Williams partners with artist Jeff Koons to give BMW i7 Art Fair debut

Williams Group has partnered with artist Jeff Koons to inject some colour into its public debut of the new BMW i7 luxury electric vehicle (EV) at the upcoming Manchester Art Fair.

The renowned creator of pop art created his dream car, the ‘The 8 x Jeff Koons’, to make a splash at the Frieze Los Angeles earlier this year and the AM100 car retailer will give visitors to the Manchester event to get up-close to his creation alongside the i7 from November 4 to 6.

Based on the BMW M850i xDrive Gran Coupé, Koons describes his rolling artwork as his “dream car” and the premium brand spent over 200 hours applying paint to make his vision a reality.

“My edition of the BMW 8 Series is my dream car! It is very special to me and I’ve wanted to create a special edition BMW for a long time,” Koons said.

The BMW i7 that Koons’ creation will sit alongside is officially launched in the UK later this month.

A long-range luxury car, the i7 has the capability to cover 387 miles between charges and takes just 34 minutes to top-up the battery from 10% to 80%, serving-up similar swiftness on the road thanks to a 544PS power output.

Order books are open now, with prices starting from £107,400.

Since launching in 2008 Manchester Art Fair has welcomed over 80,000 visitors who have spent more than £5m on art, organisers claim.

Guy Adams, managing director at Williams, which represents BMW from its sprawling dealership site at TraffordCity, said: “John Henry Williams founded the business in 1909 as a wheel manufacturer on Deansgate – just around the corner from Manchester Central where the Art Fair is curated. 

“From starting out making wheels over one hundred years ago, to now unveiling the futuristic all-electric BMW i7 so close to our roots, is a privilege.

“Having represented BMW in the region for the past 50 years, and as the longest serving BMW retailer in the North West, we have selected this highly anticipated event to unveil two of our  very special vehicles, creating another manifestation of our purpose and ethos – the difference is Williams.”

Thom Hetherington, the chief executive of Manchester Art Fair, said: “Since 2008 we have welcomed art lovers to the heart of Manchester for the annual Manchester Art Fair.

“This is our most ambitious year yet, so to have the Williams team choosing to debut the BMW i7 with us is fantastic.

“The Jeff Koons 8 Series is spectacular, we are excited for our visitors to be welcomed by the work of a world-renowned and well-respected artist.”