BMW has given itself a fast, blue, fat-tyred anniversary present – called the 2002 Hommage – to commemorate one of its favourite fast small cars.
The brand has turned the new M2 Coupe into a 50th anniversary celebration of the 2002 model that sparked its transformation from struggling bit part player to leading premium car maker.
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The 2002 Hommage debuted at last weekend’s Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este in Italy, but BMW wasn’t talking about the car’s powertrain. Instead, it was boasting about a design that harks back to the 2002 Turbo from the seventies. “Exactly 50 years ago, the 02 range kick-started an era of success for BMW,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, senior vice-president of BMW Group Design. “This compact coupé is one of the vehicles which made the brand what it is today.”
Riding on the same wheelbase and with the same engine as the M2 Coupe, the 2002 Hommage gets short overhangs as an unabashed nod to its predecessor. A deep front splitter is shaped by three large air intakes, and the shark-nose kidney grille leans inwards at the bottom.
Controversially, it strays from modern BMW design language by discarding the usual quad lights in favour of the original 2002’s single outboard headlights. Where the old car had a full-length chrome strip, the Hommage replaces that with carbon fibre that runs around into the grille above the headlight. This breaks up the unique Space Race Metal blue paint finish, with high-gloss paint at the bottom and matt at the top. The glasshouse is unmistakably M2 and remains unchanged.
It features oversized front and rear wheelarch bulges, complete with 20-inch wheels and tyres, which hide gold-painted M brake calipers. The rear end does without a wild spoiler, but lifts up the bootlid to create downforce. Below the bumper, the quad tailpipes remain.
The latest concept follows a strong recent tradition of Hommage cars making their debuts at Villa d’Este, including last year’s CSL Hommage, the Vision Future Luxury concept in 2014 and the Grand Lusso Pininfarina collaboration in 2013.
Do you like the look of the BMW 2002 Hommage concept? Have your say in the comments...
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