At the 2016 Villa d'Este, BMW stunned the automotive world by unveiling the 2002 Hommage concept, an M2 coupe that was extensively modified into a modern interpretation of the classic 2002, the range-topping version of the "02 Series," built between 1966 to 1977. Three months later and the German company brought a new version of the concept car at the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

Having celebrated its 100th anniversary this year, BMW has released quite a few concept cars paying tribute to its iconic, classic models. And Munich is apparently enjoying all the publicity, which is probably why the 2002 Hommage got a minor makeover for Pebble Beach. That's not a bad thing though, as BMW built many spectacular cars in the 1960s and 1970s.

So what makes this new 2002 Hommage concept special, you ask? Well, even though it's basically identical to the first show car inside and out, it was modified to pay tribute to the race-spec version of the original 2002 Turbo. You see, the 2002 wasn't just a successful road car. It also spawned various race versions, being racing in anything from rally events to track series such as the Trans Am, and the German Racing Championships, the predecessor of the current DTM.

To turn the 2002 Hommage into a modern interpretation of the 2002 Turbo, BMW painted in a two-tone livery that echoes one of the most iconic paint schemes of the 1960s and 1970s. Finished in bright orange with black accents on the upper side panels, engine hood, and trunk lid, the concept from Pebble Beach reminds us of the Jagermeister-liveried 2002s raced in both rally and track championships. BMW even went as far as to use a logo that's very similar to that of the German liquor company, while the "Turbomeister" decals on the doors, fenders, and hood have the same font as "Jagermeister."

What's more, BMW added bi-color 20-inch wheels in gold, another feature seen on the classic 2002 Turbo, as well as gold brake calipers, and gold headlamp detailing to recreate the yellow hue commonly found in the headlamps of racing cars back in the day. Everything else remained unchanged compared to the first 2002 Hommage concept, but I must say that this new version is a lot more spectacular to look at.

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Why it matters

Some of you probably know I'm not a big fan of modern BMWs. Sure, I like a few -- the M2 is one of them -- but I find most modern Bimmers to be too heavy and too loaded with driving aids to provide the fun the company's cars used to until the 1990s. This is why I get excited each time BMW launched a new concept car that pays homage to their classics. Luckily, Munich has been on a roll recently. First there was the 3.0 CSL Hommage, which was later followed by the R version with the retro white livery. Now, BMW added this orange-painted 2002 Hommage next to the initial, light-blue concept and enlarged the Hommage family to four members. No automaker has launched so many neo-retro concepts in a little more than a year, and BMW deserves a big hand for doing it. So far, the new 2002 Hommage is my favorite, but the retro-liveried 3.0 CSL R is pretty close behind. Hopefully BMW will launch more concepts like these. The 328 from the 1930s is a great candidate if you ask me.

BMW 2002 Hommage Concept

Read our full review on the BMW 2002 Hommage Concept here.