The 2002 Hommage concept pays tribute to BMW's most important car

Before the M3, before the 3 Series, BMW sold the world on compact sports sedans with the 02 Series — a line of cars that traces its heritage all the way back to 1966. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first 02 off the line, BMW just unveiled the 2002 Hommage concept car at Villa d'Este in Lake Como, Italy.

The styling is a little polarizing, but there's little question that you can see elements of those early compacts: the single headlamps, the short overhangs, the aggressive stance. This is an angry little car. And it's based on the new M2, which you can kind of tell, if you squint your eyes. Considering that the M2 is being almost universally lauded as a great little sports coupe, that's great news.

Like BMW's other Hommage concepts, you shouldn't expect the 2002 Hommage to make it to production. But if you want to bite off a little slice of it, place an order for an M2, and take heart knowing that BMW still thinks about the 2002 from time to time.