It sounds incredible, too.
Turbocharged engines are great for performance but don’t have the same guttural quality as properly tuned, naturally aspirated powerplants. This clip shows a BMW 1 Series competing at the St. Ursanne Hillclimb. It packs a turbo-free, inline-six engine that produces 370 horsepower (276kilowatts) at an astonishing 8,500 revs.
Nicolas Jolidon, the owner of the engine, had also modified the body to make it more competitive. The corners have canards and the driver’s side headlights are now an air intake. Heat management will be improved by the presence of vents under the hood. The hatchback has a huge wing and wider fenders that allow you to fit meatier rubber for better traction. On the front fender of the hatchback’s driver side, you will see the old-school blue, purple and red BMW M livery. Also, a portion of the wings.
The 1 Series produces a wonderful, mechanical sound. Close your eyes and you could mistake the engine note as a race-prepped E36 or E46-generation . The hatchback is fast and can handle the curves on these twisty roads. Owners should be proud that they built a powerful vehicle for competition use. The 1 Series seems odd as a starting point for a hill climb vehicle.
This generation of the 1 Series was not available in America as a hatchback. However, it was offered as a convertible and two-door sedan. The base models were offered with a 3.0-liter inline six engine. Buyers could upgrade to a turbocharged model, while the top-of-the-line 1 Series M Coupe had a 335-horsepower (325-kilowatts) version of the forced induction mill.