Autoblog

BMW M2 created by marrying 2002 with M3 drivetrain

Michael Harley — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:42:00 EST

Marc Norris, owner of the Bavarian Workshop in Southern California, recently built a lucky customer their very own BMW "M2" by combining the chassis of an iconic mid-1970s BMW 2002 with BMW's celebrated race-bred S14 engine from a late-1980s BMW E30 M3.

Dropping the high-revving 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine under the hood wasn't an issue, but Norris was forced to make a custom cradle for the transmission and new drive shafts so everything would fit. While the crew was in there, they boxed the chassis for additional strength and upgraded the suspension with custom coil-overs at all four corners. Wilwood brakes and Alpina wheels complete the mechanical package. The interior features Recaro buckets, stolen from an early-1980s E21 320i, and plenty of perforated Nappa leather.

Norris says the 200-horsepower screamer drives like an early M3, but the lighter platform is about a second quicker in the sprint to 60 miles per hour - figure just over five seconds.

This stunning restoration is a one-of-a-kind project, but Bavarian Workshop can build you one too. As owner Norris says with a smile, "...no problem, all it takes is money." Yeah, lots of it. Watch for yourself below.

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BMW M2 created by marrying 2002 with M3 drivetrain originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW 02 Series mini-documentary makes us fall in love all over again

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Coupe, Sedan, Performance, Videos, BMW, Luxury

BMW's current reputation of building Ultimate Driving Machines can be traced back through history all the way to 1966, when the German automaker introduced the world to its 1600-2 two-door at the Geneva Motor Show. The car's name was simplified in 1971 to BMW 1602, and it went on to spawn the 2002, one of the most famous BMW models of all time.

BMW looks back on its past successes in a video that you can see below. As the automaker itself says in the video description, "This series was extraordinarily successful in reinterpreting the concept of the sports saloon and played a major role in motor sport long after production had come to an end." The 2002 would be replaced in 1975 by another legendary model from BMW: the 3 Series.

We'd be lying if we said we didn't long for something along the lines of the classic 2002 from BMW today. Since that doesn't seem likely to happen anytime soon, join us in remembering the cars that helped make BMW a household name by scrolling down below.

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BMW 02 Series mini-documentary makes us fall in love all over again originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 24 Mar 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch Petrolicious beautifully profile the Targa California

Zach Bowman — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Videos

In terms of classic car rallies, the Targa California is a fairly young event. In it's fourth running, the event is a NASA-sanctioned, non-competitive rally that features classic machinery from 1975 and earlier on a jaunt through some of central California's most beautiful countryside. The three-day event is open to any make and model, right down to vintage pickups, so this is our kind of party. The crew from Petrolicious Productions captured this year's batch of drivers as they wound through the dirt roads and rolling coastline.

The five-minute clip is loaded to the brim with beautiful machinery, from BMW 2002 racers to classic Porsche 911 and 914 models, as well as more than a few Jaguar E-Type and Alfa Romeo participants. From the looks of things, if it's cool, it's in the Targa California. With excellent camerawork and plenty of drool-worthy tin, the video is well worth your time. Check it out below. You can also head over to the Targa California site for more information.

Continue reading Watch Petrolicious beautifully profile the Targa California

Watch Petrolicious beautifully profile the Targa California originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 07 Oct 2012 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cars I See stays with BMW for its second episode

Dan Roth — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 18:57:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Videos, BMW

Frazer Spowart told the story of a devoted BMW E30 owner in the first installment of Cars I See. Now for the second episode, the subject is a 1972 BMW 2002 that's lavished with love by Patrick Burns, who's BMW affliction is inherited from his father Wendell. There's forty years of soul in Patrick's car, and it's a driver.

The inevitable blemishes are part of the car's personality, though, and one of the things Patrick enjoys is picking up more stories from the people he encounters when he's out with his distinctive silver 2002. It's a another well-told story where the car, while playing a central role, is but a vehicle for fostering deeper human connections. Scroll down to watch Episode 2 of Cars I See.

