With so many strange and unusual new BMW designs, it’s nice to get back to the classics, the cars that started it all for BMW. And there aren’t many more important BMWs than the 2002, the car that practically created the sport sedan segment we know today. In this new video from Piston Heads, you get to check out one of their readers’ cars, a stunning BMW 2002 tii dream car.

The BMW 2002 tii started out life as a humble two-door, 2.0-liter, rear-wheel drive sport sedan (it really was more of a two-door sedan than a coupe, due its its roofline and rear seat headroom). It wasn’t particularly fast back in its day, though it was quick enough to be fun. However, it prioritized nimble handling, communicative steering, and an engine that was smooth, refined, and loved to rev. It was the car that eventually became the 3 Series, thus creating the segment so many cars compete in today.

This specific BMW 2002 tii is modified but tastefully and beautifully. It’s the sort of classic restomod most enthusiasts can only dream of. Well, at least, the end result is. It took a ton of work to get into the condition it’s in now and it started out as more of a mechanical nightmare. When the owner first bought it, it lacked an engine, was rusty, and had countless other issues.

However, the owner put a ton of heart and soul into the restomod. Not only did he put a functioning engine in it but he actually built the engine himself. All said and done, the little 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine makes about 180 horsepower and 160 lb-ft of torque, which is a massive bump from the stock car. It’s also a lot of power for something so small and light. With a custom exhaust, it also sounds fantastic. It also has a dog-leg manual transmission, something that was quite rare at the time and likely fun to drive.

As far as BMW 2002 restomods go, this is one of the coolest we’ve seen. Not only does it look great, it doesn’t break too far away from the original ethos of the 2002, which was to be a small, lightweight, fun little car that wasn’t obsessed with power or performance.