Yesterday

Ever wondered how a V8 1M Convertible might look?

Here's the answer...

---

Courageous car people are to be commended. It’d be boring, after all, if everybody went for the safe option and bought what they were supposed to. Or what was readily available off the shelf. We’ve all conjured up dream builds with friends or bored on a work call, but very, very few have seen the idea through. This person did… 

What you’re looking at here is what happens when a BMW lover spends more than £100,000 taking the best bits of 1M, V8 M3 and 1 Series Convertible. Even by one-off project car standards, it’s an unusual one. We’ve seen all sorts of engines in the 1 Series over the years, including the M5 V10; the M3 DCT has found its way into smaller coupes; the 1M has been tinkered with over the past 15 years, too. They’ve always had a roof, though - the word is overused these days, but this must be unique. And that’s to be applauded. 

You can’t keep looking either, right? There’s the 1M bodywork with a convertible roof to get your head around first. Then the M3 V8 under the bonnet, the manual gearbox in the middle, the orange stitching on later M4 seats matched to the M Performance wheel… Some real time and effort (and money) have gone into this, undoubtedly. Completed in 2025, it surely can’t have been used much since.

The attention will be off the scale. People will hear an M3 but see a 1 Series, note a convertible but also the 1M bits, expect a DCT change and hear a manual one. It’s the best kind of headscrambling project car, the most right kind of wrong there is, and looks to have been nicely done. So much so, in fact, that you might want to have the screen taken off the dash…

Obviously any prospective buyer will want to know everything possible about the conversion process, check that all the features work as they should and have a good chat with their insurance company. This is very far from your average BMW. It’s the final 10 per cent that takes up 90 per cent of the build time, or so the saying goes, meaning it’s best to be sure. Your local dealer might get in a bit of a muddle with it.

Basically, whoever buys it next will need a similar level of BMW love to the person who commissioned the 1M V8 Convertible. Because either you’ll get it, and can afford more than £50k for it, or you won’t - that’s the joy of passion projects. Obviously it’s more than an M3 of the era, but that’s not the point - rational, objective arguments will never stand up well to such a build. The point is fun, surely, and a V8-powered 1 Series looks nothing if not fun. Purists, avert your gaze if you haven’t already…

---

See the original advert

[McRors]

I love that someone had done this but why not buy a V8 M3?

[Taz73]

McRors said:

I love that someone had done this but why not buy a V8 M3?

I would say because the 1M, or any 1 series coupe is a better looking car but then it’s a convertible, which I also like, but not as much as the coupe. Just something about it that is just right, to my eyes, the 2 series coupe that replaced it never looked as good. All in my personal opinion of course.

That it’s been done professionally by a BMW specialist company as opposed to a man in a shed probably helps alleviate any fears of shoddy workmanship, I’d hope. Wish I was able to have something like this, though I’d probably just have a standard 1M as they are stunning.

[Bencolem]

Think it’s fantastic - but surprised there’s no carbon plenum and intake under the bonnet: surely it’s all about the noise with the roof down!

[rix]

I really do like that. That's a brave bit of spending on a 120i - looks great value in terms of how much spent, but really difficult to value. The 135i cab with a manual has always been a bit of a dirty secret desire for me which might explain it!

Edit - more power and virtually the same looks - 10% of the price...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202608255...

Edited by rix on Sunday 18th October 08:00

Edited by rix on Sunday 18th October 08:01

[GreatScott2016]

I applaud the commitment, but there’s just something too “fake” about it. Mind you, any attempt to play with what is essentially the coupe 1M shape is verging on sacrilege to me .

[stuart100]

What a ridiculous price. I have the M3 convertible with its brilliant hard top folding roof. Overall I think it will be far superior to this (looks, practicality). Much better value for money. I expect this will be faster and more fun I expect though which is the point though to be honest.

[swanny71]

Not for me but if my numbers ever come up, I’d immediately commission a 1M “as if BMW built it” with an S65 and DCT.

