The compact sporty BMW 02 series was popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s and was nicknamed 'Maruni' in Japan, which is Japanese for 'Zero-Two'. The 02 was developed to meet the high demand for 2-door models in the North American market and shared components with the BMW 1500 (known as the New Class), which was the first compact 4-door sedan produced by BMW after WWII. Due to the compact body and 100kg lighter weight, the 02 delivered excellent performance with comfort and quickly became a market success. Until the introduction of the turbo, the 2002tii launched in 1972 was the top of the line and benefited from engine tuning know-how gained from participation in European touring car racing. The 2002tii was powered by a 2L 4-cylinder SOHC engine combined with Kugelfischer mechanical injectors, which was rare at the time, to deliver 1ps/10.1kg-m (13ps/18.1kg-m) more than the 2002ti carburetor specification. With a choice of either 4-speed MT or 5-speed MT, the 2002tii reached a maximum speed of 190km/h. This model is based on the version produced in early 1973 and features the signature BMW 'kidney grille' in silver (black in later models) with stylish round tail lens (square in later models).
