The BMW i8 Is Finally Getting The Engine Swap It Deserves

The BMW i8 looked like a supercar, but it never really had the performance cred to back up those looks. It had a turbocharged 1.5-liter plug-in hybrid powertrain that made a combined 360 horsepower in its final model year. Now, YouTuber Trevor Elam is fixing BMW’s biggest mistake by swapping out the hybrid for a B58 3.0-liter straight-six engine.  

The project is just getting started, with Elam’s first video covering the removal of the i8’s original powertrain. This includes removing the battery to create a transmission tunnel in the space between the seats and designing new subframes for the vehicle.  

The straight-six engine will go in the front, where BMW had placed the electric motor. The engine is from a 2017 BMW 340i xDrive and should sit mostly behind the front wheels. The turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six made 320 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque in the sedan, but the plan is to tune it to 700 horsepower.  

It’s unclear how the inline-six will affect the car’s weight distribution and handling, but the hybrid powertrain provides plenty of room to make the necessary hardware modifications. We hope the project doesn’t encounter too many unforeseen obstacles because we would love to see the i8 with a proper straight-six engine.