Roy Lichtenstein's BMW Art Car x Puma

To celebrate the 100th birthday of legendary artist Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997), BMW M Motorsport has teamed up with Puma to present an exclusive collection that brings the magic and allure of Le Mans and the BMW Art Cars onto the road and into wardrobes. As one of the key figures in the pop art movement, Lichtenstein played a defining role in the art scene of the 1950s and 60s with his comic-strip inspired works. In 1977 he came up with a masterpiece on wheels as part of the BMW Art Car project. And the BMW 320i Turbo bearing his artistic signature wasted no time in recording class victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race that year. Lichtenstein’s design, featuring the ‘Ben Day dots’ that became a personal hallmark, depicted a landscape appearing to move over its bodywork. The sun and cloud imagery in various colours adorning the doors of the car reference the 24-hour duration of this storied fixture of the motor racing calendar.

Inspired by the sports car’s unique makeover, the ‘Ben Day dots’ can be found on all the items in the BMW Art Car Capsule Collection in tandem with a vibrant colour palette. Each garment in the strictly limited-run special edition range has been carefully crafted and enthuses with expressive design elements that take their cues from the Lichtenstein 320i Turbo. The collection therefore represents a tribute to the celebrated artist, who always sought to blur the conventional dividing lines between high art and low art. It pieces together a full outfit made up of jacket, sweatpants, T-shirt, cap and Puma Suede trainers.

Photos © BMW