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Cars I See stays with BMW for its second episode originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW 2002 makes for one unique rat rod [w/video]

Zach Bowman — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Classics, Coupe, Performance, Etc., BMW, Design/Style

The enthusiast world typically falls into two camps: those who love rat rods and those that loathe them. As with every corner of automotive world, not all rats are created equally, but we tend to find ourselves firmly rooted in the former camp more often than not. That's especially true when we catch a glimpse of something as perfectly blasphemous as this BMW 2002. Crafted by the twisted minds at Atlanta Performance and Fabrication, the car actually started life as a running, driving round-taillight 2002 that owner John Lee had owned since high school.

During a slow day at the shop, Lee rolled the car in, busted out the plasma cutter and got to work with parts just collecting dust in the garage. After crafting a frame from spare tubing, the suspension went together using coilovers from a C5 Chevrolet Corvette, a steering rack from a Cobalt SS and control arms from a derelict Panoz racer. While not originally a right-hand drive car, Lee swapped things around to accommodate the newer components. The rat Bimmer even uses a roof-mounted shifter for reasons that remain unclear.

APF keeps the lights on with Corvette modification and small-block conversions, so it's no surprise power comes from an LS1 V8 bolted to a TH350 automatic gearbox. Throw in a set of custom fabbed headers and you have the beast above. Scroll down to watch a quick video of the BMW 2002 rat rod coming to life for the first time (Warning: there's some brief foul language), then head over to the StanceWorks forums for the full build thread.

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BMW 2002 makes for one unique rat rod [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More Reports: Next BMW 1 Series could spawn Super Sport version

Noah Joseph — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 13:58:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, BMW, Rumormill

You can't please everybody. Customers complain that the current BMW 1 Series is too small, while others say it's too heavy. Some want it to offer more space, while others want it to be sportier. You can't please everybody, but BMW is evidently going to try.

Although the next version of the compact 1 Series is expected, as most new models are, to grow in size, BMW is also reportedly planning a lightweight two-door sport model. Referred to in the interim as the 1 Series Super Sport (to avoid confusion with the original mid-engine M1 exotic), the hot 1 would be a spiritual successor to the '60s-era 2002 (pictured above) and the original '80s-era M3. Motivation could be provided by a turbo- or supercharged four-cylinder driving as much as 300 horsepower through a dual-clutch gearbox, coupled with all the electronic bells and whistles of modern day BMWs for a 0-60 sprint in five seconds flat. With those kind of stats, we hope this is one of those rumors that turns out to be true.

[Source: AutoBild via Motor Authority]

More Reports: Next BMW 1 Series could spawn Super Sport version originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Confirmed: BMW working on 4 cylinder turbo, may come to U.S.

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 07:28:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Sedan, Government/Legal, Green, I.C.E., BMW

Click above for high-res photo gallery of the BMW Concept 1 Series tii

Rumors of a new four cylinder engine from BMW have been confirmed by BMW's North American leader Jim O'Donnell. Questions on whether it will be offered in the United States, though, are still very much in the air. "We can't really confirm or deny when it is going to come into the US, or if it is going to come into the US, until after the election and the government makes it clear what is going to be the platform that manufacturers have got to work to," says O'Donnell. It really seems so simple to us. If an automaker has a new engine that offers both good performance and good fuel economy, it should be offered in the U.S. market.

Granted, the last effort to sell four-cylinder Bimmers in the States didn't go over so well. But BMW's reputation was earned first by cars like the 2002, which was motivated by a sprightly little four-banger. Considering the fact that BMW owns the MINI brand, the automaker should know better than anyone else that Americans are now willing to spend a good deal of money on small cars with small engines. We'll gladly support a revival of the tii badge on a lightweight 1 Series platform powered by a nice turbo four.

Gallery: BMW Concept 1 Series tii

[Source: BimmerFile]

Confirmed: BMW working on 4 cylinder turbo, may come to U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Sep 2008 07:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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