In 2009 a guy called Rob Dickinson looked at the Porsche parts shelf and decided to build the ultimate 911. He took a 964 chassis, a body made of carbon fiber, a traditional air cooled engine and lots of modern technology. The Singer 911 Reimagined was born, and with it the restomod scene.

So with this philosophy I want to create the ultimate BMW. It will be loosely based on the 02-Series but with retro-modern design and M2 measurements. There will be a six-speed manual transmission with short gearing coupled to a small displacement inline six (think M54 but higher revving). Weight will be around a ton and horsepower will be "just enough". Obviously I will make it RWD and without driving aids.

I actually drive something (kinda) similar IRL, so I will try to make a realistic handling model.

Here is a screenshot right after I started modeling. Front sort of resembles the final product, everything else is just thrown on to make a complete "box".

This will be the final shape (missing details obviously). I wanted to keep the sharp lines of the 70's and 80's intact, while adding some retro-futuristic elements of the early 2000's. It has the typical, wide M-Car fenders mixed with some chrome elements to resemble the original 02-Series.

I tried to keep the window line relatively parallel to the ground and instead "slanted" the whole car forward to keep the design dynamic. I dislike the extremely wedged design of today's BMWs (esp. the new 1-Series).

This is the first time I'm doing a car with a roof and interior, so I have no idea how to integrate the interior into the model without overcomplicating things. But so far it drives really well and the exterior design is coming along well.

Here are a few screenshots of it doing M-Car things. The new M2's color suits it well...

Right now I'm trying to design the tail lights. I have two designs which I don't like

They are both inspired by the original 02. The Pokeball-shaped ones are apparently more desirable for collectors, the square ones are more common. Any suggestions?

It's common knowledge that you can put any Y-spoke wheel on any BMW and it will look really good. So I decided to ignore this and designed a retro-looking centerlock wheel. It's inspired by early cast/forged magnesium wheels with very visible reinforcement ribs and large flat areas.

Panel gaps are added aswell and I have a placeholder interior.

I made some more progress on the exterior. The lights are now functional and the overall shape is finalised. The front has been reworked to include elements of the E30, a visible intercooler and larger M-style vents. The rear still needs some work, as I am not happy with the lights and the bumper area needs more detail.

I also made progress in the interior. The upper dashboard is inspired by the 02, while the lower parts are closer to the F87. There is a functional (retractable with gauges) iDrive system and a "climate control" display (gears and clock, just for looks).

Not gonna lie, this is easily the 10th time I've redesigned the rear. Now I really like it and I think it represents the 02-Series well while bringing something new to the table. There MAYBE will be a configuration with the "old" rear end and square taillights.

Engine, drivetrain and physics are mostly done as well, so here are some stats:
I have decided to build a low pressure turbo engine (like the N54) that should feel like a naturally aspirated one (which is what BMW had in mind aswell). Power is at 300hp and torque is at 314Nm, so pretty much nothing happens below 4000RPM. This engine is hungry for revs. The turbo just makes cool noises.
I kept the manual/RWD setup, but decided to add TC and ABS so mouse players can have fun too.
The suspension setup is a classical McPherson/double wishbone design with roadworthy travel. I increased the weight to around 1200kg, since there are a lot of luxury features.

This is probably the right time to announce a track version. So if you don't like chrome, weight or tires with tread on them, watch this topic!

Some interior detail. There are 3 custom color zones, so don't worry about the grandpa styling, you can change it. I actually like a brown and tan interior

Remember this?

I expected the review process to take longer than two days
This car is still missing a bunch of features I wanted to implement, so I planned to publish it in a month or so. Since it all went quicker than expected, I want to be fair and give my supporters access to the unfinished car (or just leave me a message, so I can give you custom access, as long as I don't get too many...).

Also, I made two new configs., one with chrome and retro-wheels and one with modern y-spokes.

Quote from LE_TANCKER :

I expected the review process to take longer than two days ...

Usually, when there is a proper WIP thread, reviews are much faster. Probably, it is much easier to check the legal side of the model. Nice work, those tails reminds me of the first Cortina

Quote from stuchlo :

Usually, when there is a proper WIP thread, reviews are much faster. Probably...

