ATHENS, Ga. — For the first time, University of Georgia students helped design the BMW Mean Machine, a custom-wrapped BMW that has become a fixture of Bulldog game days and campus culture.
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A class of 12 students in the Layton Design Studio at UGA’s Lamar Dodd School of Art worked with BMW and UGA stakeholders to create three designs for the vehicle ahead of the 2026 football season.
The students developed the concepts as part of a professional design brief, drawing inspiration from Georgia football and the atmosphere inside Sanford Stadium.
The three designs were:
- “Collegiate,” inspired by game-day traditions and energy.
- “Beware of Dawg,” based on the fierce spirit of Georgia’s Junkyard Dawgs.
- “Make Noise,” inspired by the roar of Sanford Stadium.
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The designs were put to a monthlong public vote beginning July 1. “Beware of Dawg” was selected as the winner.
The winning design debuted Sept. 5 during UGA’s home opener against Tennessee State. The vehicle was displayed in front of the Zell B. Miller Learning Center, where the student designers were able to showcase their work to more than 90,000 game attendees and football fans.
“Designing for a collaboration between UGA Athletics and BMW was an incredible opportunity,” said Lior Orlinsky, a spring 2026 graduate. “Working with such an iconic global brand brought a real sense of responsibility, but our team’s creativity and ability to think strategically allowed us to build on each other’s ideas and create something we were all proud of.”
The BMW Mean Machine will be showcased throughout Athens and at UGA home football games during the 2026 season.
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