The Glovebox: BMW's moving art can't stop being the star of the show
Things to look out for at Salon Rétromobile in Paris, a new Bugatti that's like an old Bugatti, The King's Lotus and where food and F1 collide.
Making a splash at Salon Rétromobile
The classic car show carousel is spinning with vigour, as this week sees the season open at Salon Rétromobile in Paris. There is much to see and do, including, but not limited to, exhibitions on Steve McQueen’s cars and motorcycles, the golden age of rallying, and a Bugatti train. See below for the Bugatti train.
The Bugatti Autorail.
There’s also an auction by Gooding Christie’s, with lots including a 1960 Ferrari 250GT SWB Berlinetta, a 1920 Ballot3/8 LC Grand Prix two-seater, formerly owned by Malcolm Campbell and Jack Dunfee, a 1964 Shelby Cobra 289 and a 1984 Ferrari 288 GTO, which was originally designed for Group B homologation.
But my personal highlight is that Rétromobile is the latest stop for the BMW Art Car World Tour, which celebrated its 50th year in 2025. Seven cars from the 20-strong collection will be at the show, most notably Alexander Calder’s 3.0CSL from 1975, Frank Stella’s 3.0CSL from 1976, Andy Warhol’s M1 from 1979 and Jeff Koons’s M3GT2 from 2010. All seven of the cars on display competed in the 24 Hours of le Mans.
‘Celebrating 50 years of the BMW Art Cars collection is above all a tribute to a visionary audacity that began half a century ago, when art and motor racing came together for the first time,’ says Vincent Salimon, CEO of BMW Group France.
‘This exceptional exhibition at Rétromobile marks a unique moment where creativity, innovation and heritage meet. The BMW Art Cars embody the very essence of our brand: a passion for design, performance and creative freedom. Bringing these rolling works of art together and sharing them with the public illustrates how art and mobility are shaping the future together.’
Top Gear editor-at-large and occasional Country Life contributor Jason Barlow was more succinct: 'Truly, these are amongst my favourite cars IN THE WORLD. Car companies like to talk the talk about cultural contribution, but BMW actually walks the walk.'
A homage for history
It’s rare for a car to come along and change everything. Examples might be the Ford Model T, the first Rolls Royce Phantom, the Jaguar E-Type, the Lamborghini Miura, and the McLaren F1.
In 2006, Bugatti did something that at the time many people, including their engineers, thought was impossible. They built a road-going production car that could produce more than 1,000bhp, which promptly shattered every speed record going. It was, of course, the Veyron.
These days, as a result of the prevalence of electric motors, 1,000bhp is annoyingly common. You could buy a Tesla with that much power for £100,000, which is significantly less than the £1 million it cost to buy a Veyron back in 2006 (although it costs a lot more than that to buy one now).
20 years is a decent birthday, so to celebrate, Bugatti have produced the F.K.P. Hommage, which features the iconic W16 engine, and plenty of other flourishes that pay tribute to the original Veyron, but gently modernised. I could write words, but there are pictures and videos, so let’s indulge in those instead.
The F.K.P moniker refers to the ‘father’ of the Veyron, Dr Ferdinand Karl Piëch, who first envisaged and sketched the car while on a Shinkansen in Japan. The Hommage is one-of-one, with more than 1,600bhp and a top speed in excess of 300mph. It is a very fitting present indeed.
The Royal green Lotus
A yellow Lotus Eletre. I do not know what colour The King went for.
It is no secret that The King is a big fan of Country Life, having edited the magazine twice and often contributing his thoughts as the Prince of Wales. Is he a fan of our motoring section? We’ll never know for sure, but the fact that he recently purchased a Lotus Eletre can’t be a coincidence after the glowing review first published here in 2024. A good choice, Your Majesty.
Zuma by name, zooming by nature
Zuma in Knightsbridge will always hold a special place in my heart, because I once went on a date there with a very pretty girl and she kissed me afterwards. Also the food was excellent.
The restaurant, of which there are now many, has just announced a partnership with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team, which is the first ‘restaurant x F1 team’ collab in the sport.
The idea of dinner at Zuma might be one of the only things in the world that could make Toto Wolff smile. That and F1 World Championships.
What does that mean? Good question. It means that Zuma, ROKA, Oblix, and other globally celebrated dining concepts owned by parent company Azumi Ltd will be 'Lifestyle & Dining Curator' for the Mercedes team. Does that clear that up?
Ok, even more simply, it means that Zuma (and other Azumi brands) will be present at Monaco, Silverstone, Madrid, Abu Dhabi and other circuits, as well as at Mercedes’s Miami and Las Vegas clubs.
Follow your favourite team around the world, and eat at your favourite restaurants. What’s not to love?
