well-known artist as futura 2000 for the collaboration on the three unique one-offs of the BMW M2 competition,’ markus flasch, CEO BMW m GMBH, adds. ‘I’m already looking forward very much to seeing how he transforms our M2 into the edition intended for our customers. with his unique, constructive and rebellious style, futura is perfectly suited to a young and wild automobile such as the BMW M2 competition.’

futura 2000, born leonard hilton mcgurr, established himself as a pioneer when graffiti met the formal gallery ecosystem in the 1980s. he quickly became known for his radical approach in the street, introducing abstraction to an entirely letter based discipline, and found himself as part of a wider art movement that included the likes of jean-michel basquiat, keith haring, dondi white, and rammellzee.