The BMW 2002 Turbo is an iconic car from the 60s and was the first production car made by the German firm to feature a turbocharger. The car is also very rare as only 1,672 were built due to the oil crisis in 1973 which practically killed the car off.
BMW will be building a new car to celebrate the 02 Series' 50th birthday and boy does it look good. Is it as good looking as it's predecessor? I'll leave that to you to decide but I think I still prefer the original.
The car is called the BMW 2002 Hommage and will be based on the current M2. BMW unveiled the car at Villa d’Este concours d’elegance in Italy earlier this week. Full technical details have not been announced but the concept will take styling cues from the 2002 Turbo.
These include two single headlights, offset badging on the boot as well as 'turbo' lettering next to the kidney grille and the backwards lettering on the bottom of the front bumper. A carbon fibre strip surrounds the car which echoes the chrome strip used on the original. The strip separates two paint finishes, the top is a matte finish, whereas the bottom is high gloss. Added to this there are 20-inch alloys and four exhaust pipes at the back.
Speaking on the project BMW design boss, Adrian van Hooydonk said: “Exactly 50 years ago, the 02 range kick-started an era of success for BMW. This compact coupe is one of the vehicles which made the brand what it is today.
“The 2002 sat at the top of the range and was the first series-produced car anywhere in Europe to come with turbo technology. That set the seal on the coupé as a genuine sports car. At the same time, the 2002 turbo was at the technological vanguard of engine development at BMW. The BMW 2002 Hommage is our way of raising a glass to all these achievements.”