Now that you say it, I see a similarity
As far as I know we never got the Cortina in Germany, waaaay before my time anyway... I actually stole that design right from the '02 "Roundie". Note how the Bimmer only has two chrome elements to separate the lights:

I've filled some gaps and cleaned up some geometry. The "Modern" config. now has a different bodykit and a black roof to better fit the wheels. Some interior details (most of them in the back) have been reworked.

Only the third custom skin remains on my to-do list. I've got some IRL car-problems right now but i should find enough time to finish the public version this weekend.

3rd skin is done now. It's inspired by this E30 group A rally car.



I made a rally setup aswell and will add a config with extra lights and mudflaps.

I've been occupied with IRL stuff the last few weeks, so progress is slow. Here are some early screenshots of the faster version. It will be called "COMPETITION" or "CLUBSPORT". It's the sort of car a privateer would buy for a one-brand racing series.


The engine has been retuned for even more top-end, so you really have to shift after 5000RPM to have any fun. Turbo lag has been nearly removed thanks to an antilag-system (you can at least hear it in-game) and a water jet in front of the intercooler for high demand situations.
Track and tires are both a bit wider now, but I have kept it at a reasonable level. Suspension has been adjusted a little, since rallycross is now out of the picture. The travel is lower and camber changes less throughout the range of motion.
The car has been on a diet to lose around 200kg, eventhough it has a bigger fuel tank. After these changes I moved everything around a bit and decided to optimize the driving position. The driver's seat is very low and central, which should give you touring car flair on every lap. A nice side product of all these changes is a perfect weight distribution and a lower COG.

Visual changes include wider fenders, a carbon roof and a different bodykit (WIP). The interior has been reworked around the driver. Every panel below the car's shoulderline has been removed or replaced with something lighter. I wanted all the controls to feel interactive and functional, so many switches and lights actually work. You will see the ABS dial flicker if you brake too hard and the adjustable TC will warn you if the car starts to slide. With the car's extremely long steering column everything had to come further back for good visibility, so you can actually see most of the dashboard. A rollcage will be available in three colors.

There will be an update on the technical specs of the mod when it's ready for review.

Trying to publish right now, but the smoothbrained server can't handle the upload of a single 800KB screenshot

E: Nevermind, it suddenly found it's last two braincells. Let's fu**ing gooo!

I added a more aggressive diffusor and a side exit exhaust. BMW are actually really inconsistent when it comes to exhaust placement, the "hot" side of the engine seems to switch with every model year... I decided to make it the driver's side, since the F20 variations were made that way.

Dude I love your work, keep it up, u have a feeling.
Sure enough, I can see flaws here and there in the model design, but it's ok, am quite sure next mods will be better and better.

It is so rare to have interesting custom designs, u dare play with the holy BMW's, and most people here wont drive that mod because it's not an official model, some would even burn you, naked, at the stake for blasphemy. Just let them dry on the tarmac, they may learn, later.

You are now sitting in my amazing mod authors list, along with stuchlo, houssem, flame and some other I forget.

Quote from turbofan :

Dude I love your work, keep it up, u have a feeling...

Thanks for the kind words, dude!
I'm always trying to improve my process, but (as you can see) I'm far from a professional 3D-modeler. However, there are a few project ideas on my mind right now, and I'm hoping to improve quality for those while still updating my current designs. Also I don't really care if some fanboys are offended by my re-interpretations of iconic cars. So, if you want to give me bad ratings, bring it on

The issue is (if you can call it that ) I've been quickly recovering from my injuries over the last few months, so the priorities have changed, of course. Since I have regained more or less full use of both my arms and hands, I can finally hit the gym and spend time on two wheels again. There are a few IRL car mods and repairs scheduled aswell, so together with my full-time work I don't have too much time for sim-racing.

I have noticed that there seems to be a lot of support from the community, so I will try to clear up a few hours on the weekend to do some work on my mods. But you can expect much slower progress on my projects.

Lastly, I want to thank all my supporters so far. I will be back soon with more updates!