We’ve seen countless hot-rod builds over the years, with enthusiasts taking small, inexpensive cars and stuffing them with larger, much more powerful powertrains. It’s the classic hot-rodding recipe. This one, though, might be one of the coolest we’ve ever seen, as Mr. Saugmotoren took an F21-generation BMW 116i and turned it into a Frankenstein monster BMW M2 hatchback monster.

Mr. Saugmotoren took a simple, lowly, BMW 116i, something that its previous owner likely used as a daily commuter. It was silver and quite plane. Then, he completely gutted it, changed its looks entire, gave it an engine, suspension, brakes, and an interior from various different M cars and ended up with quite possibly the coolest BMW hatchback ever.

Photo | Mr. Saugmotoren

Let’s start with the looks because they belie its underpinnings. On the outside, this F21 looks like a BMW M2 CS hatchback. It has the front end—bumper, grilles, headlights, hood, and swollen front fenders—from the M2 CS. It also has the gold M2 CS wheels. However, it has the same Frozen Deep Green paint as the M5 CS. At the back, it has swollen rear fenders, too, giving it a proper M car look, but its rear bumper is from an M140i. Though, it has quad exhausts, not the M140i’s dual exhausts.

Judging by its looks, you might think that Mr. Saugmotoren just turned it into an M2 CS hatchback. However, it isn’t an M2 CS under the skin. In fact, it’s a mishmash of some of BMW’s best parts. Under the hood lies the 4.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 from the E92 BMW M3. That’s paired with a six-speed manual. It has the front and rear subframes, axles, and brakes from a BMW M4. Inside, it has the new carbon buckets from cars like the G87 M2 and G80 M3, just re-trimmed with a brownish leather.

This build could have virtually any BMW engine but using the E92’s V8 was smart. It gets the V8 punch you want but in a more linear, higher-revving manner, which helps to not overwhelm the rear tires in such a short wheelbase car. So it’s fun and more thrilling than before but safer than one of BMW’s more modern turbocharged engines, with their sudden tidal wave of torque.

As a BMW fan, this has to be one of the coolest builds of them all. It looks awesome, it’s still a practical hatchback, it uses one of BMW’s all-time great engines, and still has a six-speed manual. It’s the stuff of BMW fan dreams.

[Source: Mr. Saugmotoren]