One of the best things BMW has done in the past few years was begin developing art cars for customers to actually buy. When Andy Warhol or Alexander Calder developed their stunning works of rolling art, that was it. Those cars were locked away in museums, for only a handful of people to see. However, these more modern versions, which are every bit as great looking as the old-school ones, are being manufactured, albeit in limited numbers, for customers to actually buy. The latest is Jeff Koons’ BMW M850i Gran Coupe and one of the first customers to take delivery of the Koons 8 Series was an owner named Kris in Texas.
Koons’ M850i is one of my personal favorite cars. As a kid, comic books and superhero cartoons were a wonderful escape and created a fandom I still have to this day. So seeing the comic book-inspired design by Koons puts an instant smile on my face. The bright, vibrant colors, the “Pow!” onomatopoeia, and the speedy clouds of smoke all give the M850i Gran Coupe a whiff of fun it never had before. The 8 Series Gran Coupe is a good looking car but it’s a very serious one. This comic book livery makes it cheerful and I like that.
Photos by @kranedesigns and @texasda on InstagramAs vibrant and creative as the exterior is, the inside is a bit more reserved. Admittedly, it gets cool red and blue color scheme, which gives off heavy Superman vibes, thus continuing the comic book feel. It could be Spider-Man (which I’d prefer) but the way the colors are used feels a bit more like Superman.
Under its very cool skin, the Jeff Koons BMW M850i Gran Coupe isn’t any different from the standard car. Which means it uses the same 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8, making 523 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque, the same eight-speed auto, and the same xDrive all-wheel drive. It also means that it’s going to be immensely comfortable, quiet, and fast. The M850i Gran Coupe is a great GT car and, with the Jeff Koons design, it should be an awesome car to own.
It should also be a wise investment. Only 99 Koons 8 Series Gran Coupes will be built, which makes them very rare. Plus, the fact that famous artist Jeff Koons designed the livery will make it instantly desirable for art collectors. Admittedly, the initial cost of investment is high, with a price tag of $350,995, but it will only likely go up in value from there. If I was rich, I’d totally buy one. My son would go bananas each and every time we took a ride in it, and you can’t put a price tag on that.
