The best part? It costs less than half what an original 2002 Turbo does
by Josh Conturo, onThe BMW 2002 Turbo is arguably one of the most important sports cars ever made as it was BMW and Europe’s first-ever turbocharged car, pioneering tech used in nearly every new car on sale today. It also managed to do so while wearing one of the coolest factory decals ever put on a new car. Now though, there is an option to get an even faster and potentially more fun 2002 Turbo for about $40,000.
An Affordable BMW 2002 Turbo
Well, it’s sort of a 2002 Turbo, It started life as a standard 1976 BMW 1502 originally sold in the UK and the original engine has been ditched for a much more powerful Honda F20C from the S2000.
That Honda powerplant is fitted with a new ECU that helps the mill to reach a max output of 240 horsepower and a redline of 9,200 rpm. The whole car is somewhat of a Frankenstein with the six-speed manual gearbox also from an S2000, electric power steering from an Opel Corsa C, body modification replicated after a real 2002 Turbo, a quick release steering wheel, a digital stack dash, and 5-lug BBS wheels.
Other more essential supporting mods include metal braided brake lines, new headlights, a new radiator, tapered throttle bodies, a limited-slip differential, adjustable suspension, sturdier half shafts, Recaro seats, and front and rear strut braces.
How does that compare to the original?
The BMW 1502 was powered by a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder capable of about 75 horsepower with a four-speed manual with a 0-60 mph sprint of about 13 seconds. The 2002 Turbo vastly improved this with a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder capable of about 168 horsepower with a redline of 5,800 RPM. All that resulted in a 0-60 mph time of about 6.7 seconds.
In terms of styling, the body modifications are impeccable as they are all but identical to the original 2002 Turbo with the flared fenders and glorious tri-color M decals. The interior has been tastefully updated as well since the seats, stereo, steering wheel, and most of the stack dash appear to be period correct.
2002 Turbos can easily fetch six figures at auction, and less than 1,700 were ever made, partly due to the initial release being right before the 1973 oil crisis. Even standard 2002s can go for $25,000-$30,000 at auction and turning that into something as wild as this would not be cheap or easy. This could be a prime opportunity to save loads of money on something much faster and possibly more fun than an original 2002 Turbo. Check out the listing for this custom BMW 2002.
Source: Car and Classic
