Chevrolet WTCC car captured in art form

It wasn’t only the exhaust pipes that were popping and banging at the British round of the World Touring Car Championship, after artist Ian Cook brought his own ‘Popbang Auto Art’ touch to the event at Brands Hatch.

The Birmingham-based artist (25), created an image of Rob Huff’s WTCC Cruze in the main public area of the race circuit, drawing crowds at least six-deep throughout the day.

For unlike normal paintings, Ian uses remote control cars and old tyres to apply the paint to canvas, rather than a brush.

“It all started when an ex-girlfriend bought me a remote control car for Christmas,” said Cook. “She told me not to take it to my studio and not to get any paint on it, so of course I immediately did both!”

In order to make the Cruze image even more unique, Ian invited Cambridge-born Chevrolet works driver Rob Huff to add his own personal touch – Huffy painted the lower front bumper and valance of the car using a scale replica of the ‘Bumblebee’ Chevrolet Camaro, as featured in the movie Transformers 2, before signing it.

And to add even more interest, the painting was finished using the nearside front tyre from Alain Menu’s race-winning Cruze, which stormed to victory in an impressive Chevrolet 1-2 with Huff in the first race of the weekend.

“I’ve created specific images for people before,” added Cook. “But to do one using part of the actual vehicle and a real-life racing driver to drive one of my cars is entirely new!”

The finished image, which is over two metres wide, will go on display in the Chevrolet team hospitality unit for the next two WTCC meetings.