► BMW rolls out revamped 2002 Hommage
► New colour scheme reflects motorsports history
► M2-based concept originally unveiled in May
Remember the BMW 2002 Hommage Concept from May? It’s back, and sporting a fresh coat of motorsports-related paint.
BMW originally revealed the 2002 Hommage Concept to – somewhat confusingly – celebrate the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the two-door 1602. That car evolved into the 2002, and fabled 2002 Turbo, which this concept primarily evokes.
Karim Habib, head of design at BMW, said: ‘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 colour scheme and livery synonymous in the minds of many motor sport fans with the triumphs of the 1970s.’
Thought I’d seen this before.
The car was originally revealed at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in May and is one of several BMW tribute-paying Concepts. Others include the dramatic 3.0 CSL Hommage and the supercharged R 5 Hommage motorcycle.
Check out the 2002 concept’s new Jagermei… er, ‘Turbomeister’ decals, and the slick turbo-packin’ laurels on the bonnet. Good to see that BMW’s retained the mirrored ‘turbo’ logo at the front, too, just like the original 2002 Turbo – perfect for letting those in front know, with a single glance in their rear view, that they should probably get out of the way…
What’s underneath?
The 2002 Hommage is based on an M2, so packs a 365bhp 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six which drives the rear wheels. Convince BMW it really needs to carry out some instrumented testing on its one-off concept and it would, conditions permitting, likely clock a 0-62mph time of around 4.5sec.
Adrian van Hooydonk, senior vice president of BMW Group Design, said: ‘50 years ago, the 02 range kick-started an era of success for BMW. This compact coupe is one of the vehicles which made the brand what it is today.
‘The 2002 sat at the top of the range and was the first series-produced car anywhere in Europe to come with turbo technology. That set the seal on the coupe as a genuine sports car. At the same time, the 2002 turbo was at the technological vanguard of engine development at BMW. The BMW 2002 Hommage is our way of raising a glass to all these achievements.’
Read our review of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage Concept