Gruppe5 can turn your classic 2002 into a beast.
It doesn’t take a BMW enthusiast to appreciate the classic 2002 as the road racing and cool runabout it was. It is a beloved icon in the world of performance motoring, still a popular choice. The Gruppe5 Motorsport team is a good example. They are currently looking for your 1968-1975 BMW 2002 in order to make it a road-legal beast of epic proportions. The Gruppe5 2002 is the name of the project. If the statistics in the press release are true, then hold on to your hats , kidneys, because this thing will go crazy in every direction.
The donor car is disassembled and rebuilt from the ground up. The build includes a healthy infusion of carbon fiber and steel to increase strength and reduce weight. To ensure street legal GT cars are still track compliant, the proper equipment is required to meet FIA safety protocols. This exterior treatment gives the 2002 plucky a tough, wide body look. However, it also allows for larger rubber to provide better grip in corners and under acceleration.
That grip is crucial because the original 2.0-liter four cylinder has been replaced by a V10 from the E60 BMW M5. The engine can be boosted to 5.8 Liters to produce 744 horsepower (555kilowatts). A 5.9-liter engine with 803 horsepower (599 kW), is also available. This is still a car that weighs in at 2,200 pounds, according to Gruppe5. It also produces 2,400 pounds of downforce. So at speed, it should really stick to corners. If you’re brave enough, you can even roll onto the throttle.All of this sounds fantastic, and we would be waving the Vaporware flag right away if it weren’t for those involved in this endeavor. Hardcore racers may recognize Riley Technologies as the manufacturer of Daytona Prototypes, which were quite dominant in Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. Steve Dinan, a long-time enthusiast of fast BMWs, will be familiar with his company CarBahn Autoworks. It’s easy to guess which group will be responsible for the chassis and suspension and which one will modify the engine.
The price of the conversion has not been disclosed, but it is believed that 300 cars will be converted. 200 cars will need to make it through using the Dinan-tuned 744 horsepower engine, while 100 will be running the 803-hp unit. Gruppe5 Motorsport has also been confirmed to be accepting orders and plans to start production this summer.