[Nair.V8]

With the recent influx of amazing driving roads around Mumbai, I’ve developed a strong desire to own a fun project car for weekend and late-night drives. With a budget of up to 15L, I’ve been scouring the internet for the past few months in search of the perfect car. My wishlist included a variety of used enthusiast-cars such as the Polo GT, Accord V6, W211/W212 E-class V6, F30 320d/328i, F10 530d, and more. However, one car that always had my heart was the F20 1-series— the idea of a rear-wheel-drive BMW hatchback really intrigued me. A special thanks to BHPian n:CorE for his comprehensive 116i thread, which gave me great clarity on the 1 Series and further fueled my desire to own one. It checked all the boxes for a great project car, but finding a clean, MH registered 1-series within my budget wasn’t going to be easy.

My search began with a friends pristine LCi 118d from Mumbai, which had some rather tasteful mods & OEM+ upgrades. As great as the car was, I couldn’t move forward due to the high prices of the LCi models (only 25 LCi’s were ever sold in India). I then looked at a few other 116i’s and 118d’s from different sellers, but none gave me the confidence to go through with the deal.

Then one day, I found a listing on Facebook marketplace for a 2013 base-variant 118d, available with a dealer in Khargar. It was a second-owner car with 86k kms on the odometer, MH registered (big plus!), and they had posted several unfiltered photos from all angles. The listing had an honest feel to it, so I decided to check it out.



Upon reaching the dealers location, the car appeared to be in great condition physically (especially considering its age). There were negligible dings & scratches, plenty of usual swirl marks on its paint, some sun damage to the paint/plastics, but everything looked & felt intact. A close physical inspection from all angles gave assurance that it was a non-accidental car (atleast no major ones for sure). The car felt very spartan on the inside as this was the base variant, but it gave this simplistic, no-nonsense, German vibe and I loved it for this! There’s no i-drive, the factory audio system has only a single CD player, radio, aux & Bluetooth for calls, no climate control Aircon, fabric seats with manual adjustment, no sunroof, no electric folding mirrors, no cruise control & halogen lights everywhere! The lack of gadgets meant that it would be easy to live with, also there is no dearth of retrofits possible on these F-series BMW’s.

The test drive revealed that the suspension was at the end of its life, brakes felt rather weak, tyres weren’t road worthy, but the engine & gearbox felt smooth and effortless. It was obvious that the previous owner didn’t do much to keep it in best shape, but the fundamentals of the car felt solid. I decided to come back another day with a good friend who’s quite familiar with German cars & an expert in doing OBD scans. The scan revealed no errors or any cause for concerns, and thus I closed the deal with the seller at a mutually agreeable price.

On collection day, I decided to immediately replace the worn-out old tyres with a new set. I was torn between upgrading the rims as well, but ultimately sensibility prevailed, and I chose not to invest in a new set of rims for now. The current 16” rims were still in excellent condition, and with the uncertainty of potential costs for a thorough car service, it made sense to hold off. The base model 118d originally came with 205/55 R16 tyres, I upgraded to 225/50 R16 Yokohama BlueEarth GTs. This change provides a slightly wider footprint and a marginally better stance.



The same weekend, I took the F20 for a Sunday morning run with Cars & Coffee Bombay. Despite the obvious weak brakes & old suspension, the drive was rather enjoyable, and it gave me some clarity on how to start the build.







I knew right from the beginning that Redline Autohaus would be the best place for building my project car. The owner Akshay has worked on quite a few F20’s over the years (including BHPian n:CorE ex-116i, a friends LCi 118d and few others), he personally owns one too! After a detailed discussion with Akshay, the following list of things were decided:

• A thorough service that includes change of filters/fluids.
• Service of braking system & upgraded brake pads.
• Suspension check, upgrade to Bilstein B6 dampers.
• A stage 2 remap paired with a custom downpipe, pushing the power above 200hp & 400Nm.
• Repainting the rims to a gray/gunmetal shade, gloss black paint on the ORVMs & front grill.

After the car was sent to Redline, Akshay discovered a faulty DSC module and a coolant leak. The defective DSC module was replaced with a used one in good condition, and the braking system was fully serviced. The OEM brake discs were skimmed, and the OEM brake pads were swapped out for Brembo pads. The coolant leak was traced to a cracked L-joint, which was also replaced. After these repairs, the brakes still felt weak, and at times, the wheels would lock up during emergency braking. The car was returned to Redline for another round of brake bleeding and a brake fluid top-up to completely remove any air bubbles from the system. Following this, the braking issues were resolved, and the system began working perfectly.

Now, for the fun part! The performance and suspension upgrades have completely transformed this modest 118d into a true powerhouse! With the Quantum ECU tune and custom downpipe, the 118d accelerates in a relentless yet smooth manner, all while delivering an exhilarating sound! This is best enjoyed in Sport mode, where the ZF 8-speed transmission holds gears at higher RPMs and downshifts eagerly, creating a lively driving experience!

