autoevolution
 

Lada 2101 Becomes a Coupe With the Help of BMW E46 3 Series Donor

Eccentric car enthusiasts often create unexpected vehicles, and the world is full of them.
BMW E46 3 Series Coupe gets converted a Lada 2101 body 12 photos
Photo: yura525 on drive2.ru
BMW E46 3 Series Coupe gets converted a Lada 2101 bodyBMW E46 3 Series Coupe gets converted a Lada 2101 bodyBMW E46 3 Series Coupe gets converted a Lada 2101 bodyBMW E46 3 Series Coupe gets converted a Lada 2101 bodyBMW E46 3 Series Coupe gets converted a Lada 2101 bodyBMW E46 3 Series Coupe gets converted a Lada 2101 bodyBMW E46 3 Series Coupe gets converted a Lada 2101 bodyBMW E46 3 Series Coupe gets converted a Lada 2101 bodyBMW E46 3 Series Coupe gets converted a Lada 2101 bodyBMW E46 3 Series Coupe gets converted a Lada 2101 bodyBMW E46 3 Series Coupe gets converted a Lada 2101 body
A Ukrainian workshop built a mash-up between a Lada 2101 and a BMW 3 Series E46. The result is what they described as a Lada 2101 Coupe, but it uses the interior and drivetrain of the Bavarian model.

The project was concluded almost two years ago, but its creators recently posted an update on the situation, which has turned out to be popular on YouTube. Their videos have accumulated over three million views, and these come from the transformation and presentation of the 3 Series into a Lada 2101 Coupe.

While browsing through Drive2, the portal that allowed them to showcase the build to the world, we noticed that the same facility has made various other conversions.

Most of them are based on BMW models, usually 5 Series E39s or E34s, but the shop also made a creation based on an Opel Omega, a rear-wheel-drive model from the ‘90s. Each of them received the body of a Russian automobile.

It appears that gasoline engines and rear-wheel-drive are an essential element for a “donor car,” but none of the projects come with an explanation for why the modifications were done in the first place. This is best explained by nostalgia, which makes people crave for things that they could not own many years ago, and they can afford.

Evidently, it is not that fun to have a stock Lada 2101, which is based on a Fiat design from the 1960s, which is why the “tuners” created these vehicles. On the other hand, you have to be extremely passionate about the shape of older models built behind The Iron Curtain to be willing to chop what appears to be a functional automobile from the late ‘90s.

After all, all the BMWs chopped by the workshop that seems to be based in Kiev, Ukraine, had to be functional to reduce the effort placed on their builders.

While some might consider these vehicles "sleepers," we do not feel that putting a part of a Lada’s body on a much more advanced car to be the best way of tuning an automobile.


If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories