Working From "Home" While Going on a 10,000-mile Road Trip in a 1971 BMW 2002

Todd Kumpf is in a very fortunate situation. He is currently working entirely remotely. Last year, in August, he completely changed his lifestyle. And not in the "from now on, I'm not eating gluten anymore" kind of way.

He traded his old LA apartment lease for monthly Airbnbs across the southwestern United States. The kicker is that he's traveling in his beloved 1971 BMW 2002. While he's at it, Todd thought he should document his travels, and his blog post is filled with nothing less than stunning shots of old towns, retired and rusted-out cars, and beautiful scenery.

You should totally check out the "Nelson Ghost Town" album from his blog. It's like a post-apocalyptic wasteland in high resolution, filled with all sorts of wonderous vehicles from the '30s and '60s. The photos look like they're from a period-piece movie set. It reminds me of the upcoming Fallout series on Amazon Prime Video.

He stays for a month in each place, working four days a week. In the three days left, he explores the beautiful and dangerous wilderness. In the meantime, he has become a human GPS, mapping down all the best back roads to cruise. Maybe he should start a travel by-car agency like a modern-day explorer.

Since this all began in August, he visited California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Come spring, he intends to head to northern California, Oregon, and Washington, and then British Columbia, which is planned for summer. By 2025, the goal is to travel back through Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah.

It's not too shabby for a '71 BMW 2002 that's still kicking around. The nameplate comes from the fact that it had a two-liter engine and a two-door bodywork. When this model first came out in 1968, it was turning heads and cashing in checks. It was RWD, light and nimble, looked elegant enough for that era, and was as reliable as they could had made'em. Fun fact: it's the original predecessor of the BMW 3 Series.

Now, about the engine, up until 1971, the 2002 models came with a 2.0-liter mill that made 100 hp and 106 lb-ft or 144 Nm of torque. Considering that it only weighed 2,116 lbs or 960 kg, it wasn't all that bad. On paper, it could hit 62 mph or 100 kph in 12 seconds with a top speed of 104 mph (167 kph).

In '71, the more powerful Tii version came out with a 4- or 5-speed manual transmission system. The Tii produced 30 more horsepower and delivered 131 lb-ft or 178 Nm of torque. Now it hit 62 mph in 9.4 seconds, and the top speed rose to 120 mph or 193 kph.

While we now take power steering for granted, back then, this car didn't have any. So, driving one on such an ambitious road trip doesn't offer the comfort of a modern-day vehicle. But what it does offer are some unique stories that absolutely everyone will be curious about.