HALF A CENTURY AFTER THE LAUNCH OF BMW’S 02 SERIES, A TRIBUTE
The BMW 2002 Hommage hit California’s Pebble Beach as part of last weekend’s Concours d’Elegance, celebrating the company’s turbocharged history.
First unveiled for this year’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, the 2002 Hommage pays tribute to the iconic 02 Series, which was launched 50 years ago.
In 1973, the original BMW 2002 Turbo became the first series-produced vehicle to feature turbocharging technology in Europe.
Powered by a 2-litre fuel-injected turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the 2002 Turbo produced 127kW of power and 240Nm of torque which, back in the day, made it a “full-blooded sports car”.
BMW turbo-engine technology was also behind the first turbocharged Formula 1 car to win the championship, in 1983, driven by Nelson Piquet.
Differing slightly from the blue concept revealed in May, the 2002 Hommage for Pebble Beach is finished in an eye-catching orange and black “Turbomeister” livery, which pays tribute to the iconic Jagermeister livery worn by the 2002 Turbo racing cars of the 1970s.
Otherwise, the 2002 Hommage remains unchanged, featuring 2002-inspired design cues including the raised “shark nose” ridge in the centre of the bonnet, along with a shoulder-line accent strip and flared wheel arches, which are a modern interpretation of the original’s wheel-arch extensions.
Sitting inside those flared arches are 20-inch alloy wheels, this time painted in gold and silver — the blue 2002 Hommage featured silver alloys.
Modern touches on the retro-inspired concept include vertical intakes on each side of the front bumper and a number of other air intakes to maximise downforce.
Out the back, the 2002 Hommage features a prominent lip spoiler, quad exhaust tips housed in a carbon-fibre rear diffuser and smoked tail lights.
According to the UK’s Auto Express, the concept’s underpinnings are based on those in the M2, however, details of what lies under the bonnet – the M2 is powered by a 272kW/465Nm twin-turbo inline six — have not been revealed.
-CarAdvice.com.au