Future SCCA President Nick Craw was among those to relish the performance of the 2002, winning the BFGoodrich Challenge with this Miller & Norburn-run production racer in 1973.
Future SCCA President Nick Craw was among those to relish the performance of the 2002, winning the BFGoodrich Challenge with this Miller & Norburn-run production racer in 1973.
BMW’s Motorsport Heritage #8 Turbo Touring: The 2002, 1968-1977 by Andrew Crask; illustrated by Paul Laguette
By the late 1960s, BMW’s trusty 1500-2000 sedan series was due for a replacement. This took the form of the 2002, a classic design that introduced turbocharging to the touring car arena. Although it began its competition life in a factory effort, the 2002 is perhaps best remembered for its long and successful career in the hands of independent teams and race car tuners.
Introduced in 1968, the 2002 became a prime contender immediately in the European Touring Car Championship. While maintaining previous BMW characteristics with a four-cylinder engine located in the front of the car, and an independent trailing arm rear suspension, the 2002 offered a 400-lb weight saving over the previous 2000TI, as well as a lower profile and superior aerodynamics. Roll bars at the front and rear provided more scope for suspension adjustment.
The first 2002 destined for European Group 3 touring was powered by a fuel-injected DOHC power plant that produced 210hp, yielding a top speed near 140mph. This was still under the power figures enjoyed by Porsche 911s, but BMW factory driver Dieter Quester rolled to the European title anyway, scoring two wins and compiling an unassailable finishing record.
Even so, it was determined that a significant power boost was needed for the following year, so for ’69 the 2002 touring cars were fitted with turbochargers, raising output to some 290hp and top speeds to 155mph. The makeover transformed the 2002 from giant-killer to top dog, as the works cars won six of 10 races and Quester repeated as series champion.
While the factory cars trampled their European opposition, privateer 2002s were changing the competition landscape in American racing. From 1968 to ’72, they provided a dramatic contrast to the Detroit iron dominating the SCCA Trans-Am. Among 2002 drivers was future SCCA President Nick Craw, who went on to win the 1973 BFGoodrich Radial Challenge Series with a production-spec 2002. Craw, indeed, has won more American races in a BMW than anyone else.
The 2002s also made their mark in international rallying, becoming regular contenders in private hands from 1969 on. Few factory resources were allocated to rallying, however, and Achim Warmbold’s victory in the ’72 Portuguese Rally would be the model’s only World Championship triumph.
While the factory turned away from European touring car racing with the 2002 after 1969, the model remained in production until 1975 and private development of racing variants continued past that time. The most dramatic example of these was built by touring car engineering ace Josef Schnitzer for the 1977 German national touring series. It featured a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine that cranked out 400hp at 9,000rpm, which rocketed the Schnitzer 2002 to 160mph!
A quarter-century later, 2002s are still adding to their performance pedigree. Modest running costs, reliability and zesty performance keep them popular among club racers in both Europe and America, expanding the car’s legend to a new generation.
