#002 BMW Art Cars

by modelM43in carson Posted on

Published February 26, 2024 | Last update February 20, 2026 | 14 models online

Hervé Poulain is an amateur racing driver, art collector and auctioneer from France. It was his idea to have famous artists paint brand new racing cars and race these at Le Mans. He and BMW started a complete new kind of racing cars.

1975 Le Mans 24h, BMW 3.0 CSL
The BMW CSL entered by Hervé Poulain was the very first BMW Art Car. The livery was designed by Alexander Calder, a German artist and friend of Poulain. The car was fast in qualifying but retired early in the race due to transmission failure.
Hervé Poulain / BMW Motorsport #93: Hervé Poulain (F) / Jean Guichet (F) / Sam Posey (USA)
Results: Startgrid 10th / time 4:06.000 / race DNF – 73 laps
BMW 3.0 CSL – Touring group 2: Powered by 3.5 liter BMW M49/3 straight-6 injection – approx. 450 hp. Weight 1100 kg. Dunlop tires. Chassisnr. unknown

  • SOLIDO #unknown (diecast)
    • Overall rating: 2 STARS | Quality details: 2 STARS | Estimated value: 2 STARS

1976 Le Mans 24h, BMW 3.0 CSL turbo
To compete with the very successful Porsche 935, BMW fitted the proven CSL with a turbocharger. The 750 hp super saloon only raced at Silverstone and Le Mans. At Le Mans the car was painted by artist Frank Stella and is the second in the Art Car range, an initiative by Hervé Poulain.
Hervé Poulain / BMW Motorsport #41: Hervé Poulain (F) / Brian Redman (GB) / Peter Gregg (USA)
Results: Startgrid 8th / time 3:53.400 / race DNF – 23 laps
BMW 3.0 CSL turbo – Touring/GT group 5: Powered by 3.2 liter BMW M49/4 straight-6 turbo, approx. 750 hp. Weight 1050 kg. Goodyear tires. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. #2275980

  • SOLIDO #unknown (diecast)
    • Overall rating: 2 STARS | Quality details: 2 STARS | Estimated value: 2 STARS

1977 Le Mans 24h, BMW 320i
In 1977 this BMW 320 IMSA, painted by Roy Lichtenstein, was the third BMW Art Car and did better than its predecessors.
Hervé Poulain / BMW Motorsport #50: Hervé Poulain (F) / Michel Mignot (F)
Results: Startgrid 49th / time 4:27,900 / race 9th overall – 287 laps / 2nd in IMSA GT
BMW 320i (E21) – Group 5 < 2 liter: Powered by 2.0 liter BMW M12/7 straight-4 injection, approx. 300 hp. Goodyear tires. Weight 800 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. unknown

  • LUSO #unknown (diecast)
    • Overall rating: 2 STARS | Quality details: 1 STAR | Estimated value: 2 STARS

Update August 8, 2025. Today I was in the Louwman Museum in The Hague (NL). 8 BMW Art Cars were there on display. Unfortunately, the Warhol M1 had already left, but the Calder, Stella and Lichtenstein cars were there as well as the Koons M3 and some street cars.

1979 Le Mans 24h, BMW M1
For the fourth time in five years, Hervé Poulain entered a BMW Art Car at Le Mans. After Calder, Stella and Lichtenstein the series reached its high with this BMW M1 hand painted by Andy Warhol. While the others all made their designs on 1:5 scale models, Warhol hand-painted the actual car in only 23 minutes.
Hervé Poulain / BMW Motorsport #76: Hervé Poulain (F) / Marcel Mignot (F) / Manfred Winkelhock (D)
Results: Startgrid 23rd / time 3:57.380 / race 6th overall – 288 laps / 2nd in IMSA GTX
BMW M1 – IMSA GTX: Powered by 3.5 liter BMW M88/1 straight-6 injection, approx. 470 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 1020 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. unknown

  • SOLIDO #unknown (diecast)
    • Overall rating: 2 STARS | Quality details: 2 STARS | Estimated value: 2 STARS

