It’s certainly fun to go through cars from various automakers, but we have a lot of respect for people who stick with a certain model for an extended amount of time. Such is the case with Tony as he has had this 1972 BMW 2002 for roughly twenty years. Back when he bought it, the sports sedan was completely stock, but as you can see, those days are long over.
Decked out in a retro-flavored Marlboro livery, the 2002 has lost its original M10 engine to make room for a larger six-cylinder mill. Specifically, it’s the M20 borrowed from a 1989 325i E30, but has been completely modified and now rocks a turbocharger. With 19 pounds of boost, the engine was making 420 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque at the wheels, which the owner admits was overkill as he had a hard time keeping the car straight under hard acceleration. Consequently, it now runs at about seven PSI, making just under 300 hp.
That’s still a more than decent amount of power taking into consideration the car weighs about 2,100 pounds (953 kilograms). It’s a comprehensive build since the 2002 is more than just about cramming in a much more powerful engine. The whole body has been reinforced and the suspension has been reworked with coilovers and Bilstein shocks at both front and rear axles.
In addition, hiding behind the gold 15-inch BBS wheels with red centers are upgraded brakes to cope with the extra oomph. For the Tobacco interior, the owner opted for Recaro seats also borrowed from an E30 but reupholstered to match what the 2002 had back in the day. Tony used more than just the engine and seats from the second-generation 3er as he also grabbed the gearbox as well as the rear end to handle the power.
Even with the detuned engine, the power-to-weight ratio remains impressive and the pulling power is quite strong, even with the skinny tires at the back. The 2002 seems like a real hoot, albeit some might find it a bit too tail-happy when the boost kicks in.
Source: AutotopiaLA / YouTube
