i8 [Hot!] BMW i8 With a V8

[Betty Swollocks]

If only BMW did this from the start.

"The team at Gabura Racing Technologies, a motorsports engineering company with expertise in race transmissions and custom builds, has taken BMW’s plug-in hybrid i8 sportscar and turned it into a supercar. The Munich-based company (handy, yes?) has removed all vestiges of futuristic hybrid technology from the i8, and rather than plug in a power cord has plugged in a supertuned BMW S63 twin-turbo V8 — mounted in the front, no less. That engine, the M-version of the occasionally maligned and once-recalled N63 4.4-litre, already boasts 560 horses, and the boosted Gabura version (apparently pre-tweaked by BMW tuner Alpina) is said to add at least 200 more."


http://www.bbc.com/autos/story/20151201-for-bmws-i8-the-m5s-v8

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-germancars/the-gabura-v8i-is-a-bmw-based-hypercar/33334

 

[klier]

So an 800 hp i8. Sounds interesting, I hope they gave it wider tires, lol

 

[Giannis]

It was bound to happen. I'm glad these guys proved it doable.

 

[Sunny]

I wish they went with S65 or even S85 instead.

 

[Mr Robert]

I could not find any pictures showing it straigt from the side. I'm a bit curious about the position of the engine.

 

[Sunny]

I could not find any pictures showing it straigt from the side. I'm a bit curious about the position of the engine.

 

[martinbo]

Object. Defeated.

 

[Wunderkind]

Object. Defeated.

Agree, but it will be interesting to see what they come up with at the end. A lot of work will be required for cooling the engine and the heat insulation between the Hot-V engine and the cabin. Not sure it will work.

 

[KiwiRob]

This must be the first time anyone has taken a mid engined car and turned it into a front engined car. I would have through the best way to go for a whole lot of reasons would be to stick the engine where it belongs in the middle and lose the +2 seats.

 

[Monster]

This must be the first time anyone has taken a mid engined car and turned it into a front engined car. I would have through the best way to go for a whole lot of reasons would be to stick the engine where it belongs in the middle and lose the +2 seats.

I don't think they want to mess with the rear carbon bulkhead.

 

[Wunderkind]

This must be the first time anyone has taken a mid engined car and turned it into a front engined car. I would have through the best way to go for a whole lot of reasons would be to stick the engine where it belongs in the middle and lose the +2 seats.

That's close to impossible given the i8's carbon tub and drastic changes will have to be made to the back half of the car (don't forget there must be space for the transmission - most definitely a transaxle layout for this). I think these guys decided to put the engine at the front because there is just not enough space in the back of the car for a V8 and a transmission without ruining the design and packaging. Cooling is the big issue here and there is not enough space on either side of the car for new channels, scoops, and ducts to feed air to a midship engine without further ruining the shape of the car.

You just can't simply "lose" the rear seats with a carbon tub. You can get ride of the seats but the space will not be very useful engineering-wise. You can't simply use the space to install a larger fuel tank.

A front engine layout also allows the use of wholesale BMW and M components such as radiators, front-end structure, HVAC system, and steering rack.

I still think the project is too ambitious and will not be feasible car in hotter climate countries.