In production since 2004 for the 2005 model year, the 1er used to mean something. Previously gifted with rear-wheel drive and straight-six powerplants, the BMW 1 Series from that period is very tunable as well.
The M140i we’re covering today is an F20 five-door hatchback that still features the original engine, ZF 8HP automatic transmission, and xDrive all-wheel drive. Be that as it may, it belts out in the ballpark of 700 ps (690 hp) and 930 Nm (686 pound-feet) of torque thanks to a less restrictive intake, exhaust, a larger turbo, a beefier fuel pump, and a reflashed ECU.
That’s quite a bit more than stock, namely 340 ps (335 hp) and 500 Nm (369 pound-feet). If those figures appear familiar, that’s because the Supra uses the B58 turbocharged inline-six engine in this very specification as well.
Tipping the scales at 1,540 kilograms (3,395 pounds), the modified 1er makes easy work of the Lamborghini Huracan STO rear-wheel-drive supercar. Owned by former racing driver Daniel Abt, the raging bull simply doesn’t launch as hard off the line as the Bimmer even though it features wider and stickier boots. Over the quarter mile, the tuned M140i posted 10.55 seconds and the Super Trofeo Omologato recorded 10.84 seconds.
The best half-mile runs were 16.71 seconds for the 1 Series and 16.88 seconds for the Huracan, which is pretty darn impressive for the underdog. In terms of acceleration, all-wheel drive and forced induction helped the BMW reach 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour in 2.93 seconds whereas the Lambo settled for 3.28 seconds. Given that it’s completely unmodified, the free-breathing V10 supercar from Sant’Agata Bolognese is a properly quick machine even though it’s designed with corners in mind.
Launched in November 2020, the Huracan STO costs a whopping $327,838 yet packs the same 640 ps (630 hp) as the all-wheel-drive Huracan Evo.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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