Autoblog

Hand-painted G37 Coupe inspired by Cirque du Soleil commemorates Infiniti's 20th Anniversary [w/VIDEO]

Frank Filipponio — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:56:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Etc., Infiniti, Specialty, Design/Style

Infiniti G37 Anniversary Art Project Vehicle by Montreal artist Heidi Taillefer - Click above for high-res image gallery

BMW, eat your art out - Infiniti can do art cars too! At the 14th Annual Canadian Art Gallery Hop Gala in Toronto, Infiniti of Canada unveiled their G37 Anniversary Art Project Vehicle. It's a Infiniti G37 Sport Coupe that has been painted by Montreal artist Heidi Taillefer. The car was decorated to celebrate Infiniti's 20th anniversary, but the Japanese automaker worked with Cirque du Soleil on the project.

So, how does the artistic Canadian entertainment company fit into the picture? Cirque du Soleil is also celebrating an important anniversary, their 25th, and the paintwork adorning the car (which took over 300 hours to complete) was inspired by the offbeat circus. The car is also going to appear at select Cirque events in Canada in the future, and the ultimate plan is to auction the car off for charity.

Follow the jump and you can see a video of Taillefer performing her magic during the month-long project she calls "Ligozzi." Look for the Anniversary Infiniti at future Cirque du Soleil shows. If you can't make it, you can check out the high-res gallery below - and don't forget to click through to the video and to read the full press release from Infiniti Canada.

Gallery: G37 Anniversary Art Project Vehicle

[Source: Infiniti]

Continue reading Hand-painted G37 Coupe inspired by Cirque du Soleil commemorates Infiniti's 20th Anniversary [w/VIDEO]

Hand-painted G37 Coupe inspired by Cirque du Soleil commemorates Infiniti's 20th Anniversary [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York: BMW expresses joy with new Z4

Sam Abuelsamid — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 10:02:00 EST

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Convertible, BMW

BMW Z4 joymobile - Click above for high-res image gallery

The latest addition to the long running series of BMW art cars is this Z4. Unlike previous art cars where the machine was the canvas, the z4 you see above was actually used as the paint brush. When BMW unveiled the new 2009 Z4 at the Detroit Auto Show, they showed a video of artist Robin Rhodes creating a massive painting using a Z4 with its wheels dripping with red and green paint. For the last two weeks, the car and two of the painted panels have been on display with several of the earlier art cars at Grand Central Station, but they've now been moved into the Jacob Javits Center for the New York Auto Show. We were walking by this morning and thought you might enjoy some car art with your coffee. Check out photos of Z4 art car in our high-res gallery below.

Gallery: New York: BMW Z4 Art Car

New York: BMW expresses joy with new Z4 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW's Art Cars start North American tour in Los Angeles

Noah Joseph — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 12:29:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, BMW, Celebrities, Event Alert

Click above to view Warhol, Stella, Lichtenstein, and Rauschenberg's BMW Art Cars in high resolution

BMW's world famous Art Cars have been an interesting project since their inception in 1975, attracting some of the world's most notable artists to leave their mark on the Bavarian automobiles. But while the collection of sixteen rolling works of art is permanently housed in BMW's museum in Munich, they've also traveled the world on various tours. The next one has already arrived in North America, with an exhibit opening today at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).

Four of the project's most famous works, those of Andy Warhol, Frank Stella (pictured above), Roy Lichtenstein, and Robert Rauschenberg, will be on display, free of charge, in the BP Grand Entrance, from February 12-24, before they head off to New York's Grand Central Terminal from March 24-April 6, en route to three locations in Mexico thereafter.

The display is complemented by a behind-the-scenes video of the artists at work, which you can view along with the press release after the jump and the images in the gallery below, but if you're in the LA area, we'd suggest stopping by the LACMA to see these spectacular mobile works of art for yourself.

Gallery: BMW Art Cars

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading BMW's Art Cars start North American tour in Los Angeles

BMW's Art Cars start North American tour in Los Angeles originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW uses 2010 Z4 as art car (of sorts)

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, BMW, Australia

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Z4 painting "An Expression of Joy"

Normally the models in BMW's art car line -- sixteen and counting -- get their body panels splashed up with designs by the who's who of the art world. BMW has decided to switch up the concept for a commercial for the new Z4; instead of the car being the canvas, the Z4 paints a canvas. Guided by modern artist Robin Rhode and a team of technicians, the Z4 is rigged up with machines that spray paint from the wheels, with everything captured on film by director Jake Scott, Ridley's son. The tire prints in all kinds of hues are laid down on an enormous white canvas, and the result is called "An Expression of Joy." You can check out the press release after the jump, the high-res gallery of images below, and Wallpaper magazine has behind the scenes video. If you like what you see, you might even be able to buy a slice of it in due time.

