BMW's '2002 Hommage' concept celebrates 50 years of iconic coupes

Fifty years ago, BMW unveiled the now-iconic 2002 model and set the stage for current German sport luxury brand that we know and love today.

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It's hard to believe, but before the 2002 model, BMW wasn't really BMW. I mean, it was. But it wasn't recognized on the global stage as a style and performance brand. The 2002, specifically the turbo model, changed all of that.

In honor of that anniversary, for this years' Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, BMW created a modern interpretation of the 2002 turbo called the 2002 Hommage. The extra 'm' in homage must be for the BMW M division, I assume.

Likely based upon the new M2, the 2002 Hommage has been given the iconic BMW shark nose. Additionally, to mimic the 2002's chrome ring that runs around the car, the Hommage has a carbon fiber loop that splits the body visually into separate sections.

Designers covered the hood in matte paint, as to avoid reflecting light into the driver's eyes. And the golden headlights are more than just a way to draw the color of the painted brake calipers to the front of the car, they're meant to represent the "golden era" of BMW. Clever right?

Broadly, though, the Hommage's low and wide stance was created to achieve a car that could tackle high-speed, twisty race tracks with eagerness and poise — just like 2002 turbo.

Honestly, though I don't love the look of the Hommage, I do have to give BMW kudos for looking back to its heritage. So many brands have an eye on the tech-heavy future. It's nice to see BMW keep on eye on the autonomous future with cars like the iNext but also spend time reminiscing on its simpler past.

Hopefully, inspiration from the 2002 turbo can find its way into future production BMWs, not just wild, one-off show cars.