In 1975, French racing driver Herve Poulain invited his friend, American artist Alexander Calder, to give his BMW 3.0 CSL race car whatever bold, eye-catching look he so desired. The result, which went on to race in the 1975 Le Mans 24h, launched something of a longstanding tradition: the BMW Art Car. There have been numerous BMW Art Cars in the years since, with artists using cars like the M3, the 635 CSi, and the M1 Group 4 as canvases to create a stunning, diverse body of work.

Now, a brand new series of three BMW Art Cars is on the way, by famed American graffiti artist FUTURA 2000 and based on the BMW M2 Competition.

BMW isn't ready to show off FUTURA's work just yet; that will happen mid-February at the Frieze Los Angeles Art Fair at Paramount Pictures Studios. But we do know that each of the artist's three cars will wear unique, original artwork, and based on his established style, we're expecting an abstract, psychedelic, brightly colored approach.

In addition, BMW has announced that there will be a limited-run factory Art Car available to everyone for purchase. The special-edition model - the BMW M2 Edition by FUTURA 2000 - will be available starting June 2020. BMW has not announced how many examples will be made.

FUTURA 2000, whose real name is Leonard Hilton McGurr, is a well-known graffiti artist who cut his teeth painting illegally on the New York subway in the early 1970s. By 1981, he was live-painting backdrops for The Clash on-stage as the band toured Europe, going on to collaborate with several well-known brands such as Nike, Supreme, The North Face, and Levi's. Today, he's a successful clothing designer, graphic designer, and gallery artist.

The BMW M2 Competition is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0L S55 inline-six, capable of spitting out up to 405 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque - good for a 0-to-60 time of 4.2 seconds with the available 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.