The BMW Group showcased the BMW 2002 Hommage at the recently concluded Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach, putting the spotlight over the successful history of its turbocharged engines. In 1973 the BMW 2002 turbo became the first series-produced vehicle in Europe to feature turbo technology. In so doing, it turned the BMW 02 into a full-blooded sports car.
Looking back, the advent of BMW turbo engine technology pointed the way for both the development of the sportiest BMW sedans and milestones such as the first Formula One World Championship title for a turbocharged car – won by Nelson Piquet in 1983.
The BMW 2002 Hommage celebrates the extraordinary feats of engineering on which BMW turbo technology is based and re-interprets them in the form of a design study with its iconic orange-black paintwork, the car has a color scheme and livery etched in the minds of many motor sport fans with the triumphs of the 1970s.
The sporting silhouette of the BMW 2002 Hommage lies low against the road. Its compact proportions; complete with long wheelbase, short overhangs and prominent shark nose, promise a driving experience that thrills with irresistible dynamics and agility. Aerodynamic details like the large spoilers at the front and rear team up with the profusion of air intakes and exits to optimize airflow around the car and maximize down force in every driving situation.
Striking features of the car’s flanks are the pronounced wheel arches, which frame the body like four brackets and add stature. In the process, they recall the homologated version of the BMW 2002 turbo, which needed broad extensions bolted onto its body to accommodate a significantly wider track. The Hommage car integrates this detail neatly. Sleek surfacing and precisely chiseled lines envelop the powerful wheel arches and hand them a starring role.
In perhaps the most literal reference of the original 2002, the 2002 Hommage features a unifying waterline to connect many of the car’s formal elements. This unbroken carbon fiber line physically wraps around the car from front to rear, while also creating a horizontal distinction between upper and lower body surfaces. 20-inch light-alloy wheels in bi-color design round off the styling as the car meets the road. The modern looks of these lavishly milled, multi-spoke items recall the racing rims of bygone eras, while gold-colored brake calipers bearing the M logo add an extra stamp of class. BMW’s fresh interpretation of the BMW 2002 adopts the form of a compact sports coupe in the classical tradition of BMW Hommage cars. But more than that, the BMW 2002 Hommage represents a clear statement of how pure driving pleasure is defined in 2016.
