{"id":84443,"date":"2025-12-19T01:12:31","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T06:12:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=84443"},"modified":"2025-12-19T01:12:31","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T06:12:31","slug":"3-modern-bmws-that-deserved-a-v8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=84443","title":{"rendered":"3 Modern BMWs That Deserved a V8 Engine"},"content":{"rendered":"

BMW\u2019s history with V8s is a strangely selective one. Some of the brand\u2019s most iconic cars were built around eight cylinders\u2014the E39 M5, the E92 M3, the E38 7 Series, and the timeless beauty that is the 507 all leaned on V8 power<\/a> to make their point. But the V8 was never BMW\u2019s default performance answer, and it\u2019s not what Bavaria is most known for. BMW earned its reputation on brilliant four-cylinders and straight-sixes\u2014engines with a crisp, mechanical clarity that became part of the brand\u2019s DNA. Still, looking back, it\u2019s hard not to feel like Munich left a few great V8 opportunities on the table, especially in the modern era.<\/p>\n

And sure, stuffing V8s into everything was AMG\u2019s whole thing in the 2000s and 2010s, while BMW played the scalpel to AMG\u2019s hammer. But a handful of modern Bimmers were itching for eight cylinders, and with V8s clearly on borrowed time, it\u2019s hard not to wish BMW had built a few more. So which BMWs would\u2019ve been even better with a V8?<\/strong><\/p>\n

BMW 1M<\/h3>\n

This is an easy one. The BMW 1M<\/a> will always be an enthusiast-darling, due to its raucous turbocharged straight-six engine, razor-sharp handling, and pugnacious looks. It was also a bit of an underdog, having been made from the M Division\u2019s parts bin, with a non-M Division engine. Despite all of that, it\u2019s beloved as is.<\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t mean it can\u2019t be better, though. Several tuners have already realized the 1M\u2019s potential and stuffed the E92 M3\u2019s S65<\/a> 4.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 under its hood. It\u2019s a tight fit, but it works, and it adds so much more character to the littlest M car. Even if you forget the power increase\u2014which is substantial, as the S65 made 414 horsepower, compared to the 1M\u2019s paltry 335 horsepower\u2014the S65\u2019s 8,250-rpm redline and spine-tingling noise are vastly superior to the 1M\u2019s standard blown-six.<\/p>\n

Add that high-revving V8 and killer soundtrack to what is already one of the most fun-to-drive BMWs of the modern era, and you have the perfect M car. Plus, you\u2019d finally be giving it a proper M engine, rather than just an off-the-shelf N54.<\/p>\n

While several tuners have already built such cars, don\u2019t expect to see many more. BMW only built 6,309 1Ms for customers worldwide, and only for the 2011 model year, which makes it rare and valuable. Modifying it can reduce that value, especially with something as drastic as an engine swap. So you won\u2019t see too many owners lining up to drop a different engine under its hood anytime soon. Still, for those that do, it\u2019s a combination from the car gods.<\/p>\n

G80 BMW M3<\/h3>\n

Let\u2019s start by saying that there\u2019s nothing wrong with the G80 M3<\/a> as it stands. Its S55 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six is a masterpiece of power and delivery. In the M3 CS, BMW claims 523 horsepower, but it feels even more monstrous than that. It wouldn\u2019t surprise me if its true power figure started with a \u201c6.\u201d However, it does have one flaw: noise. The S55 just doesn\u2019t sound good, even with fancier M Performance exhaust systems. It sounds flat and generic, as if it were tuned in Forza. So while its on-road results are thrilling, its noise never really is.<\/p>\n

A V8 would fix that. I\u2019m imagining what BMW\u2019s new S63<\/a> engine would be like, and it\u2019s legendary, at least in my head. The S63 powers every big Bimmer from the M5 to the X7, and it\u2019s a monster of a powerplant. It makes 617 horsepower in most applications and is capable of much more. But it isn\u2019t necessarily the extra power that I think would make it work so well in the M3, as that car is already fast enough. Instead, it\u2019s the character it would add.<\/p>\n

