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RUclipsrs like JayEmm are very important to the car industry. I hope the manufacturers are able to recognize their contribution to informing our buying decisions
Unfortunately manufacturers don’t care because a majority of the public don’t. With pcp most just want a reliable badge worthy car every 3-4 years. The enthusiast community demands a lot and then rarely buys the product when released or it’s vastly out of their price range. Very few will know the latest 1 series is front wheel drive for example, because they don’t care, feels the same and has the right badge
@@JayEmmOnCars That's very true. Although I find we have ourselves to blame in many instances. Only when a car enthusiast runs a company (Akio Toyoda for instance), do we get any form of tantalising inventory, and even then, only to a point. Dealer shenanigans serve as impenetrable barriers to mass market accessibility, that combined with a limited inventory of the good stuff ensures the average Joe is left stranded.
Your presentation reminds me of the good-old days of Top Gear, a feat no one else has yet to achieve in my opinion. Bravo sir, great content as always.
As an owner of the 125i with M package installed from factory, I can safley say that even the 6cyl N52 is one great engine and overall driving experience. Love it.
@richardharrold9736hahahah let’s not get hasty, my n54 135i with a big single will burn those tires off in the first 4 gear and make this v8 look like a breadvan… n52 is a good daily driver, reliable with fuel mileage. S65 is for sound, clout, or lap after lap consistency on track. It is not wicked fast like tuned n54’s
@@GF-mf7mlI’ve seen that car in person- I’ve never wanted to drive a car so badly before or since 😂 Considering I’ve owned a xkr, z4m, alfa 156 GTAm 3.8 and so many rare cars. That car was that incredible
Sometimes you gotta pray that some underappreciated cars do not go up in value. It's nice to see that some underappreciated cars are getting some love but man. It hurts me when the prices of those cars go up in value LOL. I'm saving up for a C36 AMG and I'm hoping that it'll stay affordable when I'm able to afford it.
Yeah I do 2. Impulse bought an st220 start of lockdown after his video on it. Best £1900 I think I ever spent. Effectively Had 3 1/2 months full paid holiday and the empty roads of west Highlands to fire around. Helps fuel was £1 a litre at the time.
I think Jay's greatest skill is making conservative and lawful driving seem like so much more. Having had one, we are no fans of BMW cars but this is glorious. Congratulations on its creators, it's great to hear something that sounds so good at 40 mph
One of my friends has just finished a manual V8 build of this and we went out to Donington Park the other week in it. With semi slicks and coilovers it is in a word, incredible. Absolute beast of a car and that V8 screams. It's amazing how well the engine fits straight into the engine bay.
Ironically I met a man who built the very first V8 swapped 1M here in Sydney Australia. He basically took an e92 m3 v8 and swapped it in. Retaining the manual transmission ofc. Its def a first of its kind! Unlike this normal 1 series that was turned into a 1M, this guy actually conveted his real 1M to the V8. Mainly because the engine in his car gave way at the end.
I assumed that "illegal" in this case meant more like "frowned upon". Example: Preferring RHD over LHD in Germany is "illegal" and will get you in trouble.
@@The.Jimmyboy People there would not choose a RHD over a LHD same as the UK would not normally choose a LHD over a RHD. But they are more uncommon to see over there, unless you lived in the areas where the forces were stationed. Some TÜV testers sometimes even thought that they were "illegal" when they saw my car, but upon further reading they would quickly change their mind :). So yes, it might be more frowned upon by some folks, but others who are into cars are fully aware that things like an old Nissan Skyline only exist as RHD, so would be open to compromise of course :).
Neither is it illegal, nor is it frowned upon. To the contrary, if you drive classic or more modern English RHD cars, most people admire them more than their "boring" LHD counterparts. It is exotic over here to have a RHD car, and to some extent impractical (overtaking...), but I would just not want an English car (like my Chimaera 500) to be anything but RHD. (Sry, in my first version of this I had LHD and RHD mixed up 😊)
The 1M always looked to me like a pugnacious little bulldog, always up for a bit of fun at any given time. Give it this epic sounding v8 and it would be pretty much perfect (although the original turbo engine was still pretty good).
@@BumpTune8462 only thing good about the N54 is the internals. We won’t talk about injectors, turbos, water pumps, thermostats, VANOS solenoids, boost solenoids, chargepipe, boost leaks, or oil leaks
@@BumpTune8462 what are you on about? The s65 is the same story when it comes to reliability as most bmw engines. Maintain it well and it’ll treat you well.
Retrospectively, it would have made sense if BMW used the S65 V8 for the 1M, and a further tuned N54 6-inline for the M3. The M3 is heavier, which makes it nice to have some turbo low-end torque, while the 1-series is lighter and shorter wheelbase, which is nice with predictable power delivery of a naturally aspirated engine.
If it's the V3 KWs, it may be that the front/rear damper settings are different causing that disconnection to the rear. Sometimes people set them softer at the rear to allow more squat for better grip off the line. Reseting to the KW default then adjusting both equally may help it feel more connected front to rear. It also sounds like maybe it's got spacers or, different offset wheels? Based on the other characteristics.
I'd be willing to bet there is indeed some sort of test mule 1M V8 in Munich somewhere, but the 1M we got was so good, I even saw it being tested against Nissan GTR's and higher-end 911's; cars it couldn't hope to compete with, but because it absolutely trounced it's normal rivals, car journalists seemed to have a "Ok, what else can it compete with?" So I think when BMW created the 1M V8 mule, they realised they were about to do a Cayman; create a 'lower' model that would be better than the flagship model, in this case the M3, so they canned that to preserve the E90's M3 reputation. The other theory is the 1M was a 'market test' to see if the twin-turbo 3.0 with an 'M' badge could satisfy people. The M2 was, to my understanding, basically a 1M but on general sale and again, it's been hailed as one of the best M cars ever made.
If you think that's wild, I remember reading a BMW magazine in the early 2000s about a one off factory made Z3M (convertible not bread van!) with a V12! Would love to see that reviewed.
