Tesla-Swapped BMW 2002 Is The Coolest Car On The Nurburgring Right Now

Mar. 31, 2022 6:12 AM ET byChase Bierenkoven Electric Vehicles /1 Comment

Interestingly, some BMW parts made the final cut.

We've heard a lot more about resto-modded classic cars featuring these newfangled electric motors of late. Just a few days ago, wediscussed a Tesla-powered BMW E9 "Batmobile"pushing 450 horsepower thanks to the drivetrain from aTesla Model S. In that piece, we said that the E9 was rarer than any BMW M3, 2002, or Z8. While that's true, it doesn't make the example you see here - a BMW 2002te powered by Tesla motors - any less cool. And yes, we're fairly sure the owner, Nicolas, is very aware that the "te" in "2002te" now stands for Tesla to everyone who sees the car.

This EV swap is a bit different from that E9 we saw a few short days ago because this 2002 isn't all Tesla underneath. In fact, it keeps some things in the family, like the battery pack from aBMW i3. The drivetrain uses a 120-kilowatt Tesla font drive unit mounted at the back of the car. According to Nicolas, that's to help give the rear tires a little more grip, like howthe rear-engine Porsche 911keeps weight over the wheels. More impressively, the car is fully TUV-certified in its native Germany, as shown by the "E" license plate. The 2002te is still incredibly light, so it only needs 161 hp from that Tesla motor to get and stay moving.

Nicolas told Misha Charoudin that under ideal conditions, he's seeing right around 124 miles (200 km) of range. Not bad for a road-legal weekend toy. However, Nicolas does say that the stock brakes need to be changed, as they simply aren't holding up to the boosted power output. After those brakes get upgraded, Nicolas hopes he'll be able to push the power output up to a healthier 200 hp.

Nicolas has had a thing for BMWs for quite some time. He's one of those people who came out of the womb Hot Wheel in hand. So when he moved from his native Columbia to Germany, you bet it was to work for BMW. Clearly, that love for BMWs has stood the test of time. Hopefully, given its electric powertrain, this particular 2002te will as well.