1999 Le Mans test, BMW V12 LMR
BMW entered three cars for the test day of this year’s Le Mans. #16 was a real Art Car designed by German artist Jenny Holzer. It didn’t compete in the 24-hour race where BMW only entered the #15 and #17 cars, not without success.
BMW Motorsport #16: Tom Kristensen (DK) / Joachim Winkelhock (D)
Results: Pre-race test 5th / time unknown / DNS race
BMW V12 LMR – LMP1. Powered by 6.0 liter BMW S70/3 V12 60º, approx. 550 hp. Michelin tires. Weight 900 kg. Carbon fibre monocoque, chassisnr. Williams #004/99

  • MINICHAMPS BMW 80 42 0 008 552 (diecast)
    • Overall rating: 3 STARS | Quality details: 3 STARS | Estimated value: 3 STARS

2024 Le Mans 24h, BMW M Hybrid V8
It took 25 years before BMW was back at Le Mans with an official Art Car. The M Hybrid V8 #20 was designed by Julie Mehretu, an American artist with Ethiopian roots. The race was very troublesome and however the car finished it wasn’t classified because it covered insufficient distance.
BMW Motorsport: #20 René Rast (D) / Robin Frijns (NL) / Sheldon van der Linde (SA)
Results: Start-grid 16th / time 3:26.223 / race DNC – 96 laps
BMW M Hybrid V8 – Hypercars. Powered by 4.0 liter BMW P66/3 V8 90° twin turbo hybrid – approx. 680 hp + 70 hp. Michelin tires. Weight 1050 kg. Carbon fibre monocoque, chassisnr. Dallara Dallara #P22B 005.

  • NOREV BMW BMW 80 42 5 B54 CD0 (diecast)
    • Overall rating: 4 STARS | Quality details: 4 STARS | Estimated value: 4 STARS

No official Art Cars, but just as beautiful

The next BMW Art Cars were almost all street cars besides the beautiful 2010 BMW M3 that was painted by Jeff Koons. Unfortunately there are no affordable 1/43 models from that one. In 1980 and 1981 three more BMW M1’s raced Le Mans and Nürburgring that can almost be called BMW Art Cars.

1980 Le Mans 24h, BMW M1
BMW France #83: Didier Pironi (F) / Marcel Mignot (F) / Dieter Quester (A)
Results: Start-grid 25th / time 4:02.700 / race 14th – 294 laps / 4th in IMSA GTX
BMW M1 – Group 4. Powered by 3.5 liter BMW M88/1 straight-6 injection, approx. 470 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 1020 kg. Steel monocoque

1980 Nürburgring 1000 km, BMW M1
BMW Motorsport #201: Nelson Piquet (BR) / Hans J. Stuck (D)
Results: Start-grid 6th / time 7:46.600 / 3rd overall – 44 laps / 1st in IMSA GTX
BMW M1 – Group 4. Powered by 3.5 liter BMW M88/1 straight-6 injection, approx. 470 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 1020 kg. Steel monocoque

1981 Le Mans 24h, BMW M1
Marko RSM #71: Christian Danner (D) / Leopold von Bayern (D) / Peter Oberndorfer (D)
Results: Start-grid 41st / time 4:00.140 / DNF – 49 laps
BMW M1 – IMSA GTX. Powered by 3.5 liter BMW M88/1 straight-6 injection, approx. 470 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 1020 kg. Steel monocoque

ModelM43 – BMW M1
  • #83 QUARTZO Q3039 (diecast)
  • #201 MINICHAMPS MC430 802501 (diecast)
  • #71 QUARTZO Q3044 (diecast)
    • Overall rating: 4 STARS | Quality details: 3 STARS | Estimated value: 3 STARS

1989 Supercup Norisring, Maurer C87-BMW
Walter Maurer is a German artist who was involved in the production of the BMW Art cars. Except for the M1 which was painted by Warhol by hand, the paint jobs on the other Art Cars were done by Walter Maurer! He is also an amateur driver who had his own group C car based on a Lotec chassis and of course painted in Art Car style, inspired by Roy Lichtenstein.
Maurer #60: Walter Maurer (D)
Results: Start-grid 17th / time 0:53.030 / 12th – 69 laps / 3rd C2
Maurer C87 – Group C2. Powered by 2.0 liter BMW M12 straight-4 turbo, approximately. 700 hp in race trim. Dunlop tires. Weight 800 kg. Aluminium monocoque #001 (Lotec)

