Some mad genius in the UK created what might be the most hilariously fun Frankenstein BMW. It started out life as a pretty pedestrian little cruiser, a UK-market 2009 BMW 120i M Sport Convertible. So it looked cool and handled well, but had a tiny engine and uninspiring performance. Then someone had the bright idea to completely replace all of its important guts with those from an E90 M3. So it’s like an even better 1 Series M that can even drop its top, and it’s currently for sale on Piston Heads.
Visually, you’d think someone cut the top off of a 1 Series M. It has the same wide fenders of that car, the same front fender vent, the same wheels, and an identical front bumper. So it looks like a convertible 1M, which is cool on its own. But it doesn’t have the 1M’s 3.0-liter turbocharged I6. Instead, it has the S65 4.0-liter naturally aspirated V-8 from an E90 M3. I’ve seen some 1 Series Ms get S65 swaps, but never in a convertible. Oh, and it has a six-speed manual, as it should.
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The interior was updated, too. So it has seats from an F82 M4 Competition, and Alcantara trim on the gauge cluster, handbrake boot, and steering wheel. All of which have orange contrast stitching, just like a proper 1 Series M. That same stitching carries over to the door panels and, interestingly, the seats. The latter of which is impressive, as F80 M3 seats never came with such stitching. According to the listing, the custom interior was done by a company called Transcal, and they seem to have done a good job. It even has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Using the S65 engine in a convertible is a sensational experience, as you get to heat that monster engine rev past 8000 rpm without a pesky roof ruining the fun. But in this car, you not only get that experience, but you also get an almost muscle car experience. That V-8’s 414 horsepower might not seem like a lot by modern standards, but it’s a helluva lot for something so small, with such a short wheelbase, and so light. Drop the top in this thing and you’ll probably have to pull the smile off your face with a winch.
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The listing claims that around $141,000 were spent making this conversion, and while that seems like a lot of money, I can kind of see it. It looks immaculately done, like it could have come from the factory like that. It’s currently on sale for £56,500 ($75,687 USD), which sounds like a bargain compared to how much it reportedly costs. Is that too much for a nearly 20-year-old sports car that’s been heavily modified? I don’t know but I’m not sure you can put a price tag on driving a V8-powered convertible BMW the size of some large shoes.