Gallery: BMW Z4 Painting Canvas

Continue reading BMW uses 2010 Z4 as art car (of sorts)

BMW uses 2010 Z4 as art car (of sorts) originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Dec 2008 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Essen 2007: Phantoms inhabit VW

Dan Roth — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 10:57:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Etc., Volkswagen, Misc. Auto Shows

Artist William Burge has found a way to artfully reattach all of the little pieces that have fallen off his 1968 Volkswagen Beetle. The results are far more impressive than the Bug's original and once-ubiquitous countenance. Actually, we counted all 21,000 gigashards of metal, and that's more metal than a '68 Type 1 contained, and even the steady diet of replacement parts doesn't account for the amount of cold-rolled whatever comprising this bodyshell. The car's exhibition at the Essen Motor Show is apropos on a whole bunch of levels.

The gargoyle-themed Volkswagen will fit right in among the cathedrals and castles in the city, which is a future European Capital of Culture for 2010. Being a cultural hub, the intricate suit of armor worn by Burge's once-humble Beetle will be understood for the masterpiece that it is, and the painstaking metal work that went into the car will not be lost on the home of the Krupp Iron Works. There's not much information to be found about the car, which Burge has named "Phantoms," though it's been on display in Essen from November 26th, and will be at the Motor Show until the 9th of December. We're dying for details, particularly how it was put together? What's the interior look like? Is it still being pushed around by a 1500? Can I borrow it to discourage parking in front of my house? One of you astute commenters out there must have more information; please share!

[Source: Winding Road, Photo: Martin Meissner/AP]

Essen 2007: Phantoms inhabit VW originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 Dec 2007 10:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DISKDRV doesn't like magnets

Chris Tutor — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:06:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

Like many of us at Autoblog, we're pretty sure many of you are life-long computer geeks, which means, if you're old enough, somewhere in your house is a box (or boxes) of never-to-be-used-again floppy disks. Lara Weigand saw potential in those boxes of discarded data and decided her 1998 Honda Civic could use an exterior upgrade.

After painting hundreds of 3.5" and 4.25" floppies, Weigand glued them to the car, upgrading the Honda's storage capacity by at least half a gig. Such a valuable art car needs security, so we're glad to see she write-protected most of them.

Inside, Weigand's car features a dash plastered with sheets of punch cards and windows bordered by computer keys. On the wheels are processor chips and, fittingly, the door handles are covered with ESC keys.

The license plate, of course, reads DSKDRV. Write that down and if you ever see an improper driver taking the car through some bad sectors, it means someone has performed an illegal operation and should immediately be booted.

Check out TechEBlog for more photos.

Thanks for the tip, Mikkel!

[Sources: TecheBlog, Real Change News]

DISKDRV doesn't like magnets originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Citroen 2CV ala Picasso

Dan Roth — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 10:22:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Misc. Auto Shows, Citroën

The Citroen 2CV is already a unique-looking car, with Citroen's distinct mid-century-modern style and flair. The French auto could be considered the opening salvo in a styling onslaught that led to such heights of style as the DS. A regular 2CV could be considered a piece of art, and Andy Saunders saw his French runabout as a canvas for further experimentation. Inspired by Pablo Picasso, pieces of the CV were sliced, diced, moved hither and yon, and repainted to mimic the artist's 1937 portrait of Dora Maar. The car is street legal in England, and we can only imagine the double takes it garners as it motors on down the street. Nighttime visibility must be rather entertaining, with both headlamps on one side of the car, and since turn signals received similar treatment, you'd best know your hand signals if you don't want this art car to suddenly become a collaborative effort, painted by someone else's vehicle-shaped brush. Saunders's car was at Goodwood this year, and Autoblog photographer extraodinaire Frank Filliponio snagged a shot of it. Just like Picasso's work, this Citroen will garner diametrically opposed reactions, but love it or hate it, it is a brilliant homage to an artistic movement that was fresh and vibrant when this humpbacked, bug-eyed voiture first saw the light of day.

[Source: Caradisiac]

Citroen 2CV ala Picasso originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Jun 2007 10:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A truly epic Mercedes M-Class

Frank Filipponio — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 18:55:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Etc., Mercedes-Benz

Click above or follow the read link for a big gallery of pics of this outrageous Benz

Not sure who took these pics or what the mural depicts exactly, but this is one finely detailed M-Class. A true work of art if you're into REALLY custom paint jobs, this Mercedes from St. Petersburg (Russia, not Florida) is swathed in a mural of epic proportions. Medieval warriors adorn the flanks converging on a lightning-illuminated castle atop the hood. It's really pretty spectacular, as you can see from the gallery. Surely not the best use of a Mercedes-Benz M-Class, but to each his own. And as long as the owner likes it, what do our opinions matter?