@@BigUriel You sure about that? Cooling what exactly? One is blocked off by a rubber cap and the other is an inlet that allows air flow directly into/out of the enclosed air box…which is fed from not only the grilles but also largely from the opening in the lower left opening in the bumper (on the M3)
@@mullner88 I see what you mean the airbox has an extra inlet fed by that vent. Kind of a weird solution because it also has the front inlet same as all other E90s and a top intake will be sucking in air at low pressure.
My dream build 😍 my only complaint is the mirrors. It looks like they kept the non m mirrors and put eBay caps on top. Love the space gray because the e9x did come in that color. Well done
A great car. For me BMW lost their way after about 2012. The original 1 series was a really good car, but the second incarnation drove well but was pure cheap plastics and electrics fragile. The last decent 3 series was the E90>E93. Again, the 3 series after that drive well but the cheap plastics are everywhere. Add to the plastics, the design of much of the range has become, contentious at best. My only concern with the 1 series E82/E87/E88 was the complete lack of weight on the back wheels. I used to keep a few bags of cat litter in the boot and still light up the back end on wet roads. In snow, I remember having to drive up a hill with the TC off, going up near sideways balancing the throttle to keep momentum.
You're complaining about plastics, I don't give a toss about that - I wouldn't buy a BMW for luxury but for the driving experience. Sure BMW has made great luxury cars - the E39 was amazing for it's time, and it still is today - same with the E38 and even the E65 - but I'm not in the market for a luxury car - lots of companies make those, but very few make good sports cars. From my point of view, they can stick as much plastic in their cars as they want, IF it will drive like a BMW. Problem is, post 2009-2010 cars do not. They're too soft, too assisted, too unresponsive. I don't like the electric steering racks - even the ones on the E90 facelift, I don't like the electrically assisted brake booster, I don't like the newer chassis - they're too soft and TOO BLOODY HEAVY. I feel newer BMWs feel like rear-wheel drive volkswagens. Seriously, I owned a passat W8 10 or so years ago - newer BMWs drive and feel just like that. Good power, comfortable, but soft, heavy, and a mere shadow of their former glory. Designed not for enthusiasts, but for the average joe to go to work in and show off. I'd love to buy a plasticky, basic BMW that is just a good chassis, good suspension and brakes, manual gearbox (no clutch no sale) and a good tunable engine for a reasonable price. The only options I care about are air conditioning and cruise control. I don't care about nav or entertainment system - just stick a 2din bay in the dash and I'll find something to install in there. Parking sensors and reverse cameras? I don't really care about those - and they're something I could fit myself if I really wanted to. Lane control? LCD screens everywhere? Touch controls? Lane assist? Pass - I don't want any of that. Those are luxury car options and I just want a good sports car. I hate how BMW has pushed luxury options onto the 3 series and compensated the price with cheap interiors. Those options should be reserved for the 7 or even 5 series. They ruined the 3 series - fine, we still had the 1 and 2 series. Now they ruined the 2 series as well by making it FWD. What's left? They could have the 1 series alone as a basic sports or at least sporty car with few options but no, they had to fatten and soften those up as well... But I understand why they did all this. People are not buying sports cars anymore. There's to many cars on the streets, city's are too crowded, and everyone is too busy to drive. End even if you can make the time there's noware left to drive to. Trucks Everyware, grandpa going 50kph on a 100kph road, rush hour, traffic jams and so on. The era of the sports car is gone.
@@kaneCVR A lot of fair points there, especially about the sportiness. My concern with the plastics though, in my E87 1 series, yes there were plastics, but it was solid and well made. In the F20 I had later, I literally had a bag for keeping the bits that kept falling off or breaking off. Plus with the F20 the bloody engine management light would come on whenever I gave it the beans.
@@ZoomStranger maintenence cost is only high at the dealership. If you know a reputable indy shop, bmw parts are cheap and common compared to other manufacturers, at least in eastern europe. I do my own repairs, anything but paint, so stealership prices don't impact my ownership experience. There's plenty of documantation and guides especially for older BMW's. Last week I upgraded the ABS pump on my wife's grocery getter from the rare and failiure prone 2001 unit to a later reliable 2002 unit - hardware, wiring and reprograming, with the help of the e46fanatics community. Posted a how to guide on the forums as well.
that Rev reminds me of my 2012 c63 amg that REPEATEDLY tried to kill me a number of times! my car redlined at 7,000 and all motor no turbos, it was glorious! I do miss that car, but I don't miss the insurance payment and the high maintenance. Great video!
One of the best sounding V8’s ever. I remember the first time I drove an E92. Holy crap did that sound good, even to someone raised on American Muscle V8’s. There is something…..tight and metallic sounding about it. So good. Too bad it drinks like a sailor on leave. 😅
not that uneconomical, easy to get 20mpg consistently. The sound is something else, has the V8 note but like you say, a technical, mechanical, metallic sound too
I do think turbo-charging has changed perceptions of what 'performance' is and I think there's too much emphasis on "MORE POWER". Power and torque doesn't make for a great performance car, that makes a great drag car. Some of the best handling cars I can think of; Boxster, Cayman, MX-5, Elise, are all cars that have either enough or even a little less power than one would like, but they dance round bends. One of the things that makes 911's so great, especially the 997, is that they can have a bit less power than rival cars but promptly smash said rivals anyway. And 350+ bhp is still a lot of power. Sure, 700+ is common is the highest performance cars, but I know myself that 370bhp in a car around 1600kg is bloody fast. Not the fastest thing on the road, but "Bloody fast" is still "Bloody fast".
You’re spot on with this comment.. Previous to the 1MV8 I had a tuned M4 with 560 bhp and over 500ftlb and it was just too fast for the road and you couldn’t use all the power that’s why I sold it and purchased the 1MV8.
Love the noise of the e92 m3's. Just wished the had more torque. They just aint quick and the diffrence between a f80 m3 and an e92 is crazy. Its hard to get alot of power from these too but I guess you just got to enjoy them for what they are. Ive got an OG m2 myself. Love the sound of it. I feel its the perfect balance.
