The Crittenden Automotive Library

Spotted - Unique BMW 2002 Turbo

Topics: BMW 2002

Spotted - Unique BMW 2002 Turbo

Matt Hubbard
Speedmonkey
January 28, 2013

The BMW 2002 Turbo, produced from 1972-1976, was the forerunner to the BMW 3-series and, ultimately, the M3. The 2002 Turbo made 170bhp, from it's 2 litre turbocharged engine, and did 0-60mph in 6.9 seconds. It was a lightweight, lairy beast with extreme turbo-lag. Only 1672 were made.

And this isn't one. It started life as a humdrum 1602 which the owner has spent the past 18 months and £35,000 miles building into a fully fledged Turbo-alike, which is now in better condition than most 2002s on the road - purely because it has been rebuilt from scratch.

The car was taken back to bare metal and coated in 3M sealer, then painted white. The bodykit was sourced from BMW and includes new flared arches and front and rear spoilers, with new trim. The stickers are even genuine BMW parts. It cost the owner £18,000 just to put together the bodywork.

Instead of using a genuine 2002 Turbo genuine this car has a 318ti Compact unit and gearbox. The 1.9 litre 4 cylinder engine has also been fitted with a turbocharger plus lots of extra work and a bespoke management system.

The wheels are deep dish rims which the owner sourced from the US and fitted new tyres to. He's also bought a heated windscreen and carpets - and then stopped because he's run out of time and space - and because he's moving house.

It's a pretty amazing little car that needs someone to finish the work. The carpets need fitting, an exhaust needs sourcing and fitting and the engine needs finishing off. It's on eBay and has 4 days left to run. At the time of writing there were no bids, although the starting price is £10,000.

What any potential purchaser won't know until it's running is how the engine will sound. The original 2002 Turbo had a fantastically raspy exhaust note. The use of a more modern engine may change that altogether. The video at this link shows it starting with no exhaust. Otherwise this seems an ideal project for someone into their BMWs - and with deep pockets.

Thanks to Colin Hubbard for spotting this 2002 Turbo.

Here's a link to the advert.