Thanks for the tip, kerunt!

[Source: English Russia]

Gallery: Epic Mercedes

A truly epic Mercedes M-Class originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Jun 2007 18:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi commissions its own Art Car

Alex Nunez — Mon, 07 May 2007 17:33:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Etc., Audi

Click above for gallery

The term "art car" is closely associated with BMW, which has a history of letting famous artists use its vehicles as rolling mechanical canvases. And the cars are memorable, too -- the Andy Warhol M1 leaps to mind. Well, late last month, Audi decided to throw its hat in the ring as well by commissioning Brazilian Pop artist Romero Britto to turn an RS4 into an art car for the brand with the interlocking rings.

Britto responded with what you see above. A colorful painting of a woman adorns the hood of the muscle sedan and extends through the rest of its bodywork. It made its debut at the Art Chicago fair in the Windy City at the end of April, and will tour other locations in North America before ending its run in Miami Beach, where it will be auctioned for charity. Full details after the jump.

[Source: Audi]

Gallery: Audi RS4 art car by Romero Britto

Continue reading Audi commissions its own Art Car

Audi commissions its own Art Car originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 May 2007 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Art Car parade shows there's no accounting for taste

Frank Filipponio — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 10:37:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

Wow. We know that there are millions of people out there who can't stand having a stock vehicle parked in their garage. For these folks, a car isn't theirs until it has been personalized -- vanity plates, bumper stickers, cold air intakes, DUBS, whatever. But for a few people a car is a totally blank canvas. No mere add-ons will sate their hunger for self-expression. For these ~~twisted~~ artistic souls, nothing is off limits when it comes to modifications. And so we have the Art Cars. Outrageous paint jobs depicting just about every conceivable theme are the norm, but for some particularly gifted individuals, paint is so five years ago. Why paint a car when you can cover it with driftwood? Or apply thousands of cigarette butts to it instead? And although huge rear spoilers can be found tacked onto some of the most improbable vehicles in the real world, these cartists (car artists) like to add things like scale models, shells, buildings, and propellers to their rides. Sister blog Gadling recently attended an art car parade in Berkeley (we assume), and posted a few dozen pics for all to see. Click over and check them out for yourselves. We're rather partial to the child's racer bed complete with functioning racetracks, although that Isetta looks splendid as a bubble plane. And while we have no idea what it's supposed to be, the vehicle above certainly takes the cake in the more-is-more category.

[Source: Gadling]

Art Car parade shows there's no accounting for taste originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Apr 2007 10:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Outlining your commute: Subaru WRX as art

Frank Filipponio — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 16:28:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Subaru

As much as we love the roadgoing rallycars from Subaru and Mitsubishi, it's because of the way they drive, not necessarily for their handsome silhouettes. But beauty is, as they say, in the eye of the keyholder. Artist Benedict Radcliffe, head of experimental design at the Glasgow consultancy Stand, fashioned this wireframe outline of a Subaru WRX as an objet d'art. It sits outside the Paul Smith gallery on Albemarle Street in ~~Glasgow, Scotland~~ London, England (Thanks, Tony). And showing they have no love of fine art, the local constabulary has repeatedly ticketed the offending vehicle. Tickets are alternately written out to The Invisible Man or Wonder Woman, apparently. Well, it does take up a parking space, but come on guys. We remember seeing VW Beetles with intricate ironwork "bodies" in place of traditional panels, but this is a bit more extreme. It actually looks like a styling buck at first glance, but click here or here to see that it is indeed the real deal.

[Source: Winding Road]

Outlining your commute: Subaru WRX as art originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Mar 2007 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The car as art: Leepu Awila's RMX-1

Frank Filipponio — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:24:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. One man's artistic expression in vehicular form may make another man vomit uncontrollably. While this particular vehicle probably falls on the latter end of the spectrum for most, we felt like we had to share. Perhaps it will inspire other designers to come up with something ~~less hideous~~ more to their liking. Bangladeshi automotive artist Leepu Awila created his RMX-1 as more of a design study than a functional concept.

Awila originally hand sketched the RMX-1 after being inspired by a trip to an aquarium. "I'm giving it big side-windows. People are gonna want to see the driver of this car," says Leepu Awila, "not just their face but what they're wearing, their trousers or skirt. I got the idea at the aquarium. I thought: if I can see the fish, the fish can definitely see me."