The G80 M3 isn\u2019t like M3s of old. It isn\u2019t a scalpel-sharp sports car that just so happens to have back seats. It\u2019s far more brutal than that, with seemingly endless grip and power. Driving the G80 M3 fast doesn\u2019t feel like you\u2019re dancing across the pavement, like it did in the greatest of M3s, but like you\u2019re pummeling the pavement into submission. So I feel like a burly twin-turbo V8 would fit its character so much better, especially with all-wheel drive.<\/p>\n

Ironically, what such a combination makes me think of isn\u2019t a BMW M product, but a Mercedes AMG. More specifically, the epic W204 Mercedes C63 AMG. OK, that had AMG\u2019s naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8, the absolute best engine I\u2019ve ever used, so the M3 wouldn\u2019t be that special. However, a combination of the G80 M3\u2019s agile handling, sharp steering, and tenacious grip with the S63\u2019s power and noise would be the stuff of legends. We\u2019d be talking about it for decades to come. Now imagine it as a wagon\u2026<\/p>\n

BMW i8<\/h3>\n

I\u2019ve driven many BMW i8s<\/a> over the years and, during every single drive, I always felt it needed to ditch its hybrid system for a proper internal combustion engine. Don\u2019t get me wrong, I love a good hybrid system, I love EVs, and the i8\u2019s powertrain was quite brilliant in its day. However, as brilliant as its three-cylinder, all-wheel drive hybrid setup was, it was the weakest part of the car.<\/p>\n

The i8 had a sensational mid-engine chassis, something that BMW fans begged their favorite brand to build for decades following the iconic M1. They\u2019ve been begging BMW ever since, too. So it\u2019s a shame that the Bavarians wasted it on a hybrid that only made 369 horsepower. OK, so it still managed a sub-four-second 0-60 mph time, thanks to its fairly light 3,501-pound curb weight. But it had so much more potential than that.<\/p>\n

Instead of a puny Mini-sourced turbocharged three-cylinder behind the driver, the BMW i8 should have had the S65 V8. Yes, the S65 was a bit old at that point, and probably wouldn\u2019t have met emissions. But if BMW could have figured it out, it would have made for an absolutely sensational supercar, one that would be inked in history books. The i8\u2019s chassis was a thing of carbon-fiber beauty, and its looks were from another planet. Can you imagine a 414-horsepower, 8,250-rpm screamer powering it? And since the S65 isn\u2019t that much longer than the three-cylinder it\u2019d replace, it would even fit pretty decently. BMW even confessed that it was originally designed to fit the S85 V10. However, I think the lighter, smaller V8 would have fit the i8\u2019s personality a bit better.<\/p>\n

More importantly, it\u2019d solve the exhaust issue. With the i8, BMW faced the difficult challenge of making a three-cylinder sound worthy of a six-figure mid-engine supercar. And, frankly, it failed. Which is why it had to resort to cabin speaker trickery to make the driver think there was something spicier behind their head. What I didn\u2019t know until a recent Hagerty video with Jason Cammisa<\/a> is that BMW also made a fake exhaust pipe that was essentially a speaker, to trick even outside bystanders into thinking it was more exciting than it was. That\u2019s unforgivable and completely tarnishes the i8, at least in my heart. So rip out the Mini engine and the bulbous exhaust speaker, and stuff in a screaming V8 that can make a proper noise. It\u2019d be the modern supercar that fans always wanted, but BMW never built. Hopefully, a creative and adventurous tuner reads this and gets to work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BMW\u2019s history with V8s is a strangely selective one. Some of the brand\u2019s most iconic cars were built around eight cylinders\u2014the E39 M5, the E92 M3, the E38 7 Series, and the timeless beauty that is the 507 all leaned on V8 power to make their point. But the V8 was never BMW\u2019s default performance […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":84444,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-84443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=84443"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84443\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/84444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=84443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=84443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=84443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}