I'm not a fan of this modern trend amongst crossplane V8s having a kind of dull, buzzy sound. The firing order of the S65 is mirrored from the usual BMW V8 order, so that doesn't help. It's not quite LS bad, but it surely has the potential to be better.
having driven several S54 M3s and my 1M as my only car, i am happy that the 1M came with the N54 instead. It's more punchy and sudden, and adds a character of urgency. I love the E9X M3 for what it is, but it was a different atmosphere with that engine. Things were more fluid and predictable. Makes a beautiful sound, but would alter the SMALL, riotous character of the 1M IMO. BMW were never afraid to make a V8 1M, in fact they even tested one with a V8 and V10. But it didn't suit the character they were after with the 1M----and to me that totally makes sense.
I liked the plain 128. Just for the sound and lightness of no more heavy bits. You just made me think the front nose heavy so id get coilovers. Higher spring rate front to starr. Get measured springs. Sorry bmw this stopped being that. The upgraded bushings and larger hollow swaybars.better endlinks Might check for structure flexibility in the sub frame front the engine cage to the rear diff sub structures. Bushings poly The front is moving differently than the rear. Sub xframe is easy to make. Rear stressbar Thats what know. Soild rack bushings are nice.. Yeah. I just got a 💡 idea. Thats wonderful.
I got a 1m in 2012, it was 1 year old with 6k miles on it. What a machine that little thing was. For its time is was very quick, handling was crazy, loved ti swing its tail out. A total loon of a car. The best daily ive ever had though. Id say the car i regret selling the most. Im currently waiting for my new m2, 100hp more than the 1m. Im very hopeful ill love it as much as i did on the test drive.
Thank you for this! A near-perfect ICE vehicle. The 1 series is my favorite (aside from the 1937 328) and I wish BMW will build an updated version. Would it be an i1?
Lovers (like me!) of the 1er platform that drool over this and find the $80K for a 1M out of budget, might I recommend a manual 2013 135is. I simply love mine (5th 1 series coupe) and suspect it delivers 90% of this franken performance joy. Turbo? Yes (N55) and I do appreciate the German NA V8s (Bimmer, AMG, W8s). Equally intoxicating exhaust note on the 135is? You better believe it. All OEM and extremely well sorted. Caution: too much power and these little babies will quickly put you off the road - the fellow who owns this better be careful in the rain! But I'd gladly add this little gem to the collection. Thanks, Jay!
At 0.25, there is a clip from the front of the car rushing down the country lane with the V8 bellowing which triggered a flashback to the movie Grand Prix and a similar clip from the old Spa-Francechamps Circuit that actually went between the villages of Spa, Mallory and Francechamps.
James, your audio intro isn’t working. Great video though! I own a fully stock 128i with the m sport package and manual. I’m told they’re supremely rare here in the USA. The chassis is the thing of dreams. Even with the n52, it’s a ton of fun.
Here's a bit of a funny tale about engine swaps (or maybe not) I once bought an old 320 and having owned many other cars but never a beemer I thought "Bloody hell this is really quick.' I knew BMW had a good reputation. The ultimate drivers car, 50/50 weight distribution etc but it was a revelation and I loved it. It cost me a fair bit in rear tyres but that was entirely my fault as it spun both rear wheels in 1st 2nd and 3rd. Then I started my own business and a 2 door coupe just wasn't going to do what I needed, so I ended up owning several larger estate cars. A few years later I was having a chat with a friend and we were talking engines and probably boring everyone around us. We had been on the subject of the Daimler 2.5 litre V8 saying that was a lot of cylinders for such a small engine and I said that the BMW had surprised me having 6 cylinders in a 2 litre. "No no no" he said the small Beemers had inline 4s. "Are you sure it was a 6?" "Yes" says I, a bit miffed. "I can count 6 spark plugs" I think I had owned a ringer. I reckon the badge on the boot lid and log book had been changed rather than the engine. I have no idea what size the 6 cylinder engine was but no wonder it was so fast.
I’ve been wanting to do this conversion on a 3 door hatch for a long time, unfortunately it’s probably probably always going to be out of my budget… hats off to those that built this.
I have had an M Sport convertible for years and had no idea that the M3 parts could be used, thank you, mine is also in Space Grey like the one in the video. I can't match your number of one brand cars as we've only had 7 Audis since the first 80 in 1995
There is only one must have modification for that V8......... thats the Eventuri Carbon Intake, not cheap i grant you but if your a lover of the noise it's a must.
What happened to the intro music. That's always a highlight for me when I start your videos. The 1M V8 would have killed the M3 which is why they would never build it. Similar to Porsche was never comfortable with using the 911 engine in the Cayman/Boxster and when they finally did revealed the superiority of the mid engine platform vs. the rear engine setup of the 911.
That exhaust note is AMAAAAZING! I would never remotely even consider turning on the stereo in this beauty. Any chance we can find out what muffler is being used? I have an 09 e88 with the N52. But i have a set of cat less headers and want to grab the most power i can. Which includes a muffler after the ecu and intake.
We love spending 20k to make the car slower than upgrading the current engine. I get people not considering the N54 “bespoke” enough but like the n54 will make double the hp with 1/4th the cost, put a sequential and single hybrid turbo, you’re faster than most anything you’ll run into and as a n54 owner the torque is nuts and the responsiveness that you’d expect from a performance bmw. (All in my opinion ofc)
The brake pedal is a standard BMW “automatic” item, if it was true to the beast that powers it, it should be the smaller square one that comes on the DCT E90/2/3 cars
The S65 V-8 was the peak M3 unit. The later turbo cars, while faster, never had the soul, manic throttle response, or absolute symphony of the 8000+ redline V-8
Probably the only BMW I lust for is the 1M, but...if I had a ragged 1 Series and a wee bit of cash, I'd just drop in an LS3 and a T56 and call it a day! =) LOL
As a German I can say right hand drive cars are not illegal. For the majority of people it’s just strange since we’re not used to drive right handed and there are other minor obstacles that make right hand drive cars hard to live with like tollbooths and parking garages even a drive trough can cause pain since u have to yell your order. I personally wish we had the wheel on the right sight there are so many cool cars that are just impractical for us here…
Funny.. 2 of my last cars were purchased (Boxster and S4 after watching Jay’s reviews.. then also sold my e46 M3 as I had the same feelings as Jay had (an overhyped M car)..