In just six short weeks, he managed to gather all of the parts and materials he needed and hammer the car into shape. He used raw sheet metal if needed, but also used many parts salvaged from used car markets. A chassis from an old Capri and the greenhouse from a mangled Calibra to name but two. Awila developed his coachbuilding skills by building replicas of his favorite cars after he had seen them at auto shows. His first project was a replica of the Lamborghini Countach that he built on a Volkswagen Beetle chassis.

Over the years he got really good at it, but it eventually struck him that he didn't want to fake it any more and that he "felt like a thief". He wanted to come up with his own designs, allowing his creative juices to flow. For Awila the end product isn't the most important thing. The actual creation of the piece itself, the construction process that turns scrap into a thing of beauty, is the reward.

[Source: Top Gear via Motor Authority]

The car as art: Leepu Awila's RMX-1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW Art Cars begin international tour

Alex Nunez — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 17:02:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Sedan, Performance, Etc., BMW

1976 BMW 3.0 CSL by Frank Stella

A group of BMW Art Cars is headed to Gallery Petronas in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia this month for the start of a museum tour that will keep the cars on the road until 2010. The Malaysian display runs from from September 14 to October 22 and includes cars by Frank Stella, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Ken Done. After Malaysia, the cars will head to Singapore, the Philippines, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand -- the end of the line for that particular group.

At the same time, Art Cars by Alexander Calder, Matazao Kayama, David Hockney and Jenny Holzer will be making the rounds through Taiwan, China, Russia and Africa. From there, a group of Art Cars (BMW doesn't specify which ones) will go to Turkey and then tour the United States and head back to Europe, where France, Spain and Portugal all have events in the works so far.

We'd love to tell you what the US stops will be but we're guessing they aren't finalized (BMW doesn't give any details). They aren't going to arrive here for quite a while anyway. Regardless, we're looking forward to checking out the exhibit when it does. Significant cars by significant artists? We're there.

(Photos, press release after the jump)

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading BMW Art Cars begin international tour

BMW Art Cars begin international tour originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Sep 2006 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda paints a hip Fit

Stuart Waterman — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 07:57:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Honda

American Honda Motor has unveiled this Fit "art car" as part of a new "Fit in the House" promotion in partnership with the House of Blues entertainment company. Folk artist Jack Poppitz, whose work is on display at HOB clubs across the U.S., was commissioned to create the "drivable art," which depicts the history of blues music. The custom Fit will be sold in a charity auction.

There are lots of "Fit in the House" promotional events planned, including a sweepstakes to win a 2007 Honda Fit Sport. Check out www.fitinthehouse.com for all the details if you're interested.

[Source: Honda]

Honda paints a hip Fit originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 17 Jun 2006 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Recycled Ford MPV travelling world as 'Galaxyman'

Joel Arellano — Mon, 15 May 2006 18:03:00 EST

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Etc., Ford

As we previously reported, the automobile is one of the most recycled products in use today. While most vehicles have their parts transplanted into new vehicles or converted into fuel, some become works of art.

The "Galaxyman" is one such art piece. Made from a used Ford Galaxy MPV, the sculpture is one of German performance artist HA Schult's latest works. Schult first displayed his 1,000(!) similar sculptures in 1996, and has brought the exhibit around the world to such places as the Egyptian pyramids and the Great Wall of China. The exhibit is currently on display in front of the Cologne Cathedral in Germany, and will touch U.S. soil later this year while stopping in New York City.

[Sources: Ford Motor Company; World Car Fans]

Recycled Ford MPV travelling world as 'Galaxyman' originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 May 2006 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volkswagen hoping buyers stick around for New Beetle styling gimmick

Chris Paukert — Thu, 04 May 2006 17:03:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Convertible, Coupe, Budget, Etc., Volkswagen

In an effort to keep British consumers interested in the New Beetle, Volkswagen has unveiled a line of vinyl graphics dubbed 'Beetle Art' to offer buyers another way to personalize their Bugs.

VW is initially offering four designs of the decals, dubbed 'Mud Splats,' 'Taking Flight,' 'It's All Mine' and 'Chasing Rainbows,' each with a unique artist and story behind them. The company promises that the designs will last for three years, and can be removed without any paint damage.

No word yet on if VW's in-house art car options will cross the Pond.

Click on the link for VW's microsite on Beetle Art.

[Sources: Volkswagen UK; MotorTorque at AskaPrice.com]

Volkswagen hoping buyers stick around for New Beetle styling gimmick originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 May 2006 17:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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