When BMW first launched their 2002 model in the late 60s, it’s unlikely they ever imagined somebody would fit a 400 horsepower V8 underneath its bonnet.
Then again, the title of this video is “Dream Build”, where the dream was to get this 2002 Bimmer to accept the S62 V8 engine from a 2001 E39 M5.
Now that the build is ready, the owner of the car thought fit to talks us through everything that went into this project and how this car differs from your regular 2002 model, even though you might not know it just by looking at it.
For starters, a lot of mechanical changes were made in order to help this car handle all the extra muscle. So despite it looking mostly stock, some major underbody reinforcement took place, while a Nissan 240SX “donated” its front and rear suspension to help the cause. Other mods include brand new fenders, new doors, a new quarter panel, rear tail section, basically a lot of changes that thankfully didn’t do much to alter the car’s appearance.
Inside, you’ll find Recaro seats, a momo steering wheel, custom gauge cluster and some nice white contrast stitching all over the black leather.
Earlier this year, we saw Jay Leno drive a 1976 BMW 2002 with an S14 M power unit, from a 1989 BMW M3. It’s safe to say this one here is way quicker.
