For those of you who don’t know Jeff Koons, we don’t blame you; he’s not exactly a household name in the auto industry. But if you’re into contemporary art, then his name just might ring a bell. Koons is a critically-acclaimed artist whose works have been widely hailed as some of the most inventive and innovative of his time.

That is precisely the reason why BMW->ke178 has chosen him to create the 17th BMW Art Car in time for the program’s 35th anniversary. “I always thought it would be an honor to work on a BMW Art Car,” Koons said during the official announcement at his studio in New York City. “I look forward to participate in a tradition set forth by such great artists as Calder, Lichtenstein, Stella, and Warhol.”

BMW North America President Jim O’Connell, who was also present during the official announcement, couldn’t hold back his excitement over the prospect of Koon designing BMW’s 17th Art Car, a man he considers as one of the greatest artists of ‘our time’.

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To his credit, Koons has been a devout fan of BMW from his days of driving one during his time in Munich, Germany. On top of that, Koons also has the support of some pretty high-standing individuals, not the least of which is U2 front man Bono, who said earlier this year that if there’s one man that can design a car “that would make the world fall in love with automobiles again”, it’s Koon.

For over 35 years, BMW has commissioned a plethora of some of the world’s foremost artists – a list that includes, among others, Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Jenny Holzer, Roy Lichtenstein, Frank Stella – into turning BMW cars into artistic platforms that convey a particular period through the brand’s art program. Many of these cars have been the subject of countless exhibits hosted by some of the world’s premier museums including the Louvre, the Shanghai Art Museum and the Guggenheim Museums.

Details surrounding which BMW car Koons will be tasked to design will be announced in soon but it is expected that the new Art Car will be revealed later this year.