BMW 730i Art Car showcased at India Art Fair

The 1990 BMW 730i exhibited at the Art Fair is the 10^th BMW Art Car of a total of seventeen.

As part of the company’s cultural engagement program, BMW showcased its 10^th Art Car – a 1990 730i designed by Cesar Manrique – at the India Art Fair 2016. BMW has a total of 17 Art Cars, several of which are usually on display at the BMW Museum in Munich, while the remaining Art Cars travel across the globe (not by road!) to art fairs as well as exhibitions.

BMW Art Cars, or the “Rolling Sculpturers” as they are famously called, was a project that was introduced by French race car driver Hervé Poulain in 1975, who asked artists to create a canvas on an automobile. The first outcome of the project was a BMW 3.0 CSL which competed in 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1975. Since then, seventeen different artists from across the world have created Art Cars on the basis of renowned BMW automobiles of their times.

The BMW 730i Art Car on display at India Art Fair was intended solely as an exhibit, meaning it has never been driven on the road or in a race! That said, the BMW 730i Art Car has a 3.0-litre, six-cylinder inline engine with over-head camshaft that develops a maximum power output of 188 bhp. Although it’s not intended to go on-road, and perhaps, it never will, BMW still claims it can do 222km/h.

Commenting on the occasion, Philipp von Sahr, President, BMW Group India said, “Since its inception, BMW India has been committed to the world of art and culture in the country. The BMW Art Cars are an indispensable component and a core platform of our cultural engagement. They are unique creations combining automobiles, technology, design and art. The artistic expressions of the ‘Rolling Sculptors’ symbolize the pioneering spirit of BMW Group that challenges the imagination of creative minds across the world. We are very excited to present the 10th BMW Art Car by César Manrique here amidst the best Indian art installations at the India Art Fair.”

BMW will be showcasing the 730i Art car till January 31, 2016, at India Art Fair in New Delhi.

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