BMW M Motorsport will mark the Bathurst 12 Hour with a nod to one of the brand’s most recognisable cultural projects, as Team WRT returns to Mount Panorama aiming to defend its 2025 one-two finish.

Alongside confirmation of its driver line-up for the 2026 event, BMW has revealed that one of its two M4 GT3 EVO entries will carry a livery inspired by BMW Art Car #8, originally created by Australian artist Ken Done. The #32 entry, to be driven by Jordan Pepper, Kelvin van der Linde and Charles Weerts, will compete in colours referencing Done’s 1989 design.

The initiative forms part of global celebrations marking 50 years of the BMW Art Car programme. Since 1975, BMW has invited prominent artists to reinterpret its racing cars, turning competition machinery into rolling canvases. Over the decades, contributors have included Alexander Calder, Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, among others, establishing the collection as a unique crossover between contemporary art and motorsport.

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Done’s original Art Car (below) was based on the BMW M3 Group A that had earlier been driven by Jim Richards to the 1987 Australian Touring Car Championship. The design, influenced by Australian wildlife and marine life, used bold colour and sweeping forms to convey movement and speed. Its connection to local touring car history makes Mount Panorama a fitting venue for its modern reinterpretation.

Speaking ahead of the race, Done said he was keen to see the design’s influence return to the circuit, noting that the original work sought to capture the sense of motion associated with high-speed racing.

The 2026 Bathurst 12 Hour also coincides with another milestone for the brand: 40 years since the launch of the BMW M3 in 1986. Across six generations, the M3 has built a record in touring car and GT competition that underpins BMW’s ongoing presence in international endurance racing.

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The Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour, scheduled for 13–15 February 2026, is regarded as one of the toughest GT endurance races on the calendar. Held on the 6.2km Mount Panorama circuit, it combines long straights with steep elevation changes and narrow, technical sections across the top of the mountain.

By bringing an Art Car-inspired design to a contemporary GT3 contender, BMW links its racing programme with a half-century-old cultural project at one of Australia’s most demanding circuits.

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