Just a few weeks ago we were reporting on a custom-made BMW 150i model that – as the name would suggest – uses a 5-liter V10 of E60 M5 origin. What we’re about to show you now may not be so hardcore but it’s still one of those projects that makes you wonder what you could achieve with your own car. Yet, this BMW 14oi is definitely one of the maddest hatchbacks we’ve seen so far.
If the name didn’t make it clear enough already, under the hood of this BMW E87 1 Series hatch now sits – and roars – an S65 4-liter V8 that came straight off a BMW E92 M3. In standard guise, the mill would make 420 HP but the owner of this car wanted a bit more. And since he got his hands dirty with a “heart transplant”, he decided to go the whole nine yards and chip in a couple more bits and bobs to have more power at his disposal.
Therefore, thanks to a new air intake, a straight pipe exhaust and an ECU remap, the car is now rated at 450 HP. Considering that the hatch was also stripped out of everything that wouldn’t be needed on the track and weighs around 1,100 kilograms (2,425 lbs), you can imagine just how quick it is now.
In case you were wondering, this Bimmer started life as a 130i model which was the top of the range version you could get back when it was still in production. Unlike the 1M Coupe, the hatch never received the M treatment and, consequently, it didn’t get the twin-turbo N54 engine of its respected M brother which makes 340 HP. However, the 130i was pretty quick as well, with BMW claiming it would reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.1 seconds. We reckon this widebody monster can do that a lot faster, in part thanks to the engine but also due to its 6-speed sequential gearbox.
