- There are all kinds of cars that I like.
I like wide cars, I like narrow cars,
heavy cars, light cars, wide cars, small cars.
It's like a Dr. Seuss book up in here, all right.
But there are very few cars nowadays
that are constantly trying to kill me.
Sometimes that's just not very fun.
I need a car every once in a while
that just makes every orifice in my body
just tighten up, kind of like a water tight suit.
That's what we're doing today.
I'm Alex, @ALEX.FI on Instagram.
In today's episode of Behind the Wheel.
We're taking a look at Jake's, 700 horsepower BMW 1 Series.
Even though it happens to be about 40 degrees outside
and we're on slick tires.
(upbeat music)
So jumping into Jake's 135.
He's got a dark gray single Turbo kit
with ball bearing six to six Turbo,
flashing cable,
OTG, USB adapter.
He's got the impact X clutch nine inch ceramic
Twin-disk clutch RTD,
18 inch wheels front 18 by eight plus 45
with a 18 by nine and a half.
Plus at the M3/1M front and rear Control Arm kit Bimmer.
M3/1M Oh my gosh.
Bimmer world stem style bumper,
a Seibon M3 starving carbon fiber hood
with the carbon on battery.
He's got the much now battery enclosure, Z H P's.
A burger Motorsports, cowl filters,
and it's black.
(Alex exhaling)
Let's drive it.
(car engine roaring)
It doesn't have a check engine light?
It doesn't have a check-
- I mean, it has one, but it's not on.
- It doesn't have a check engine light that is astonishing.
(Alex shouting)
We are living in luxury.
Never have I ever
been in a car,
that is pretty much stripped.
Ran as light as possible.
Has 750 horsepower
and still has an AC.
(car engine roaring)
Oh, it's okay.
It's okay, we're gonna to warm up.
It's okay friend, we're good.
(car engine roaring)
We are just gonna give it a minute, okay.
We don't want it to be angry.
Never have I been in a 750 horsepower car,
that's been caged.
Everything interior guarded.
Pretty much made into a track or drag car,
and yet the power windows still work
and the side mirrors still go down
when you put it in reverse.
Here's the really interesting thing about this car.
When the 135 was initially released it actually,
(car engine roaring)
Whoa, we're good.
When the one 35 was actually initially released,
it didn't receive a ton of positive press.
(car engine roaring)
People thought it looked weird.
(car engine roaring)
Which by today's standards.
I don't really think it does anymore.
I think the 1 series actually looks pretty similar
to the M2
and people love the M2.
I'm trying to let it warm up.
Cause I don't want it to be angry.
(car engine roaring)
The great news is even though
the 135 wasn't essentially had the best,
let's say initial reception by the public.
(car engine roaring)
It didn't matter because
(car engine roaring)
It didn't matter because of the fact that.
This car was an entry level BMW that came with
the N54 motor.
At that time, the world recognized that the N54
(car engine roaring)
was a pretty good platform to modify on.
(car engine roaring)
An entry level BMW with twin Turbo chargers,
a six speed transmission,
a shorten wheelbase.
What more could you want?
(car engine roaring)
That's essentially what happened with the 1 series
when it was essentially launched.
It did a fantastic job
at reaching the community that wanted to build them.
(car engine roaring)
When we're taking a look at Jake's BMW 1 series
and we see it built the way that it is,
it doesn't surprise me that much.
One of the craziest things about this 1 series,
and N54 and the BMW platform and the community right now
is there's so much aftermarket support.
There is so much community
around this motor specifically,
and this car generation as a whole.
Sure it doesn't have the best to love
when it was initially came out.
It doesn't need it.
This car is almost the perfect example
of just how much you can do to these cars
(car engine roaring)
and not lose that much.
The biggest thing that you lose is maybe some hearing
(car engine roaring)
but you didn't really need that anyway.
(car engine roaring)
I think Jake's BMW stands Testament
to the fact of not just BMW modifying it
(car engine roaring)
but what you can do to a modified car,
and still keep almost everything.
I mean, it's got power windows still.
It still has the AC, it's still has a radio.
Like what more could you want?
Now, probably one of the negatives
with a car like this,
is obviously when you build it so tall,
(car engine roaring)
you do lose
(car engine roaring)
a little bit of your daily drivability.
Now don't get me wrong.
I love the fact that it has a radio,
and I also love the fact
that it still has its air conditioning.
It definitely helps it,
(car engine roaring)
but it doesn't change the fact
that I can't really hear myself, even think.
Great news though,
and an automatic additional point.
(car engine roaring)
This car doesn't have racing harnesses
because it doesn't need them.
You don't need racing harnesses.
(car engine roaring)
Brakes are good, the car feels fantastic.
Really, the only thing about this car
is the fact that it's just really damn loud, which I mean,
(car engine roaring)
Hilltop
(car engine roaring)
There we go.
(car engine roaring)
I don't know why you wouldn't just do that
at every stop light.
That's all I'm gonna say about it.
(car engine roaring)
The only other negative that comes with a car like this,
especially as you start to build one yourself.
The platform it's a bit finicky.
(car engine roaring)
There's a lot of people
(car engine roaring)
that will literally risk their lives
to say that the N54
is a great platform
and that people just don't understand that.
(car engine roaring)
That's true.
(car engine roaring)
It is just like to a lot of people,
some of the more unconventional built motors.
I mean, there's a lot of those out there.
Not every car is going to perform like an LS
in terms of reliability.
(car engine roaring)
If you can get past that,
the N54 is a fantastic platform to build upon.
It just requires a little bit more love.
It's like a European rotary.
(car engine roaring)
Jake's car doesn't really hesitate.
It doesn't skip too much.
It's a little crazy at the lower RPMs,
but it's because it's not built to stay there.
The car itself performs very well.
It feels connected.
Nothing about the car is shaking.
There's nothing that makes me feel like
there was a corner skipped.
(car engine roaring)
It's a monster,
for one very specific purpose.
(car engine roaring)
It's to go fast in a straight line
and maybe, just maybe
(car engine roaring)
a corner or two.
The door cards are carbon fiber.
I wonder how much weight we actually saved.
Jake's car is pretty much like the perfect combination
of maximum performance
while still trying to maintain some sort of sensibility.
It's like, he's trying to wear a tux,
but there's still zippers
to turn them into shorts if you needed to.
This car checks a lot of boxes
Crosses a lot of t's and adopts a lot of i's.
The biggest thing with that though,
It's loud
(beeping sound)
It's a fun car that we'll probably end up
either throwing you into a wall
or probably throwing you in jail.
If you keep it on the streets.
For that reason, in terms of commodity,
in terms of community reliability and performance.
I give Jake's car a 28 out of 30
and just a couple two points short
for the fact that I think I'm screaming right now
because I can't hear myself think.
It's a fantastic car on a pretty sick setup.
Of course, you know,
not everybody likes going with a 750 horsepower car,
but I do, and it's fun dammit.
This is my show and am gonna rate it what I want.
I feel like right after market wheels, tires and suspension,
be sure to check us out over our Fitmentindustries.com.
In terms of the one series that we does do really good.
It's like a predecessor to the M2,
even though most people probably don't think it is.
The N54 engine is pretty unreliable though.
If you're not Jake and you don't actually do
all the research on the forums.
You're pretty much setting yourself up to fail.
There's so many people that buy the N54,
and then they just stay broken forever
and then they blame the motor.
It's not the motor's fault that it failed.
It's probably actually you.