Warhol and Lichtenstein aren't names you'd normally associate with cars.

But BMW hopes to change that at an upcoming automotive art show that will redefine the term "custom paint job".

Four "Art Cars" in the form of perfectly functional BMWs thoroughly re-painted by artists Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, and Ken Done, will be on display at Empress place from Jan 24 to Feb 11.

The whole idea behind having artists unleash their creative juices on the very best of German automotive engineering was sparked off by French auctioneer and passionate racing car driver, Herve Poulain, who teamed up with American, Alexander Calder, to spruce up his BMW 3.0. CSL before taking it on the gruelling 24-hour Le Mans race.

Since then, another 14 Beemers have been given one-of-a-kind treatment by some of the creme de la creme of the art world and displayed in premier art museums the world over.

With the Art Cars having been displayed in places like the Louvre in Paris, the Royal Academy in London, and the New York Whitney Museum of Modern Art, it's a pretty big coup to have four of them brought right to our doorstep.

For this, we have to thank BMW Asia for acknowledging Singapore's artistic potential.

Mr Roland Krueger, Managing Director of BMW Asia, acknowledges this, saying, "With Singapore's growing stature as a city for the arts, the BMW Group felt this was an opportune time to contribute to the excitement and dynamism of the arts scene here."

Following their stint in Singapore, these "rolling sculptures" will then continue their tour of the Asia-Pacific region with stops in Manila, Seoul, Sydney, Auckland, and New Delhi.

Here's a sneak peak at the four cars that will be on display:

Frank Stella
USA
Car: BMW 3.0 CSL
Quotable quote: "My design is like a blueprint transferred onto the bodywork."
Video

Roy Lichtenstein
USA
Car: BMW 320i group 5 racing version
Quotable quote: "I pondered on it for a long time and put as much into it as I possibly could."
Video

Andy Warhol
US
Car: BMW M1 group 4 racing version
Quotable quote: "I love that car. It has turned out better than the artwork."
Video

Ken Done
Australia
Car: The BMW M3 group A racing version
Quotable quote: "I have painted parrots and parrot fish. Both are beautiful and move at an incredible speed. I wanted my BMW Art Car to express the same thing."

If you happen to have millions lying around and decide that "metallic grey" on your M3 isn't going to cut it anymore, I'm sorry but these cars can't be bought, or at least the folks at BMW haven't had enough cash waved in front of them yet.

Michael Lim, Regional Manager for BMW Asia's Corporate Affairs, says "The BMW Art Car Collection is part of the company's heritage. As works of art, they are priceless and unique. There is no intention to sell these works, but we are pleased to be able to share them with art enthusiasts here in Singapore.

Call me an art ignoramus, but some of these "art cars" might even have been the result of an unfortunate collision with a paint delivery truck, and I wouldn't be the wiser.

But then again, I'm no artist.

In the words of Alexander Calder, who painted the very first BMW "art car": "My fan mail is enormous. Everyone is under six."

Still, AsiaOne Motoring urges caution before you decide to go out and prove you could do better by going ape on your neighbour's 7-series with a can of spraypaint.

You have been warned.