Owned and enjoyed a normal 1M for a few years but never really liked the N54. Also had a DCT E90 M3 for a few years but it was a little too big as my ideal daily and ruinously expensive to do 20k miles/year (even when Super UL was “cheap”).

A love child of the two and unlimited funds would make me very happy.

[stuart100]

What a ridiculous price. I have the M3 convertible with its brilliant hard top folding roof. Overall I think it will be far superior to this (looks, practicality). Much better value for money. I expect this will be faster and more fun I expect though which is the point though to be honest.

[andy43]

That’s ace. Absolute bargain for what you’re getting - find another one!
PS cheap tax too

[MDL111]

Generally not a fan of convertibles, but this is rather cool. Would love to own that.

[Robertb]

I can never understand why people spend a fortune on something like this then sell it significantly below cost after little use.

Maybe money is no object and they enjoy the execution more than the result.

[Monkeylegend]

You spend £106k over the last two years creating it then offer it for sale at £50k less.

Makes no sense,

[Bluehorseshoe]

Maybe these things its the fun in creating it then move on to the next project. Its a bit like Barabus etc they are 2x the price but when used seem to hang around for ages slowly seeing the price fall. Still amazing cars and if you had the funds surely you would make a car your own dream spec and then move on to the next. I always liked the banks Europa but with a lotus V8 if possible shoe horned in. Horses for courses this would be a pass for me but happy someone made it.

[brillomaster]

There are some people for whom the project IS the point. The enjoyment is building the thing, no interest in actually driving the completed build. They'll be onto the next project, putting a v10 into a tt or something, despite a perfectly good r8 already existing.

As for this, its not for me. If I wanted a v8 convertible m car, id buy a cheap m3. But I have no interest in taking on an automotive project of this scale.

[GreatScott2016]

Monkeylegend said:

You spend £106k over the last two years creating it then offer it for sale at £50k less.

Makes no sense,

That was my first thought too

[Water Fairy]

Came here to say MKraft have been doing coupe versions of these for a while now. I get my X3 serviced there and there is often one parked up.

From the conversations I have had with them about these the 100k spend sounds high, although the cost of OE 1M body panels would make the Sultan of Brunei draw breath.

Last time I was there they had a metallic green coupe with a tan interior which was lurvely.

Edited to say I distinctly remember one for sale a while back through them for a round £30-35k.

[sixor8]

andy43 said:

That s ace. Absolute bargain for what you re getting - find another one!
PS cheap tax too

Only because the DVLA have not been informed, still down as 1995cc.

In a pre 2001 car, you just inform them and that's it. But for a car that has the VED set by emissions, there may be more to it than just informing DVLA of a change in engine cc. Probably not, it'd need a lab test to assess the actual emissions, not just a static one like at an MoT.

[nismo48]

stuart100 said:

What a ridiculous price. I have the M3 convertible with its brilliant hard top folding roof. Overall I think it will be far superior to this (looks, practicality). Much better value for money. I expect this will be faster and more fun I expect though which is the point though to be honest.

Fair comment

[fflump]

GreatScott2016 said:

Monkeylegend said:

You spend £106k over the last two years creating it then offer it for sale at £50k less.

Makes no sense,

That was my first thought too

Since when does a passion for cars have to make sense? I daresay it was funded by some business or investment decisions that did make sense. There was a chap who took a diesel Mk6 Quattroporte and had a coachbuilder make it into an estate Cinqueporte. Was recently on C+C for £35k. Folk making bonkers mods and pursuing projects that make most folk scratch their heads just enriches automotive life.

[chunder]

rix said:

I really do like that. That's a brave bit of spending on a 120i - looks great value in terms of how much spent, but really difficult to value. The 135i cab with a manual has always been a bit of a dirty secret desire for me which might explain it!

Edit - more power and virtually the same looks - 10% of the price...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202608255...

Edited by rix on Sunday 18th October 08:00

Edited by rix on Sunday 18th October 08:01

That does put it into perspective - if there had been thousands clamouring for BMW to make a convertible 1M with a manual V8 then it may have had a market (bit like the M3 estate builds) but as collectors want originality it probably comes down to finding that 1 other person