1M is my favourite M cars. S65 V8 is one of my favourite BMW M engine (this side of S85, sadly both are equally notorious in reputation) Combine both... and now I'm looking for scraps. I have GBP3 in my pocket, is that a good start? :')
Well, Iv been trying to decide to either get a OG M2, a 2012-2013 135is or a E92 M3 OR some kind of a small and cheap roadster. This combo would be ideal. V8 noises, not too much to get in trouble with in a small form factor. Maybe the move is to get a 135, drive it, and look for a E9x M3 parts car in the meantime.... lol
It's cool and all but the real insane sleeper swap would be this engine in an E46 Compact with a decent suspension setup but the regular ES/SE body styling.
As an old BMW M car owner it’s really sad to see how BMW lost their soul. I don’t even consider the current M models when looking for a new car. My last M car was the M5 E60 and it’s 17 years ago…
I like BMWs, but I prefer Audis. That said, I agree with your statement about being disappointed with the new BMW offerings, and I'd apply it to Audi, as well. At least my favorite cars are all on the used market, and not on a dealership lot with brand new prices, I guess!
It's correct to say that RHD cars are illegal in Germany, I've registered them myself in the past though you wouldn't get a homologation to sell new RHD cars there. But getting a V8 converted E82 registered in germany would be a nightmare. - Funfact before WW2 some states in Austria were Lefthand traffic and and some drove on the right, RHD cars 1st registered on the continent were farily common before WW2
Great video, but one correction; RHD cars are not illegal in Germany. I know a few people who had/have one, from a W123 Mercedes to a Range Rover. The main reason Germans don't like RHD cars is because it's harder to pass with them on country roads, which makes this one a bit of a head scratcher.
CarVertical: The History Checking Service
Use this link or code "JAYEMM" for a discount!
www.carvertical.com/gb/landing/v3?b=1e4c9523&a=JayEmm&voucher=jayemm&chan=jayemm
RUclipsrs like JayEmm are very important to the car industry. I hope the manufacturers are able to recognize their contribution to informing our buying decisions
This is only a hope for some people. We all know the manufacturers give absolute 0 f*ck... 🤷♂
Yeah sadly true. They don't care what car people want anymore
Unfortunately manufacturers don’t care because a majority of the public don’t. With pcp most just want a reliable badge worthy car every 3-4 years.
The enthusiast community demands a lot and then rarely buys the product when released or it’s vastly out of their price range.
Very few will know the latest 1 series is front wheel drive for example, because they don’t care, feels the same and has the right badge
@@JayEmmOnCars The designs of the new bmw's are proof of that.
@@JayEmmOnCars That's very true. Although I find we have ourselves to blame in many instances. Only when a car enthusiast runs a company (Akio Toyoda for instance), do we get any form of tantalising inventory, and even then, only to a point. Dealer shenanigans serve as impenetrable barriers to mass market accessibility, that combined with a limited inventory of the good stuff ensures the average Joe is left stranded.
Adore the wide arched looks of the 1M. Makes the M3 of the generation look rather slim !
Your presentation reminds me of the good-old days of Top Gear, a feat no one else has yet to achieve in my opinion.
Bravo sir, great content as always.
As an owner of the 125i with M package installed from factory, I can safley say that even the 6cyl N52 is one great engine and overall driving experience. Love it.
No comparison.
@richardharrold9736hahahah let’s not get hasty, my n54 135i with a big single will burn those tires off in the first 4 gear and make this v8 look like a breadvan… n52 is a good daily driver, reliable with fuel mileage.
S65 is for sound, clout, or lap after lap consistency on track. It is not wicked fast like tuned n54’s
Glad to hear you enjoy your car the way you like it. Sounds like a fun ride, just like all the other cars these guys mentioned.
@richardharrold9736 lol the law can't stop owt
@richardharrold9736 ahahahhah 98 percent of burglaries are unsolved so watch out
If you thought this was insane, there's an e46 M3 with the S85 V10 mated to an E92 DCT.
or Z4 with S85
@@GF-mf7mlI’ve seen that car in person- I’ve never wanted to drive a car so badly before or since 😂
Considering I’ve owned a xkr, z4m, alfa 156 GTAm 3.8 and so many rare cars. That car was that incredible
Z3M Coupe with S85 V10 💯
There’s a v10 e30 m3 manual doing the rounds in Sweden.
The S85 E30 M3 has been around since the E60 M5 was still on sale.
Who else searches for these cars for sale every time Jay releases a new video, I know I do 😂
Sometimes you gotta pray that some underappreciated cars do not go up in value. It's nice to see that some underappreciated cars are getting some love but man.
It hurts me when the prices of those cars go up in value LOL. I'm saving up for a C36 AMG and I'm hoping that it'll stay affordable when I'm able to afford it.
Yeah I do 2. Impulse bought an st220 start of lockdown after his video on it. Best £1900 I think I ever spent. Effectively Had 3 1/2 months full paid holiday and the empty roads of west Highlands to fire around. Helps fuel was £1 a litre at the time.
Even a run of the mill fiesta is 10k on Autotrader these days so i Don't bother. 🤣
I don't, I live in Italy so it's pointless to even think about it
I just checked 1M prices, anywhere from 70 to 90k AUD 😢😢😢
I think Jay's greatest skill is making conservative and lawful driving seem like so much more.
Having had one, we are no fans of BMW cars but this is glorious. Congratulations on its creators, it's great to hear something that sounds so good at 40 mph
One of my friends has just finished a manual V8 build of this and we went out to Donington Park the other week in it. With semi slicks and coilovers it is in a word, incredible. Absolute beast of a car and that V8 screams. It's amazing how well the engine fits straight into the engine bay.
