What if BMW brought the spirit of the legendary 3.0 CSL back to life using a modern M2? Riverti Automobili has explored exactly that idea, transforming the BMW M2 G87 with an entirely new carbon-fiber body inspired by some of the most iconic BMWs of the 1970s.
The Italian company is taking the familiar M2 in a very different direction. Rather than adding another conventional aerodynamic package, Riverti Automobili has created a completely new body that combines the technology and proportions of a modern BMW M car with the visual character of BMW’s classic performance models.
A Different Take on the BMW M2 G87
Since its debut, the BMW M2 G87 has attracted plenty of attention for its bold and muscular design. Riverti Automobili takes that aggressive foundation and moves it in a completely different direction.
The new bodywork has been developed from scratch, retaining the modern proportions of the G87 while introducing much more classic shapes. The result is a BMW M2 that looks considerably closer to the sporting coupes of the 1970s than the standard production car.
The transformation goes considerably further than a conventional body kit. Riverti Automobili has developed an entirely new carbon-fiber body, allowing the company’s designers to reshape the visual character of the M2 and create a much stronger connection with BMW’s past.
Inspired by the BMW 3.0 CSL and 2002 Turbo
The most obvious reference is the legendary BMW 3.0 CSL, based on the iconic E9 coupe. Riverti Automobili does not attempt to recreate the classic car literally, however. Instead, the project borrows elements of its design language and adapts them to the wider and more muscular proportions of the modern M2.
The front end is perhaps where the connection with classic BMWs becomes most obvious. Round headlights replace the sharper lighting signature of the G87, while the slimmer kidney grilles give the car a distinctly old-school appearance.
The 3.0 CSL is not the only BMW from the past that can be seen in the design. Elements of the BMW 2002 Turbo also appear in the project, particularly in the compact proportions and the interpretation of the front end. The result is not a replica of either car, but rather a modern interpretation of the design language that defined BMW’s performance cars during the 1970s.
Classic BMW Details, Reinterpreted
The new body introduces several distinctive elements that immediately change the character of the G87. The round headlights, slim kidney grilles and dramatically widened fenders give the car a much more classic appearance, while the muscular stance keeps it firmly rooted in the modern BMW M era.
READ MORE: BMW 3.0 CSL: The Rebirth of a Legend for the 50th Anniversary of M
At the rear, the large spoiler provides another clear reference to the 3.0 CSL and its unmistakable motorsport-inspired appearance. Combined with the wider bodywork and revised proportions, it gives the M2 a silhouette that would be difficult to achieve with a conventional aftermarket aerodynamic package.
What makes the project particularly interesting is the balance between these two eras. The car is not trying to disguise itself as an old BMW. Instead, it uses familiar classic design cues while maintaining the visual presence of a modern performance coupe.
Why the M2 G87 Makes Sense as a Starting Point
The choice of the BMW M2 as the basis for the project is also interesting. The G87 remains one of BMW M’s most compact modern performance coupes, with proportions that provide a natural canvas for a design inspired by smaller and more compact BMWs of the past.
Its short proportions and wide stance work particularly well with the classic design language Riverti Automobili is trying to recreate. This gives the project a different character from simply applying retro styling to one of BMW’s larger modern models.
There is also an interesting reversal of the usual restomod formula. Rather than taking a classic BMW and replacing its mechanical components with modern technology, Riverti Automobili is starting with a modern M car and giving it a visual connection to the brand’s past.
Modern M Hardware Underneath
Underneath the new bodywork remains the modern BMW M2 platform, including BMW’s S58 engine. Riverti Automobili has not yet disclosed the full mechanical specification of the project, so the new body remains its defining feature for now.
That combination is one of the most appealing aspects of the concept. Instead of sacrificing modern engineering in favor of classic styling, the project aims to combine the two. The result is a modern performance car with a visual identity inspired by an entirely different era of BMW design.
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This Is More Than a Digital Rendering
Another important detail is that the project has already moved beyond the computer-rendering stage. A prototype has been shown in motion during an Italian hillclimb event, demonstrating that Riverti Automobili is developing an actual running car rather than simply presenting a design exercise.
There are still plenty of unanswered questions. The company has not yet revealed the final weight, performance figures, price or the number of cars that could eventually be produced. The final specification of the project therefore remains a work in progress.
A Modern BMW With a Classic Soul
Riverti Automobili’s BMW M2 project is an interesting reversal of the usual restomod formula. Instead of taking a classic BMW and adding modern technology, it takes a modern M car and gives it a visual connection to the brand’s past.
The influence of the 3.0 CSL is obvious, but the project does not stop there. The combination of classic BMW design cues, 2002 Turbo references, a carbon-fiber body and the modern M2 platform creates something that feels more like a reinterpretation than a replica.
Whether the finished car will fully live up to the promise of the concept remains to be seen. For now, however, Riverti Automobili has shown just how different the BMW M2 G87 can look when modern M engineering is combined with the design language of BMW’s golden era.
Photos: Riverti Automobili
