Thursday 14th September 2023

Alpina 2002 tii gets restomodded, goes on sale

Another week, another actually really quite nice Manhart Classic restoration. Keep 'em coming...

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As the end of Alpina as we know it looms, so the classics are going to become even more appealing. Particularly the early BMW '02s, the first cars Burkhard Bovensiepen turned his attention to back in the 1960s and made touring car heroes of. Seemingly mindful of this, it’s the pretty little saloon that Manhart Classic has turned its attention to next. Like the Delta Integrale and E30 M3 it’s previously shown, the 2002 is very much in the restomod mould, though the overhaul is a little less extreme this time around.

Back in the day, Alpina really ramped up performance for the baby BMW, taking the 2002 (and then the tii) from 100hp all the way to 160hp with new carbs, a racier cam, bigger valves and so on. Manhart says that this one is churning out 200hp and 158lb ft, which ought to be plenty in a tonne of BMW, though it’s not clear whether that sort of power is the work of Alpina or Manhart. There’s a K&N airbox and Manhart exhaust to get the sound spot on, plus the engine is said to have been ‘completely overhauled and refurbished’, although this feels like a less involved engine upgrade than was the case for the Lancia.

Manhart has been busy elsewhere too, with bigger brakes from an E21 3 Series, KW coilovers and increased body stiffness thanks to the fitment of strut braces and what looks like a half cage in the rear. The classic Alpina multispokes fill out the flared arches - affectionately known as ‘pig’s cheeks’, which was a new one on us - thanks to 25mm spacers. The result is pretty much perfect; a lower and broader 2002 is more confident and assertive where the dainty original could never be. Green helps too, of course.

All very lovely, and surely a real treat to drive as well. Moreover, fresh from its optimisation, the Manhart Classic Alpina 2002 is now for sale, priced at €150k. Which is more even than a 2002 Turbo might now cost. On the other hand, there aren’t many 50-year-old BMWs left all, let alone ones this good. You wouldn’t bank on it staying there for long...

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• Manhart joins Delta Integrale restomod craze
• BMW 2002 Turbo | PH Heroes

[jonesey]

Lovely stuff.

[runnerbean 14]

A lovely thing, but £150K - really?

IMHO an E12 or E28 5 series is a much better starting point for a useable car - my E12 M535i even has working factory aircon and over 200 bhp in 'standard' spec, and doesn't weigh a lot more than a 2002.

[thelostboy]

Looks wonderful!

[Newbie2023]

How much of the engine is behind the axle line in a 2002? It's not conclusive from the picture with the shape of the brace but is it pretty much front mid engined?

[Volare]

Oh my, that is lovely. Although I think our very own PHer with the grey one is even nicer.

[mersontheperson]

Beautifully sympathetic, that is what I call the perfect example of a restomod.
Yes it’s expensive, but that’s comes with the territory.
Personally I would prefer a more subtle non-alpine 2002 to cruise under the radar, but that was never the Alpine way.

Love it

[smiffy77]

I’m no expert but the rear diagonal in the roll cage doesn’t look right, shouldn’t it be at a steeper angle and transfering forces into the suspension topmount area?

[911Spanker]

Truly fantastic

[carlo996]

Quite like that.

[WPA]

Lovely car but I struggle with the price, 150k is a lot really

[silvermog]

smiffy77 said:

I’m no expert but the rear diagonal in the roll cage doesn’t look right, shouldn’t it be at a steeper angle and transfering forces into the suspension topmount area?

Guess here, but maybe looks like the diagonal might be triangulating to the diff carrier or body hard point for it maybe … pity there aren't clearer pictures of the cage.

[xu5]

Newbie2023 said:

How much of the engine is behind the axle line in a 2002? It's not conclusive from the picture with the shape of the brace but is it pretty much front mid engined?

Most of the engine looks to be infront of the axle to me.

[Augustus Windsock]

Very nice, but...the 'pigs cheeks don't suit it imho, I prefer the arches fitted to the Turbo, and for an exhaust that's supposed to be 'all that, and a bag of chips' it looks like something I'd have fangled together (or at least appears that way from the rear view).
I kn ow its not like-for-like but I'd rather throw my wedge at a Turbo...

[CKY]

"Particularly the early BMW '02s, the first cars Burkhard Bovensiepen turned his attention to back in the 1960s and made touring car heroes of."

Right ok, so totally disregard the tuning kits that Alpina started releasing for the 1500/1800 Neue Klasse cars, before the 2002 was even conceived...

[dunc_sx]

xu5 said:

Newbie2023 said:

How much of the engine is behind the axle line in a 2002? It's not conclusive from the picture with the shape of the brace but is it pretty much front mid engined?

Most of the engine looks to be infront of the axle to me.

I think Newbie might be looking at it the wrong way round, the front hinged bonnet might be causing the confusion

Cheers,
Dunc

[damonbill]

Standard response for Restomod article:

Lovely, much more appealing than *new expensive supercar X*.

How expensive?!?!?!?

My *car from same brand around same time* with *unfeasibily complicated upgrades* does the same for a 1/4 of the price.

[Chunkychucky]

runnerbean 14 said:

IMHO an E12 or E28 5 series is a much better starting point for a useable car - my E12 M535i even has working factory aircon and over 200 bhp in 'standard' spec, and doesn't weigh a lot more than a 2002.

Totally agree, although somewhat biased as an E12 M535i is one of my dream cars... Do you have a thread on your ownership uploaded anywhere?


(should you feel like uploading a picture or two please do!)

[scottos]

It's great to see someone doing one and there's scope to make them every bit as good as an Alfaholics car really, they drive awesome! I feel mine is just as comprehensive, if not more, in terms of a restomod but obviously done by a peasant in his garage, rather than a big company with backing!

That said, someone can have it for half of this one if they fancy a bargain

[Hoofty]

dunc_sx said:

xu5 said:

Newbie2023 said:

How much of the engine is behind the axle line in a 2002? It's not conclusive from the picture with the shape of the brace but is it pretty much front mid engined?

Most of the engine looks to be infront of the axle to me.

I think Newbie might be looking at it the wrong way round, the front hinged bonnet might be causing the confusion

Cheers,
Dunc

The centre of the engine in an ‘02 is about 3” ahead of the front axle line (using an eyeball ruler)

Nick

[Code Black]

IMO that looks the bks!