Munich/Pebble Beach. At the Concours d’Elegance in
Pebble Beach, the BMW Group is presenting the BMW 2002 Hommage to
shine the spotlight back over its successful history with 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,” says Karim Habib, Head of Design
BMW Automobiles. “With its iconic orange/black paintwork, the car has
a colour scheme and livery synonymous in the minds of many motor sport
fans with the triumphs of the 1970s.”
The model unveiled in Pebble Beach writes the next chapter in a story
begun by the BMW 2002 Hommage, which the company presented at the
Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in May.
A confident statement of unadulterated driving joy.
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 optimise airflow around the car
and maximise downforce in every driving situation.
Historic details with a modern twist.
A particularly striking feature 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 chiselled 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-colour 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-coloured brake
callipers bearing the M logo add an extra stamp of class.
Fronted by 50 years of BMW history.
The front end of the BMW 2002 Hommage is a confident and
extravagantly dynamic affair; its styling bridges a gap of 50 years in
combining the characteristic, horizontal grill graphic of the 02
series with modern elements of BMW design. In its lines and form, the
bonnet references the “spear” contour stretching down the centre of
the 02 models that swells slightly into a surround for the BMW logo as
it approaches the kidney grille. Further precise lines lend structure
and definition to the matt surface.
Occupying centre stage at the front end is the familiar BMW kidney
grille. Here, it takes the form of a low-standing, connected unit,
offering a flesh slant on the kidneys’ historical rendering as a
cohesive design element. Sculpted, black double-bars add finesse to
the details of the broad-set grille. Like the BMW 2002, the BMW 2002
Hommage also has two single round headlights that provide the striking
front end with its outer limits. The headlights’ reflective gold
colouring is a pointer to the “golden” 50th anniversary of the BMW
2002’s launch. The headlights also reprise the yellow hue commonly
found in the headlamps of racing cars back in the day. An unbroken
horizontal black band unites the design elements of the front end and
in so doing, underlines the car’s wide and athletic stance. Those with
a keen eye will also pick out the turn signal repeaters, which – like
those of the car’s forebear – are located separately from the
headlights and embedded in the wrap-around carbon fiber waterline element.
The large front apron, a stylistic and functional aerodynamic nod to
those models of the 1970s, shortens the visual distance between the
BMW 2002 Hommage and the road. Together with the car’s wide, sporting
stance, this technically innovative, forward-thinking design sends out
a message of top-class roadholding and handling flair through fast
corners. Now, as in the heyday of the BMW 2002, design excellence and
turbo technology bring unsurpassed levels of fun to twisty race
tracks, country roads and mountain passes alike. The “turbo” lettering
in mirror writing on the front apron casts the mind back to the
original decals of the 2002 turbo. Accent surfaces in exposed carbon
mark the point where the front apron and side skirts hand over to the
road, and also provide a technically alluring contrast to the
body-coloured surfaces.
Bringing matters to a sporting conclusion.
The rear-end design of the BMW 2002 Hommage also calls on elements of
the 2002 turbo. For example, the horizontal sub-division of the car’s
generous surfaces and its clear lines make a width-emphasising and
thus suitably dynamic statement, laced with modern feel. The almost
rectangular lights provide a stylistic border for the rear end. The
glass covers have a contemporary black-panel look and only offer a
view of the inner workings when the lights illuminate. All you can see
when they are dormant is an unbroken black surface. As at the front of
the car, this strengthens the impression of a strip wrapped around the
car. The asymmetric BMW logo placement to the right of the license
plate between the two rear lights is likewise a characteristic element
of 02 rear styling. The muscular wheel arches bookend the rear section
and accentuate the wide track, while a precise spoiler lip brings a
modern edge to the car’s detailing. A carbon diffuser integrates the
now familiar two sets of twin exhaust tailpipes and wraps up the rear
styling with a sporting flourish.
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.