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BMW says this isn't an Art Car, and we fully agree

The "what is art" debate is as old as cave drawings. Or maybe it's older. That's up for discussion, but BMW says the artiness of this spaghetti-monster i3 is not. BMW found it necessary to put out a press release explaining that this pasta-decorated i3 is not only not part of its Art Car series, but also that its creator, artist Maurizio Cattelan, no longer makes art. So it definitely can't be called art, excluding it from Art Car consideration. We weren't going to accidentally call it either, though. The wrapped electric car was created for the Recontres d'Arles photography exhibition in Arles, France. They're calling it a "Spaghetti Car." Uh huh. Some choice quotes from the release: "Lest there be any confusion, it must be officially clarified that what Maurizio Cattelan created is not an official BMW Art Car. The artist's design will be destroyed according to Cattelan's wishes sometime after Rencontres d'Arles." We hope that means the wrap gets torn off and burned. There's a perfectly good i3 underneath to salvage. "Maurizio Cattelan has still officially retired from 'art' since his 2011 retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum, New York, although he only recently created a toilet bowl made of solid gold for the Upper East Side institution." See also: Marcel Duchamp's "Fountain" for more discussion of art/not-art. Related Gallery BMW Art Cars It sounds like Cattelan struggles more with the definition of the word "definition" than with "art." Is the irony that there is art in calling something not art? This might just be too meta for us to get. Anyway, about the only useful part of the release is a reminder that the next Art Car will be based on an M6 GT3 and is due in late 2016 or early 2017. It's currently being worked on by two people who presently consider themselves artists, John Baldessari and Cao Fei. We trust it won't be covered in food. Related Video: Green BMW Electric bmw art car

BMW M2 is proof good things come in small M-badged packages

BMW released the new M2 several months ago. But it wasn't until today that we got to see the new sport coupe in the metal here on the floor of the Detroit Auto Show. The spiritual successor to the legendary BMW 2002 Turbo from the 1970s, the new M2 packs a potent inline-six up front driving the rear wheels. That 3.0-liter turbo six is good for 365 horsepower and 343 pound-feet of torque, paired to either a six-speed manual or available seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. In a package weighing just 3,500 pounds (a little less with the stick, a more with the DCT), that's enough to send the M2 from a standstill to 60 miles per hour in as little as 4.2 seconds (4.4 with the manual) and on to an electronically limited top speed of 155 miles per hour. That's enough to make us forget all about the M235i that packs 45 fewer horsepower and the previous 1 Series M Coupe with 30 less – and makes us second-guess the prospect of the costlier M4 and its 60-horse advantage. Throw in other goodies like 19-inch Michelin Pilot Super Sport rubber, an active differential, and a seriously aggressive-looking body kit, and the new M2 suddenly looks like a world-beater that we can hardly wait to drive. BMW at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) 2016 in Detroit. BMW is set to enter its anniversary year of 2016 on a powerful note. With the centenary of its founding just around the corner, the company is using the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), taking place in Detroit from 11 – 24 January, to host the world premieres of the new BMW M2 and BMW X4 M40i performance models. Joining the two new cars at the stand will be the trailblazing BMW i models and innovative services covering every aspect of electric mobility. BMW ConnectedDrive, meanwhile, is showcasing its latest range of applications and systems, such as Remote Control Parking. The BMW Group's successful involvement in North America dates back more than 40 years. Bayerische Motorenwerke has been represented in the USA by its subsidiary BMW of North America since 1975, and the company went on to build its own production facility in Spartanburg, South Carolina in 1992.

BMW: Newfangled Idea

Former Today Show hosts Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel joined the all-new BMW i3 for its 2015 Super Bowl spot. The 60-second spot harkens back to the pair's bewilderment over the Internet way back in 1994, before cutting to the revolutionary electric Bimmer, which elicits a similarly perplexed reaction. It's a clever spot for BMW, tying its perhaps misunderstood EV to another formerly unfamiliar piece of tech. We're no strangers to the i3, but if you are, check out our detailed review on the electric hatch.