A truly extreme BMW M240i project debuted at a recent auto show in the United States. The owner claimed he managed to nearly quadruple its engine output, and we are inclined to believe it by just looking at the sheer velocity of the car.
The build started with a massive 74mm Precision turbocharger set to apply up to 49 psi of boost pressure at higher gears. The 3.0-liter inline-six under the hood wound up with ported heads, special camshafts and a revised fuel system.
Most drag racers are RWD for a reason, but the owner of this BMW M240i xDrive decided to keep the four driven wheels. He had to reinforce the transmission, replace both axles and install a carbon-fiber driveshaft for the things to remain stable under load. The exterior and the cabin were all but abandoned in the process, turning the German coupe into a veritable wolf in sheep’s skin.
When all was said and done, the output went from the stock 386 PS (381 hp / 284 kW) all the way up to 1,521 PS (1,500 hp / 1,119 kW). The man behind the build claims his M240i is the fastest in the world. We couldn’t check that claim extensively, but we do know that it made a quarter-mile run not long ago that saw it accelerate to 281 km/h (175 mph) and was over in 7.9 seconds. That frankly does sound like a world record.