TITurbo

Intro

Bob Lutz launched the BMW 2002 Turbo with 170 hp, wide bodied to tackle the Autobahn. He added a front spoiler with the word Turbo in mirror script so the car ahead of it knew what was coming. Today these Turbo’s are rare and prized. The current owner bought this Turbo in 2002 and completed the restoration originally started by the prior owner. It is one of approximately 1,672 examples built during a two-year production run. It was delivered new to Bavaria Societa Importazioni e Vendite S.p.A of Verona, Italy where it was imported to Canada and then to the United States in the late 1980s.

Exterior

This BMW 2002 Turbo exterior is one of 615 painted in Polaris Silver Metallic (refinished under previous ownership) with BMW M-color stripes. Additional restoration included refurbishing the chrome elements and rear bumper assembly and replacing the Turbo decals, front lower valence air dam, fender flares, quarter window glass and frames, front grille, and light assemblies. It includes a Turbo-specific body kit, Silver 13×6″ OZ Alpina alloy wheels fitted with 205/60 Toyo Proxes RA1 tires. Exterior blemishes are highlighted in the photos.

Interior

The interior features bolstered sport bucket seats trimmed in perforated black leatherette with color-matching door panels and dash. The driver’s seat was re-padded in November 2012. A tear in the driver’s seat back upholstery is shown in the photos. Cocoa floormats are included. Additional work from February 2009 included refurbishing the heater box and replacing the center console assembly, carpets, door panels, trunk liner, heater vents, and fan motor. The cassette stereo does not work.

A red instrument panel displays VDO instrumentation including a 240-km/h speedometer, a tachometer, and a combination gauge for fuel level and coolant temperature. An analog clock and a turbo boost pressure gauge are in the center of the dashboard, while readouts for oil pressure, oil temperature, and voltage have been added in the center stack. The wiring for the speedometer and other gauges was repaired in 2009. The oil pressure light bulb needs replacement. The odometer shows 86k kilometers (~53k miles) of which approximately 2k were added by the current owner.

Mechanicals

This 1975 2002 is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four mated with Kugelfischer mechanical fuel injection. The 2.0-liter M10 inline-four is said to have been overhauled in the mid-1990s by Eric Kerman of New York. It has a Kühnle, Kopp, & Kausch turbocharger, 6.9:1 compression pistons and an auxiliary oil cooler. This engine is mated to a five-speed manual transmission with a limited-slip differential.

Stopping power comes from front discs and rear drums. The brake master cylinder was replaced in October 2002 and the brake reservoir hardware was replaced in February 2009. The seller notes that the battery was replaced in 2020, the timing and throttle linkage were adjusted, and the valve cover gasket was replaced in November 2012, and work in February 2009 included replacing the distributor cap and rotor, ignition points, spark plugs, VDO oil pressure sending unit, oil sending unit, and intake manifold hardware. Additional work in the mid-1990s included refurbishing the turbocharger and replacing the radiator, oil feed pump, oil cooler, clutch master and slave cylinders and exhaust system. Service records are included. 

Summary

This 2002 Turbo is now offered for sale by the current owner. It includes manufacturer’s literature, service records, a car cover, two sets of keys, a BMW Group Classic certificate, a spare wheelset, and a New York title in the owner’s name.