800-HP Turbo Widebody BMW 2002 Is a SEMA Delight
George Dalmakis’ widebody BMW 2002 has stolen the spotlight at SEMA before. Here’s what makes it so special.
The BMW 2002 is one of the most coveted collector’s items in the world, and a testament to its popularity is this Single Turbo widebody model which was showcased at the SEMA week last year, and was in the Builder’s Showcase this year. This custom-built 2002 went viral on social media as soon after it was unveiled, which is not surprising considering that it was inspired by the work of Guildford-based concept artist Khyzyl Saleem.
George Dalmakis is the proud owner of this widebody BMW 2002 that started life as a 1973 E10 model. George started working on the project back in January 2019 and explains that it was a daunting task as the car remained neglected for several years. George managed to complete the build in just ten months, which is impressive considering the sheer number of custom parts that went into this widebody Beemer.
All modifications done to the car are bespoke, and components like the fiercely wide wheel arches, the rear diffuser, the front spoiler, and even the side extenders are all made out of steel. George has confirmed that he built the car with the sole purpose of showcasing it at the 2019 SEMA Show.
The car is powered by a heavily-modified S55 motor that was sourced from a 2017 BMW M4. George enlisted the services of Chassis Stop to build a tubular platform that could accommodate the heavily modified motor. Chassis Stop constructed the new platform around the engine and installed E9x subframes.
Australian company Custom Plenum Creations built the carbon fiber intake manifold for the motor based on 3D-design briefs shared by George and his team back in Canada. Some of the other performance upgrades made to the powerplant include a twin-scroll BorgWarner 8374 turbocharger, a custom port injection system, and a bespoke cooling and exhaust system designed by Vibrant Performance. George claims that his souped-up 3.0-liter S55B30 straight-six motor can produce almost 800 BHP of power.
The car rides on a set of 17-inch BBS Motorsport E55 center-lock wheels which were made to order like the rest of the ensemble. The rims at the front are 10 inches wide, whereas those at the rear are 12 inches wide and all four wheels are wrapped in Toyo’s R888R tires.