  • SPARK Raceland Gold RS1270 #179 / 350 pcs (resin)
    • Overall rating: 5 STARS | Quality details: 5 STARS | Estimated value: 4 STARS

other non-official art cars

2011 Super GT Fuji 250 km, BMW Z4 GT3
The BMW Z4 street version is no comparison to an Audi R8 or Ferrari 458 that are twice as expensive. The GT3 racing version is another story: It’s equipped with a BMW Motorsport V8 engine from the M3 and very competitive. It’s now also being used in the Japanese Super GT 300 series where GT3 cars are being accepted. The Goodsmile Racing car wins 4 races and the championship.
Goodsmile Racing #4: Nobuteru Taniguchi (J) / Taku Bamba (J)
Results: Start-grid 17th / time 1:43.416 / race 14th – xx laps / 1st GT300
BMW Z4 GT3 (E89) – Super GT 300 (GT3). Powered by 4.4 liter BMW P65B44 V8 90º, approx. 510 hp. Yokohama tires. Weight 1190 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. unknown

  • EBBRO GSR&Studie Team with UKYO 2011 (resin)
    • Overall rating: 4 STARS | Quality details: 4 STARS | Estimated value: 4 STARS

2012 Super GT Okayama 300 km, BMW Z4 GT3
The past years Goodsmile Racing was sponsored by virtual singer Hatsune Miku and now by Project Mirai, a SEGA game which is a spin off from Hatsune Miku. The team wasn’t as succesful as in 2011, this year the sister car with #0 won one race.
Goodsmile Racing #4: Masahiro Sasaki (J) / Taku Bamba (J)
Results: Start-grid 38th / time 1:37.771 / race 28th – 73 laps / 18th GT300
BMW Z4 GT3 (E89) – Super GT 300 (GT3). Powered by 4.4 liter BMW P65B44 V8 90º, approx. 510 hp. Yokohama tires. Weight 1190 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. unknown

  • EBBRO GSR&Studie Team with UKYO 2012 (resin)
    • Overall rating: 3 STARS | Quality details: 4 STARS | Estimated value: 4 STARS

2015 Intercontinental GT Challenge – Spa-Francorchamps 24h, BMW Z4 GT3
Alessandro Zanardi makes another return to the race track. This time in a ROAL Motorsport prepared BMW Z4 GT3. The VROOOAAW is dedicated to Michel Vaillant, another motorsport hero that never quits. Zanardi drove together with ex F1 driver Timo Glock and DTM champion Bruno Spengler and finished 25th overall.
ROAL #9: Alessandro Zanardi (I) / Bruno Spengler (CAN) / Timo Glock (D)
Results: Start-grid 15th / time 2:18.955 / race 25th – DNF / 12th PRO
BMW Z4 GT3 (E89) – GT3 PRO. Powered by 4.4 liter BMW P65B44 V8 90º, approx. 510 hp. Pirelli tires. Weight 1190 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. unknown

  • SPARK Michel Vaillant MV05 (resin)
    • Overall rating: 4 STARS | Quality details: 4 STARS | Estimated value: 4 STARS

2020 Intercontinental GT Challenge – Spa-Francorchamps 24h, BMW M6 GT3
Boutsen Ginion entered a real BMW art car in this year’s 24-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps. The livery was designed by American artist Peter Halley. BMW factory driver Jens Klingmann shared the wheel with three amateur drivers. The beautiful car finished a credible 5th in the PRO-AM category.
Boutsen Ginion #10: Jens Klingmann (D) / Karim Ojjeh (UAE) / Gilles Vannelet (F) / Benjamin Lessennes (B)
Results: Start-grid 52nd / time 2:39.026 / race 25th – 514 laps / 5th GT3 PRO-AM
BMW M6 GT3 (F13) – GT3 PRO-AM. Powered by 4.4 liter BMW P63 V8 90º twin turbo, approx. 525 hp. Pirelli tires. Weight 1260 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. unknown

  • SPARK SB387 (resin)
    • Overall rating: 5 STARS | Quality details: 5 STARS | Estimated value: 4 STARS

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