The Chamonix white perfectly compliments both items, being inoffensive and vintage. That’s one of the reasons why, looking at the pictures, it seems that we’re back in the ‘70s, when the cars had a truly beautiful silhouette, and were built from more metal and less plastic than these days.

The 2002’s story is narrated by its owner, which also restored it: Jeff Tighe. In this condition, it values $55.000. Useless to say – it’s perfectly preserved. Outside – it’s restored to the original look. There’s also this pair of fog lamps, which adds style to the front grille.

Inside, the Recaros bring the luxury of our days into the ‘70s atmosphere, without being too intrusive. The black, perforated leather floods the seats and the door cards, while the bucket seats keeps the driver in position, during the tight corners. Wood trim, steering wheel and shift knob adds color in this sea of black, while the chromed elements bring a touch of sportiveness.

There’s a lot of sportiveness under the hood, though. The old, but charming original powertrain has been replaced by a much more powerful E30 M3 engine, boosting 195 PS from a 2.3 liter displacement. If equipping the E30 generation, it accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds, reaching a maximum speed of 235 km/h (146 mph), you can imagine what it can do placed in this tiny coupe…

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And it’s exactly our kind of car: not too flashy, but definitely a good looking car! It’s modified as much as it should, maintaining most of the original parts and adding a few extras that fit flawlessly. And it’s done exactly in time to enjoy the summer sun passing through its sunroof.

The car is owned by Blaz Tomanzin, an enthusiast car lover from Slovenia. He restored it carefully, to bring back its original aspect from 1973. The whole process of bringing the model to life took one year. It was filled with joy, but the biggest reward is now, that everything is in its place. And what a reward!

The color Blaz chose is the original Baltic Blue. The legendary 635 CSI looks astonishing painted like this, but the color looks equally good on this 2002. Just like the car, it’s not ostentatious at all and it’s as original as the car’s condition.

Onboard, the combination of leather and fabric looks spectacular and, same time, keeps the original aspect. Adding a wooden steering wheel and gearstick knob brings the whole atmosphere in the luxury side. That’s the best thing to do: make it simple, yet exquisite.

To make the 15 inch polished BBS rims look perfect, Blaz replaced the original suspension with a new kit, which has been tuned to achieve the perfect balance between the aggressive stance and the best performance.

This is, without any doubt, the best 2002 I’ve ever seen!

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In the beginning, it was a BMW 2002 from 1972. Originally, it has been equipped with a fuel-injected engine, delivering 130 hp. In its original form, the car managed to reach a top speed of 185 km/h (115 mph).

Then, its engine had been replaced with a newer, more impressive E30 M3. In its Evolution version, the engine develops 217 hp and 245 Nm @ 4750 rpm, being produced in only 500 items. When it equipped the original M3, the 2.3 liter powertrain boosted the car to 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds, reaching a top speed of 240 km/h. The actual performance figures of 2002 are unknown.

However, though it’s the most important change, the engine replacement isn’t the only modification. The car got rid of any useless accesory: the floor mats and carpet, the central console, the rear seats, the trunk carpet…nothing that could add weight is on the car anymore.

Other elements that couldn’t be thrown away were replaced with new, lighter ones. It’s the steering wheel’s case, replaced with a sportier Raid and the original seats’, which have been replaced with bucket seats.

The body was also modified using a wider kit from Zender. All the four steroidal fenders leave enough room for the hugely wide wheels, while the front apron keeps the car to the ground at high speeds. The same purpose for the gigantic rear wing.

Though it’s ready to race, the car is street legal, as the owner says. Or, should I say, the ex-owner, as the car has been already sold on ebay. We don’t know the final price – but we know that the asking price was €17.900 (about $24.900) which, giving the modifications, explains why it was sold so quick.

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Fact is, I don’t know if I should like or hate it, as there are plenty good things thrown in with the bad.

It is nice that the owner decided to put in a 5.0 liter V8 engine taken from a Mustang, and the overall condition of the vehicle seems good. It even has limited slip differential and hydraulic steering, and the BMW 2002’s engine has a nice round sound to it, so you shouldn’t expect it to give out in a middle of an intersection.

On the other hand, I tend to think that the owner is lacking slightly in styling taste… to put it mildly. The combination of a green bottom half and wood-panel brown on the top is just repelling, and the interior has been stripped of all that could provide pleasure. While the Recaro seats are indeed a nice touch, their color in combination with the orange interior would make me always speed just to avoid curious looks.

The exhausts, while providing a decent soundtrack, are way too “bling” for its own good, but if you like a peculiar BMW 2002, this might just be yours.

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