Alain Menu will have a new look on his Chevrolet Lacetti for the penultimate European rounds of the World Touring Car Championship season at Imola next weekend.

The Swiss star will run in the colours of the Chevrolet 'art car' for the weekend, with the black and gold colourscheme on his car being the winning design of the pan-European competition run in conjunction with a series of design schools. Adi Sumi from Slovenia produced the winning design and will be present at Imola to see the car in action.

On track, Menu will aim to impress as he runs with only 40 kilos of ballast onboard his Lacetti for the weekend and he said there was extra determination to do well having been given the honour of racing the 'art car'.

"Considering how competitive we were at Oschersleben with a heavy car I can only be optimistic for the Imola races, since I'll be running just 40 kilograms," he said. "The objective therefore is to have two good races and hopefully finish on the podium. That would be great, particularly as my car will be the art car.

"I'm always in for something a bit out of the ordinary and the Chevrolet design competition was a great initiative to help create interest in the WTCC from quarters not necessarily familiar with racing.

"If I can finish on the podium with the art car it would be a first as well, as I don't believe there has ever before been an art car which finished on the podium of a race, regardless of the championship."