Ironically I met a man who built the very first V8 swapped 1M here in Sydney Australia. He basically took an e92 m3 v8 and swapped it in. Retaining the manual transmission ofc. Its def a first of its kind! Unlike this normal 1 series that was turned into a 1M, this guy actually conveted his real 1M to the V8. Mainly because the engine in his car gave way at the end.
Interesting; do you know how the manual interacts with the V8? I'd be curious to know about that.
@Kyuzeth owner said it drives like a dream. Especially with the manual. Essentially the same 6 spd you got in the e90/92 m3 anyways
One of my friends has just finished the exact same build with a manual. It's such an epic car and works flawlessly
@@SpeedCafeGarageactually, the 6MT in the 1M is from a much newer N55 - its not the same box that went into the M3
RHD is not illegal in Germany. I had exactly that a few years ago: A RHD with German plates, insured and passed by the TÜV.
I assumed that "illegal" in this case meant more like "frowned upon". Example: Preferring RHD over LHD in Germany is "illegal" and will get you in trouble.
Quite. Until recently there were tens of thousands of RHD UK forces cars registered and insured over in Germany.
@@jdo1014 I know, I worked a lot in Paderborn, so there were just a normal orrurence over there.
@@The.Jimmyboy People there would not choose a RHD over a LHD same as the UK would not normally choose a LHD over a RHD. But they are more uncommon to see over there, unless you lived in the areas where the forces were stationed. Some TÜV testers sometimes even thought that they were "illegal" when they saw my car, but upon further reading they would quickly change their mind :). So yes, it might be more frowned upon by some folks, but others who are into cars are fully aware that things like an old Nissan Skyline only exist as RHD, so would be open to compromise of course :).
Neither is it illegal, nor is it frowned upon. To the contrary, if you drive classic or more modern English RHD cars, most people admire them more than their "boring" LHD counterparts. It is exotic over here to have a RHD car, and to some extent impractical (overtaking...), but I would just not want an English car (like my Chimaera 500) to be anything but RHD.
(Sry, in my first version of this I had LHD and RHD mixed up 😊)
“Seats borrowed from an M2”. That implies there’s an M2 out there somewhere that’s patiently waiting for its seats to be returned.
The 1M always looked to me like a pugnacious little bulldog, always up for a bit of fun at any given time. Give it this epic sounding v8 and it would be pretty much perfect (although the original turbo engine was still pretty good).
I remember the days when this car was developed, and there were polls on bimmerpost wich engine BMW should put in the 1M. I voted S54 😊
The n54 is a better engine end of story. V8 is cool but sooooo shit for reliability. An n54 will go 200k+ miles without being torn down to the block.
@@BumpTune8462 only thing good about the N54 is the internals. We won’t talk about injectors, turbos, water pumps, thermostats, VANOS solenoids, boost solenoids, chargepipe, boost leaks, or oil leaks
@@BumpTune8462 what are you on about? The s65 is the same story when it comes to reliability as most bmw engines. Maintain it well and it’ll treat you well.
@@brokeq50boi80 its more expensive to maintain by a lot. Rod bearings are not in the same ballpark as gaskets and water pumps.
My dad recently bought an E92 M3 and it is one of the best sounding cars I have ever had the pleasure of sitting it. Awesome engine.
Retrospectively, it would have made sense if BMW used the S65 V8 for the 1M, and a further tuned N54 6-inline for the M3.
The M3 is heavier, which makes it nice to have some turbo low-end torque, while the 1-series is lighter and shorter wheelbase, which is nice with predictable power delivery of a naturally aspirated engine.
This was up for £30k on Autotrader last year. I half thought about having a look at it. Great buy John!
Solid rear subframe bushings will fix the unpredictable rear end.
Powerflex Black Series. 😁
Black series fixed my turbo e39
I suspect spring rates need looking at too.
V8 is heavier as is the m diff setup at the rear.
@@TML34 only a stop gap... They still have the ability to flex, whereas solid mounts eradicate any movement...
@@nickholbrook3454 Do you think the heavier diff at the rear would balance the added weight from the V8 up front?
Great combination...but...there is a 1 Series Coupe running around South Africa somewhere that has the S85B50 V10 in it...
If it's the V3 KWs, it may be that the front/rear damper settings are different causing that disconnection to the rear. Sometimes people set them softer at the rear to allow more squat for better grip off the line.
Reseting to the KW default then adjusting both equally may help it feel more connected front to rear.
It also sounds like maybe it's got spacers or, different offset wheels? Based on the other characteristics.
That. Is. Awesome.
I'd be willing to bet there is indeed some sort of test mule 1M V8 in Munich somewhere, but the 1M we got was so good, I even saw it being tested against Nissan GTR's and higher-end 911's; cars it couldn't hope to compete with, but because it absolutely trounced it's normal rivals, car journalists seemed to have a "Ok, what else can it compete with?"
So I think when BMW created the 1M V8 mule, they realised they were about to do a Cayman; create a 'lower' model that would be better than the flagship model, in this case the M3, so they canned that to preserve the E90's M3 reputation.
The other theory is the 1M was a 'market test' to see if the twin-turbo 3.0 with an 'M' badge could satisfy people. The M2 was, to my understanding, basically a 1M but on general sale and again, it's been hailed as one of the best M cars ever made.
OG M2 is just awesome.
You forgot the intro music! I thought my speakers/internet were acting up. Great video as always, dude.
Since there's still room in the engine bay, they should have tried to shoehorn an S85 V10 from the M5/M6 in there. 😀
This video could’ve been 18 minutes of engine noise and id still have watched it. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Just beautiful!
If you think that's wild, I remember reading a BMW magazine in the early 2000s about a one off factory made Z3M (convertible not bread van!) with a V12! Would love to see that reviewed.
Just needs the M3 style vent in the hood (bonnet) to allow the intake to get all the air it was designed to consume
The vents on the M3 bonnet are for cooling, the engine takes its air from a scoop in the front grille.
