BMW 2002 Cabriolet Papercraft Model 1:30 Scale by Ichiyama

24 Mar, 2022

BMW 2002 Cabriolet Papercraft Model by Ichiyama

BMW 2002 Cabriolet Papercraft Model

Manufacturers competed with one goal; gave birth to a car that was accepted by the market, sold a lot, and survived in the past. Preparation, long research, and a series of trials were carried out before the product was born. Then came the concept and prototype. But who would have thought there was a car that was born precisely by chance. Can't believe it? Check out the journey of the 2002 BMW which became a legendary car everywhere it was marketed.

So successful, the mass media at that time highly praised this car as a car that has character. Unfortunately, this car also gets a negative reputation as a terrorist car. Specifically the Baader-Meinhoff Gang. While fleeing, they chose to steal a 2002 BMW over any other car. Although, the negative reputation did not affect his popularity. And more importantly, this car determined the direction of BMW's design and philosophy going forward.

The story of 2020 begins when BMW wants to enter the middle-class market by making a two-door car based on the BMW 1600 sedan. The conditions must be light and sporty. The BMW 1600-2 was born. The last figure shows that this car only has two doors. At its launch in Geneva in 1966, the 1600-2 came with a shorter, more practical body and a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine delivering 84.5 hp of performance. That's great.

But in the eyes of two important people, this car is too ordinary. It is Baron Alex Von Falkenhausen, BMW's head of engine development, enjoying the 1600-2 as his daily car. He is the brains behind the legendary powerful M10 engine. It was so great that it became the driving force behind BMW's mainstay in F1 racing, which led Nelson Piquet to become the 1983 world champion with the Brabham team.

Falkenhausen's knowledge of the engine is unquestionable. So after he was sure that the 1600-2 still had room for development, he secretly replaced the heart of his car with an M10. No half-hearted, 2.0-liter version was thrown into the engine room.

The second person who got the 1600-2 office car was Helmut Werner Bonsch, BMW's director of product development at the time. In line with Falkenhausen, he was not satisfied with the performance. His position as head of product development provides access to a wide range of BMW inventory. Includes a 2.0-liter M10 engine. Again without telling anyone, this machine was installed in his car.

They only realized that they had an office car with the same engine when they happened to meet at the repair shop for routine service. From that moment, the conversation became long. Both submitted a proposal to the BMW board of directors, to produce a new version of the BMW 1600-2 with a 2.0-liter engine. Of course, with conservative-minded leadership at the time, the idea was rejected. They probably can't see what's the point of an ordinary sedan given a faster engine than being extravagant?

Persuades Salespeople

The turning point is with the arrival of Max Hoffman. Originally Austrian, but lived in New York and lived off selling expensive German cars. This is an important person in the automotive world, even if he only sells cars. Some great cars were born from the persuasion of high-ranking manufacturers. For example, Hoffman succeeded in convincing Ferdinand Porsche to make a Porsche 356 Speedster only for the United States. Mercedes-Benz was swayed by his persuasion so that the 300SL Gullwing could be marketed in his country. The two cars were then legendary. 1400 units of the 300SL sold in America, aka 80 percent of the total sales of the Gullwing. Meanwhile, the Speedster is the most sought-after item by Porsche collectors.

For BMW, Hoffman felt the need for a good model that could bring him a profit. Pas BMW is planning to make a sports car. He immediately approached the car designer and the BMW 507 was born, which was specifically made for the US market. But this time the calculations were wrong. 507 does not sell.

Now, going back to the BMW 1600-2, Hoffman thinks Americans need a BMW that is more practical than the 507 and more powerful than 1600. Plus, the 1.6-liter engine that was used couldn't meet Hoffman's strict emission rules. But the 2.0-liter M10 could even be subject to regulation. Falkenhausen and Bonsch's proposals were immediately reviewed for approval.

BMW 2002

Born 1968, BMW 2002 immediately became a hits. Its power is 99 hp, compact body, agile chassis thanks to the use of MacPherson strut suspension. During its production cycle (1968-1975), this car sold 339,092 units. One of the best-selling cars from the BMW enclosure. In addition to the two-door sedan version, there are also cabriolet and wagon variants.

Not satisfied with the standard 2002 version, the 2002ti variant was developed again, which was born six months after the standard version. It's faster because the M10 engine is tweaked to produce 110 hp. The capital is a two-barrel carburetor made by Solex. Complete with revisions to a wider wheelbase, bigger brakes, and a strengthened chassis. Sprint 0-100 km/h in 9.3 seconds.

In 1971, there was an update for the 2002ti which became the 2002tii. Not just adding the letter 'i' but its performance also jumped. The Solex carburetor was replaced by injection and the engine produced 130 hp.

But the most sought-after is the BMW 2002 Turbo. It was introduced at the 1973 Frankfurt Motor Show. This is BMW's first car to use a turbocharger. It produces 170 hp at 5,800 rpm and 240 Nm of torque. Using a 2002 tii engine with a turbocharged KK&K. Compression ratio only 6.9:1. Kugelfischer mechanical fuel injection is used.

His abilities are extraordinary. This machine can accelerate this car from rest to 100 kph in 7.0 seconds. The top speed is claimed to be 215 km/h. For such a year, this is an extraordinary achievement from a two-door car that only has a four-cylinder engine.

BMW 2002 Turbo is also the cover of this family. Only 1,672 units were built over two years which makes it one of the rare BMW cars. BMW enthusiasts also do various ways to keep this car alive. Starting from restoration to modification. Spare parts are still available today.