Gruppe5 Motorsport’s Working On Bonkers BMW 2002 Restomod With 803HP M5 V10

Nothing says “I’m a wealthy petrol head” better than a coach-built car, and there are still several big players covering this niche (or need, if you prefer). If you’re a BMW fan with enough money in the bank, then you’ll want to remember this name: Gruppe5 Motorsport.

The Indiana-based company has announced that it’s working on what is perhaps the most extreme BMW 2002 out there. It’s got a whopping 803 horsepower (814 PS / 599 kW) and 550 pound-feet (746 Nm) of torque produced by an E60 M5-sourced and Dinan-stroked, 5.9-liter V10, coupled to a six-speed sequential transmission. A 5.8-liter version of the S85 V10 is also being offered, with only 744 hp (755 PS / 555 kW) and 525 lb-ft (712 Nm) of torque. Both require 100-octane fuel to achieve these outputs.

Tell me more about it

They haven’t actually built it yet, but Gruppe5 said they will make 300 examples. Out of those, 200 will be offered with the smaller displacement engine and the rest with the larger unit. The project represents a collaboration with two other companies such as Bill Riley’s Riley Technologies, which provides the chassis and construction, and CarBahn Autoworks, owned by BMW tuner Steve Dinan, responsible with the engine.

Like every self-respecting extremely powerful 2002s out there… wait, there aren’t any; okay, let’s rephrase that – Gruppe5’s insane project will have 4-way adjustable push-rod racing suspension, carbon ceramic rotors, mono-bloc calipers and Bosch racing ABS developed for the Porsche Cup and IMSA GTD racers. The 19-inch wheels can be shod in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2 or Pirelli Trofeo R tires for street use, whereas the racing slicks are for the Forgeline GS1R 18-inch rims and come from Michelin.

The bonded carbon fiber body panels make for an extreme design. The car has been widened at all four corners and features a large wing at the back. It also gets different bumpers, big side skirts, new door-mounted mirrors and dual exhaust tips. The company has reshaped the grille, taillights and other parts, and has added different logos on the boot lid.

The cockpit has been stripped out of unnecessary parts and features Recaro Pole Position N.G. seats, a modern reinterpretation of the Nardi steering wheel, programmable color instrument cluster, electric air conditioning and a mandatory roll cage. The passenger compartment is lined with Dynamat to minimize noise and the floors are upholstered in woven German carpet.

When will they make one and how much will it cost?

According to Road&Track, a prototype will be built shortly after Bill Riley gets back from the 24 Hours of Le Mans next month. As for the financial part, you know the saying: if you have to ask, you probably can’t afford it. And it couldn’t be truer, as the ‘base’ model will start from $875,000 whereas the other one will burn a $975,000 hole in your pockets.

How did they get this idea?

In the 1970s, AC Schnitzer came up with a couple of 2002 Turbos for the Group 5 rally, hence the company’s name too, so they want to recapture the essence of those vehicles with a modern and very powerful twist.