The BMW 2002 is fast becoming a modern classic. The boxy little model from Bavaria is the car that laid the groundwork for what would eventually become the 3 Series. In its day the BMW 2002 was quite the little sportscar, with various high-performance models on offer from BMW and tuners. But none were as radical as this Gruppe5 2002 V10.

Click here to read about another modern-take on the BMW 2002.

V10 power

The project called Gruppe5 2002 is a collaboration among a few top fabricators and BMW specialists in the US. The team is setting out to build one of the fastest street-legal GT Class cars in the World.

Although it is based on a BMW 2002 the Gruppe5 2002 will feature a carbon-fibre body wrapped around a steel unibody. Thanks to the lightweight skin the car will tip the scales a just under a ton. Grupp5 claims that its creation will develop over 1,1 tons of downforce.

The company will make 200 cars fitted with a 5,8 L S85 BMW V10 making 555 kW at 8 200 r/min and 712 N.m of peak torque at 5 800 r/min. If that sounds a bit weedy to you, then there is an even more powerful version. The 5,9 L S85 V10 version will be limited to 100 units. Peak power is rated as 600 kW at 8 400 r/min with 745 N.m of torque at 6 200 r/min. Power will be sent to the rear wheels through an Xtrac six-speed sequential transaxle controlled via paddle shifters.

In their own words

“We designed the Gruppe5 2002 to deliver unparalleled performance in all respects,” said Bill Riley on of the project collaborators. “Riley Technologies has been building winning racecars for 60 years and is excited for our first street car venture. We’re proud to call the Gruppe5 2002 a Riley car.”

The inspiration for the Gruppe5 2002 is the 1972 BMW 2002tii owned by Gruppe5 Motorsport Founder, Tom Zajac. It served as his daily driver and weekend warrior for Showroom Stock racing in the early 80s. “Collaborating with motorsport legends, Bill and Bob Riley and Steve Dinan to make my vision a reality is the privilege of a lifetime,” said Tom Zajac.

Steve Dinan, CEO of Carbahn Autoworks, and founder of the largest BMW tuner in North America and BMW NA designated factory race engine builder said, “I’m excited to be a part of this passion project with Gruppe5 Motorsport. Combined, we’re a team of talented engineers that all want to build something truly amazing to drive.”