Paying tribute to 1980s furniture maker Memphis Design Group, the MemphisStyle Edition BMW i8 and i3 by Garage Italia Customs were unveiled this week in Milan. Lapo Elkann, brother of Fiat chairman John Elkann and himself the chairman of Garage Italia Customs, teamed up with Michele de Lucchi, an original member of the Memphis Design Group, to work on the project. The result is the sort of hypnotic patterns and vibrant colors emblematic of the signature Memphis style, which extend to the leather and Alcantara clad interiors of both electric cars. It took five weeks for Garage Italia to conceive and paint the two vehicles, with some areas requiring eight layers of paint. After the premiere of the special editions in Milan, the cars will be exhibited at Frieze New York 2017.
