Here's a brief history lesson: BMW commissioned its first art car back in 1975, based on a 3.0 CSL and designed by sculptor Alexander Calder as one of his final pieces before he died. BMW's art cars have become legendary in the 45 years since then and new examples continue to be introduced. Fast forward to 2019, where the latest BMW art car was an unofficial commission based on the i8, designed by R&B artist Khalid for the Coachella Festival.

For 2020, BMW Brazil has commissioned a new art car based on the 2020 7 Series Hybrid designed by São Paulo-based photographer, Gabriel Wickbold. This 2020 BMW 745Le Hybrid, like Khalid's i8, won't count as an official BMW art car. Nevertheless, it still looks eye-catching.

The 745Le M Sport will be on display for the entire month of January at the BMW Pop-Up Store located in the Shopping Cidade Jardim in Brazil. BMW will also display other works signed by Wickbold alongside the car. The US version of the car, called the 745e xDrive, pairs a 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder engine with an electric motor for a combined 389 horsepower. Using electric power alone, the 7 Series can travel around 16 miles on a full charge.

"The idea of using technology to inspire and create, like BMW did the 7 Series hybrid plug-in, is similar to my artistic creation process. For this reason, we chose a work that had movement, that referred to the speed, sophistication, and technology of the BMW 7 Series," said Wickbold. The included images of the car show the air suspension lifting up into an almost SUV-like ride height. We aren't sure if the car can be driven around like this, but the suspension lift should make ingress and egress easier.

"Art is an important pillar for the BMW Group, which supports several initiatives globally. We really appreciate Gabriel's works, because, like BMW, the artist proposes the union of technology, beauty, and design as a cutting edge reference," said Jorge Junior, Head of Marketing at BMW of Brazil. "In addition, he puts a lot of passion and dedication into everything he does, two very important behaviors for BMW."