@@BigUriel You sure about that? Cooling what exactly? One is blocked off by a rubber cap and the other is an inlet that allows air flow directly into/out of the enclosed air box…which is fed from not only the grilles but also largely from the opening in the lower left opening in the bumper (on the M3)
@@mullner88 I see what you mean the airbox has an extra inlet fed by that vent. Kind of a weird solution because it also has the front inlet same as all other E90s and a top intake will be sucking in air at low pressure.
@@mullner88 yes, on my E92 M3 I remember driving after rain and water flicking up from one side
My dream build 😍 my only complaint is the mirrors. It looks like they kept the non m mirrors and put eBay caps on top. Love the space gray because the e9x did come in that color. Well done
Having driven a E46 with a S62 V8 & 6spd manual from the E39 BMW M5 I can imagine how good this is.
A great car.
For me BMW lost their way after about 2012. The original 1 series was a really good car, but the second incarnation drove well but was pure cheap plastics and electrics fragile. The last decent 3 series was the E90>E93. Again, the 3 series after that drive well but the cheap plastics are everywhere. Add to the plastics, the design of much of the range has become, contentious at best.
My only concern with the 1 series E82/E87/E88 was the complete lack of weight on the back wheels. I used to keep a few bags of cat litter in the boot and still light up the back end on wet roads. In snow, I remember having to drive up a hill with the TC off, going up near sideways balancing the throttle to keep momentum.
You're complaining about plastics, I don't give a toss about that - I wouldn't buy a BMW for luxury but for the driving experience. Sure BMW has made great luxury cars - the E39 was amazing for it's time, and it still is today - same with the E38 and even the E65 - but I'm not in the market for a luxury car - lots of companies make those, but very few make good sports cars. From my point of view, they can stick as much plastic in their cars as they want, IF it will drive like a BMW. Problem is, post 2009-2010 cars do not. They're too soft, too assisted, too unresponsive. I don't like the electric steering racks - even the ones on the E90 facelift, I don't like the electrically assisted brake booster, I don't like the newer chassis - they're too soft and TOO BLOODY HEAVY. I feel newer BMWs feel like rear-wheel drive volkswagens. Seriously, I owned a passat W8 10 or so years ago - newer BMWs drive and feel just like that. Good power, comfortable, but soft, heavy, and a mere shadow of their former glory. Designed not for enthusiasts, but for the average joe to go to work in and show off.
I'd love to buy a plasticky, basic BMW that is just a good chassis, good suspension and brakes, manual gearbox (no clutch no sale) and a good tunable engine for a reasonable price. The only options I care about are air conditioning and cruise control. I don't care about nav or entertainment system - just stick a 2din bay in the dash and I'll find something to install in there. Parking sensors and reverse cameras? I don't really care about those - and they're something I could fit myself if I really wanted to. Lane control? LCD screens everywhere? Touch controls? Lane assist? Pass - I don't want any of that. Those are luxury car options and I just want a good sports car. I hate how BMW has pushed luxury options onto the 3 series and compensated the price with cheap interiors. Those options should be reserved for the 7 or even 5 series. They ruined the 3 series - fine, we still had the 1 and 2 series. Now they ruined the 2 series as well by making it FWD. What's left? They could have the 1 series alone as a basic sports or at least sporty car with few options but no, they had to fatten and soften those up as well...
But I understand why they did all this. People are not buying sports cars anymore. There's to many cars on the streets, city's are too crowded, and everyone is too busy to drive. End even if you can make the time there's noware left to drive to. Trucks Everyware, grandpa going 50kph on a 100kph road, rush hour, traffic jams and so on. The era of the sports car is gone.
For E81/87 yes they don't have much weight in the back. E82 feels completely different!
@@kaneCVR yeah to all that but it didn't add up with all the down time and staggering maintenance costs as far as we were concerned.
@@kaneCVR A lot of fair points there, especially about the sportiness. My concern with the plastics though, in my E87 1 series, yes there were plastics, but it was solid and well made. In the F20 I had later, I literally had a bag for keeping the bits that kept falling off or breaking off. Plus with the F20 the bloody engine management light would come on whenever I gave it the beans.
@@ZoomStranger maintenence cost is only high at the dealership. If you know a reputable indy shop, bmw parts are cheap and common compared to other manufacturers, at least in eastern europe. I do my own repairs, anything but paint, so stealership prices don't impact my ownership experience. There's plenty of documantation and guides especially for older BMW's. Last week I upgraded the ABS pump on my wife's grocery getter from the rare and failiure prone 2001 unit to a later reliable 2002 unit - hardware, wiring and reprograming, with the help of the e46fanatics community. Posted a how to guide on the forums as well.
A modern Holden Torana!
Imagine a 5 or 6 speed manual box. There wouldn’t be a more complete car to drive! 👍
that Rev reminds me of my 2012 c63 amg that REPEATEDLY tried to kill me a number of times! my car redlined at 7,000 and all motor no turbos, it was glorious! I do miss that car, but I don't miss the insurance payment and the high maintenance. Great video!
One of the best sounding V8’s ever. I remember the first time I drove an E92. Holy crap did that sound good, even to someone raised on American Muscle V8’s. There is something…..tight and metallic sounding about it. So good.
Too bad it drinks like a sailor on leave. 😅
Also horribly unreliable, with multiple serious common failure issues that can destroy the engine without notice.
not that uneconomical, easy to get 20mpg consistently. The sound is something else, has the V8 note but like you say, a technical, mechanical, metallic sound too
For me personally the 1M is the most desirable M car🤩
But this machine is just a dream came true!
I do think turbo-charging has changed perceptions of what 'performance' is and I think there's too much emphasis on "MORE POWER". Power and torque doesn't make for a great performance car, that makes a great drag car. Some of the best handling cars I can think of; Boxster, Cayman, MX-5, Elise, are all cars that have either enough or even a little less power than one would like, but they dance round bends. One of the things that makes 911's so great, especially the 997, is that they can have a bit less power than rival cars but promptly smash said rivals anyway.
