Although exceptionally rare, a BMW 1M with a big ol’ V8 is not completely unheard-of. In fact, Evolve Automotive’s 1 Series M Coupe already had eight cylinders courtesy of an S65 swap. Now, the project car has received another engine transplant with one important letter change. Yes, it now has a P65. In case you’re unfamiliar with this codename, it’s basically the motorsport version of the S65.
BMW put this engine in several race cars, and you probably remember it from the Z4 GT3. Built by BMW Motorsport and said to cost a whopping €90,000, this naturally aspirated V8 is now inside a road car. The 4.4-liter unit revs to a screaming 9,000 rpm and belts out over 500 horsepower. The P65 comes from Super GT racing team Studie AG and was sourced from a Z4 GT3.
Predictably, putting the P65 in the engine bay was not a plug-and-play solution. Evolve Automotive has released a timelapse of the transformation, which involved making the engine more suitable for a road car. Reliability was a main priority while working on the build, so you can imagine cooling plays an important part. The 1M received a full CSF kit originally intended for the M3 E90/E92/E93.
The dry sump setup had to be removed because this is a right-hand-drive car. As Evolve Automotive explains, the dry sump connections sit where the steering rack is on an RHD 1M. The aftermarket shop sourced the dual-clutch automatic gearbox, exhaust manifold, and other hardware from the previous S65 build. In addition, Evolve Automotive installed its own Vanos covers along with NRW valve covers sent by FCP Euro.
The modded 1M will undergo additional changes before showing up at SEMA in early November. FCP Euro will work on the suspension while IND will tweak the body and paint to get it ready for the big event in Las Vegas where it will be displayed at CSF’s stand.
Source: Evolve Automotive / YouTube