Mickalene Thomas Revvs Up DART Car's Custom McLaren
The artist-designed car will make its debut on the racetrack this spring.
The Driven Artists Racing Team (DART Car) tapped American artist Mickalene Thomas to design a custom wrap for their debut McLaren Artura GT4 race car, making the launch of the women-led motorsports team. The team will unveil the inaugural commission at New York’s Classic Car Club on February 18, before its track-bound debut this spring.
Renderings reveal bold, reflective streaks of colors and patterns wrapped around the exterior, as the front of the vehicle bears an abstract portrait of a woman’s face. In addition to the car itself, Thomas, fresh off her London All About Love opening, has also designed bespoke suits and hand-painted helmets for the drivers.
“This collaboration with DART Car embodies the perfect union of art and feminism as a potent fusion of creativity, speed, and female empowerment, challenging stereotypes by inspiring innovation and redefining the boundaries of power and beauty of women in the driver seat,” Thomas said in a recent statement.
Helmed by entrepreneur Zoë Barry, art advisor Spring McManus and professional race car driver Aurora Straus, the initiative aims to showcase female achievements in motorsports, where they only make up 4% of drivers.
The first DART Car competition will take place at the Sonoma Raceway in California from March 28-30. The team also plans to compete in the 24H Series Middle East Trophy in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, making history as the first all-women-led team in the series.