And 350+ bhp is still a lot of power. Sure, 700+ is common is the highest performance cars, but I know myself that 370bhp in a car around 1600kg is bloody fast. Not the fastest thing on the road, but "Bloody fast" is still "Bloody fast".
You’re spot on with this comment.. Previous to the 1MV8 I had a tuned M4 with 560 bhp and over 500ftlb and it was just too fast for the road and you couldn’t use all the power that’s why I sold it and purchased the 1MV8.
This reminds me of a mates old Lexus IS200, with the LS400's V8 in it's nose and a manual. Looks completely standard, and then you hear it start up.
The 1M sells for the same amount or more, than it did 10 years ago here in South Africa. They are hens teeth.
Love the noise of the e92 m3's. Just wished the had more torque. They just aint quick and the diffrence between a f80 m3 and an e92 is crazy. Its hard to get alot of power from these too but I guess you just got to enjoy them for what they are. Ive got an OG m2 myself. Love the sound of it. I feel its the perfect balance.
nothing what a compressor wouldn't fix
I'm not a fan of this modern trend amongst crossplane V8s having a kind of dull, buzzy sound. The firing order of the S65 is mirrored from the usual BMW V8 order, so that doesn't help. It's not quite LS bad, but it surely has the potential to be better.
Damn, that sounds incredible. Proper car.
having driven several S54 M3s and my 1M as my only car, i am happy that the 1M came with the N54 instead. It's more punchy and sudden, and adds a character of urgency. I love the E9X M3 for what it is, but it was a different atmosphere with that engine. Things were more fluid and predictable. Makes a beautiful sound, but would alter the SMALL, riotous character of the 1M IMO. BMW were never afraid to make a V8 1M, in fact they even tested one with a V8 and V10. But it didn't suit the character they were after with the 1M----and to me that totally makes sense.
I liked the plain 128. Just for the sound and lightness of no more heavy bits.
You just made me think the front nose heavy so id get coilovers. Higher spring rate front to starr. Get measured springs.
Sorry bmw this stopped being that. The upgraded bushings and larger hollow swaybars.better endlinks
Might check for structure flexibility in the sub frame front the engine cage to the rear diff sub structures. Bushings poly
The front is moving differently than the rear. Sub xframe is easy to make. Rear stressbar
Thats what know.
Soild rack bushings are nice..
Yeah. I just got a 💡 idea.
Thats wonderful.
Sounds absolutely fantastic. Lovely review and feedback of a built one series. Thankyou.
I got a 1m in 2012, it was 1 year old with 6k miles on it. What a machine that little thing was. For its time is was very quick, handling was crazy, loved ti swing its tail out. A total loon of a car. The best daily ive ever had though. Id say the car i regret selling the most. Im currently waiting for my new m2, 100hp more than the 1m. Im very hopeful ill love it as much as i did on the test drive.
Thank you for this! A near-perfect ICE vehicle. The 1 series is my favorite (aside from the 1937 328) and I wish BMW will build an updated version. Would it be an i1?
Lovers (like me!) of the 1er platform that drool over this and find the $80K for a 1M out of budget, might I recommend a manual 2013 135is. I simply love mine (5th 1 series coupe) and suspect it delivers 90% of this franken performance joy. Turbo? Yes (N55) and I do appreciate the German NA V8s (Bimmer, AMG, W8s). Equally intoxicating exhaust note on the 135is? You better believe it. All OEM and extremely well sorted. Caution: too much power and these little babies will quickly put you off the road - the fellow who owns this better be careful in the rain! But I'd gladly add this little gem to the collection. Thanks, Jay!
holy hell that intro is the most beautiful thing i've seen this week!!
Bravo sir. Thank you very much for reviewing these beautiful machines.
At 0.25, there is a clip from the front of the car rushing down the country lane with the V8 bellowing which triggered a flashback to the movie Grand Prix and a similar clip from the old Spa-Francechamps Circuit that actually went between the villages of Spa, Mallory and Francechamps.
15:05 my god that has to be one of the greatest sounds I've heard
That engine/exhaust sound 🎶🎶🎶🎶😍
James, your audio intro isn’t working. Great video though! I own a fully stock 128i with the m sport package and manual. I’m told they’re supremely rare here in the USA. The chassis is the thing of dreams. Even with the n52, it’s a ton of fun.
Yeah noticed that, too late...
Great swap. Also Space Grey is a wonderful choice of colours, even though the 1M never came in it, the M3 did however
Here's a bit of a funny tale about engine swaps (or maybe not) I once bought an old 320 and having owned many other cars but never a beemer I thought "Bloody hell this is really quick.' I knew BMW had a good reputation. The ultimate drivers car, 50/50 weight distribution etc but it was a revelation and I loved it. It cost me a fair bit in rear tyres but that was entirely my fault as it spun both rear wheels in 1st 2nd and 3rd. Then I started my own business and a 2 door coupe just wasn't going to do what I needed, so I ended up owning several larger estate cars. A few years later I was having a chat with a friend and we were talking engines and probably boring everyone around us. We had been on the subject of the Daimler 2.5 litre V8 saying that was a lot of cylinders for such a small engine and I said that the BMW had surprised me having 6 cylinders in a 2 litre. "No no no" he said the small Beemers had inline 4s. "Are you sure it was a 6?" "Yes" says I, a bit miffed. "I can count 6 spark plugs" I think I had owned a ringer. I reckon the badge on the boot lid and log book had been changed rather than the engine. I have no idea what size the 6 cylinder engine was but no wonder it was so fast.
I’ve been wanting to do this conversion on a 3 door hatch for a long time, unfortunately it’s probably probably always going to be out of my budget… hats off to those that built this.
I have had an M Sport convertible for years and had no idea that the M3 parts could be used, thank you, mine is also in Space Grey like the one in the video. I can't match your number of one brand cars as we've only had 7 Audis since the first 80 in 1995
That is a genuine pocket rocket - what a car and that sound ❤
astoundingly good on board footage on this one, put me in a trance with that soundtrack... Matron
One of the best looking bmws then and now..
