Description
The BMW 02 series is a compact 2-door sedan based on the Neue Classe (New Class 4-door sedan) that laid the foundation for BMW that continues to this day. The highest grade sports model was the 2002 Turbo, which appeared in 1973 as the first mass-produced car equipped with a turbocharger. The engine combined a 2ℓ in-line 4-cylinder SOHC with a KKK turbocharger that had its origins in the 2002 TIK, which raced in the Group 5 touring car series of 1969 defeating Porsche and winning the championship. Producing 170㎰/24.5kg-m, the 2002 Turbo delivered performance that was top of its class for a production car at the time and reigned over the Porsche 911 on both track and street. BMW’s signature blue, purple, and red tricolor stripes accentuated the car’s performance and exterior features including bumperless front spoiler, over fenders, and urethane rear spoiler. The interior was also significantly modified from the base 2002tii with sports seats and a red meter panel. On a side note, the over fender was attached with screws according to German specifications, however this was not approved by the Japanese Ministry of Transport (currently the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) at that time, so it was sold in Japan after being filled with putty. Due to the global oil crisis in the mid-70’s, its production life was only one and a half years, but there were early and late models within this period.