There is only one must have modification for that V8......... thats the Eventuri Carbon Intake, not cheap i grant you but if your a lover of the noise it's a must.
My local bmw specialist Quarry motors in Sheffield do these conversions, I've been tempted to get my N52 swapped for the S65 many times
Do it.
Do it. Don’t let your dreams be dreams.
@@augustortiz just doooo ittttt
*sells kidney*
This is why I love your videos Jay. Brilliant
I miss my 1 series with DCT. All the fun to drive. Diss it all you want but they made one hell of a parts bin masterpiece
What happened to the intro music. That's always a highlight for me when I start your videos.
The 1M V8 would have killed the M3 which is why they would never build it. Similar to Porsche was never comfortable with using the 911 engine in the Cayman/Boxster and when they finally did revealed the superiority of the mid engine platform vs. the rear engine setup of the 911.
That exhaust note is AMAAAAZING! I would never remotely even consider turning on the stereo in this beauty.
Any chance we can find out what muffler is being used? I have an 09 e88 with the N52. But i have a set of cat less headers and want to grab the most power i can. Which includes a muffler after the ecu and intake.
I’m sure no speed limits were broken during this.
Definitely not. No way. Nope. Uh uh.
Oh that engine!!!.....You lucky man Jay. Lovely car ...me likey very much....
We love spending 20k to make the car slower than upgrading the current engine. I get people not considering the N54 “bespoke” enough but like the n54 will make double the hp with 1/4th the cost, put a sequential and single hybrid turbo, you’re faster than most anything you’ll run into and as a n54 owner the torque is nuts and the responsiveness that you’d expect from a performance bmw. (All in my opinion ofc)
Builds like this keep the OG BMW spirit alive, phoar.
The brake pedal is a standard BMW “automatic” item, if it was true to the beast that powers it, it should be the smaller square one that comes on the DCT E90/2/3 cars
This exact swap done on the z4 with a manual would be legendary!
The S65 V-8 was the peak M3 unit. The later turbo cars, while faster, never had the soul, manic throttle response, or absolute symphony of the 8000+ redline V-8
If I was ever to buy a BMW, it would be this. Beautiful.
Not a pops and bangs kindergarten, awesome 🙂 Love the opening minute.
Perfect... Now you just need to find a Brabus C class V12 to test 😅
Another ace video! Has anyone any information on how they built Apple CarPlay into the iDRIVE screen?
How did they get CarPlay on the drive screen?
Probably the only BMW I lust for is the 1M, but...if I had a ragged 1 Series and a wee bit of cash, I'd just drop in an LS3 and a T56 and call it a day! =) LOL
In my opinion the 1M and the E46 M3 have got to be the best looking BMW's they have ever produced. ❤
The sound is glorious.
Just come from a local car meet. Some crazy person has wedged an M5 V10 with a massive turbo into a 1 series coupe... i love crazy people 😂😂
As a German I can say right hand drive cars are not illegal. For the majority of people it’s just strange since we’re not used to drive right handed and there are other minor obstacles that make right hand drive cars hard to live with like tollbooths and parking garages even a drive trough can cause pain since u have to yell your order.
I personally wish we had the wheel on the right sight there are so many cool cars that are just impractical for us here…
I havnt seen one of these for sale in years. 😮
Good looking car, nice color and only TWO doors as God intended. A joy as always, Thanks.
I heard theres one of these with the M5 V10 in there too
Funny.. 2 of my last cars were purchased (Boxster and S4 after watching Jay’s reviews.. then also sold my e46 M3 as I had the same feelings as Jay had (an overhyped M car)..
By the way, right-hand-driven cars are not illegal in Germany - you can use and/or register such a car here without a problem.
Might need a four wheel alignment to cure the wandering you mentioned.
G-Power from Germany has one with a Supercharged M3 V8. It is a monster.
1M is my favourite M cars. S65 V8 is one of my favourite BMW M engine (this side of S85, sadly both are equally notorious in reputation)
Combine both... and now I'm looking for scraps. I have GBP3 in my pocket, is that a good start? :')
Well, Iv been trying to decide to either get a OG M2, a 2012-2013 135is or a E92 M3 OR some kind of a small and cheap roadster.
This combo would be ideal. V8 noises, not too much to get in trouble with in a small form factor. Maybe the move is to get a 135, drive it, and look for a E9x M3 parts car in the meantime.... lol
It's cool and all but the real insane sleeper swap would be this engine in an E46 Compact with a decent suspension setup but the regular ES/SE body styling.
Jay learned about modern manufacturing. Youve been able to bolt on M parts to other cars since they started making them.
As an old BMW M car owner it’s really sad to see how BMW lost their soul. I don’t even consider the current M models when looking for a new car. My last M car was the M5 E60 and it’s 17 years ago…
I like BMWs, but I prefer Audis. That said, I agree with your statement about being disappointed with the new BMW offerings, and I'd apply it to Audi, as well. At least my favorite cars are all on the used market, and not on a dealership lot with brand new prices, I guess!
It's correct to say that RHD cars are illegal in Germany, I've registered them myself in the past though you wouldn't get a homologation to sell new RHD cars there. But getting a V8 converted E82 registered in germany would be a nightmare. - Funfact before WW2 some states in Austria were Lefthand traffic and and some drove on the right, RHD cars 1st registered on the continent were farily common before WW2
That 1M is absolutely gorgeous.
I thought this came from the factory before reading the description…I suppose the title gives it away!
What a wonderful Frankenstein car. The only thing wrong cosmetically, are those door mirrors. M-esque, but just use the originals...
13:10 So wrong that it's right. Just like two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do.
Right hand drive is not illega in Germany. Wonder where that myth comes from
Great video, but one correction; RHD cars are not illegal in Germany. I know a few people who had/have one, from a W123 Mercedes to a Range Rover. The main reason Germans don't like RHD cars is because it's harder to pass with them on country roads, which makes this one a bit of a head scratcher.
Good concept & sound, thanks J! 🙏🙏