Another significant upgrade has been the Bilstein B6 dampers, which have taken the ride and handling to an entirely new level! The ride quality is noticeably firmer at lower speeds, though still manageable. Every bump and imperfection in the road is felt, but there's a refined sophistication in how it handles these imperfections. At higher speeds, the stability and composure it provides are nothing short of impressive! The 118d takes corners like it's on rails, handling with the agility of a go-kart and virtually no body roll. Overall, these upgrades have greatly increased the fun factor!





The subtle cosmetic changes (Gunmetal rims, blacked-out ORVMs, and front grill) have added character to the F20’s appearance, enhancing its sporty look to match the performance upgrades. With the mechanical side of the car now sorted, there are plans for some cosmetic and feature upgrades in the near future to elevate the comfort and luxury quotient. Stay tuned for more updates, cheers!

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Reviews section. Thanks for sharing!

Going to our homepage tomorrow

[Aditya666]

I'm so happy with the way this turned out.

What started as a breakfast conversation 2 months ago has finally come together and how!

After driving it yesterday, it's safe to say this is one of the most fun packages you can have in a project car.

What we drove last month before you finalized it and what it is now are 2 totally different cars.

Kudos to you and wishing you many more happy miles in this little beauty!

[Nair.V8]

Originally Posted by Aditya666

I'm so happy with the way this turned out.

What started as a breakfast conversation 2 months ago has finally come together and how!

After driving it yesterday, it's safe to say this is one of the most fun packages you can have in a project car.

What we drove last month before you finalized it and what it is now are 2 totally different cars.

Kudos to you and wishing you many more happy miles in this little beauty!

Big thanks to you for doing a proper check on the car, it was the final approval i needed before closing the deal! It’s so rewarding to see everything come together like this! I’m so happy with how it turned out, and it’s all thanks to the efforts we’ve put in. Here’s to many more fun drives!

[n:CorE]

Dude, my heartiest congratulations to you on your fantastic 118d build! The diesel engine is far more robust and the stage 2 numbers are juicy(as is the FE). A properly having your cake and eating it too scenario. The F20 is indeed a very special platform. Having already done the Bilstein B6s, do consider a Quaife Differential ATB LSD unit as the cherry on top of your RWD hatch cake.

If not already done or in consideration, you have more software flashing avenues like a TCU tune (xHP/BMW Sport Transmission) & Sport+ Mode coding.

I appreciate the shout-out and am glad that my thread was a useful resource for you. Wishing you very many happy miles in your little red beast. I eagerly look forward to more updates on your build!

Best Regards,
Akash

[diskeind]

That was an amazing project, I really like the custom alloys you used in there it looks really good, it's my first time posting anything on this website, but I am gonna tell you because of this post I learnt something new, the beauty of tuning older performance cars.

[Rapid]

Noob question, but can anyone share the pre and post modification power figures of this red-hot beast?

[Sandeepsunny]

That's one special hatchback. If you are willing to, can you share the cost of the service and for other changes you have made. It will be really useful for those who want go similiar route

[Beam_it_Vikk]

Post deleted by the Team-BHP Support: The use of AI / ChatGPT is strictly prohibited on Team-BHP. Do NOT use AI / ChatGPT to compose your posts, or even enhance the language of your written material.

On Team-BHP, we take pride in our original thoughts, opinions & content. Kindly type out only your own ideas, comments & language. Do not use AI software to even rewrite your post or tweak its language.

We strongly advise you to visit our forum rules section again.

[Ak24rapid]

Hi, it's a really nice report about the car and what a beautiful machine you have. I still remember the days when I was a 5-year-old boy, having a die-cast BMW 1 Series and dreaming of owning one someday.

[rnair]

Hi.... Looks like we have more than one thing in common. I also picked up mine a couple of years back purely for this very reason. Probably the last rear wheel hatchback of our times. This is the most apt project car among the usual GT's and Skodas but also being a sleeper. Often mistaken as a Polo but have had loads of people (enthusiasts) coming over and discussing the car at coffee shops, garages and even grocery stores. With the F20, the story is, if you know, you know. A lot of people have often asked me, whats so special, but wait till you flex it on the highway, the stability it provides and unmentionable speeds is phenomenal. The only problems is in traffic and on bad roads, its a little tiresome and hard. But take her out on nights on free roads, its literally point it- shoot it.

[Nair.V8]

Originally Posted by n:CorE

Dude, my heartiest congratulations to you on your fantastic 118d build! The diesel engine is far more robust and the stage 2 numbers are juicy(as is the FE). A properly having your cake and eating it too scenario. The F20 is indeed a very special platform. Having already done the Bilstein B6s, do consider a Quaife Differential ATB LSD unit as the cherry on top of your RWD hatch cake.

If not already done or in consideration, you have more software flashing avenues like a TCU tune (xHP/BMW Sport Transmission) & Sport+ Mode coding.

I appreciate the shout-out and am glad that my thread was a useful resource for you. Wishing you very many happy miles in your little red beast. I eagerly look forward to more updates on your build!

Best Regards,
Akash

Hey Akash, thank you so much for the kind words! The Quaife ATB LSD sounds like an amazing addition, I’ll definitely look into that along with the TCU tune and Sport+ Mode coding you mentioned. I’m really enjoying the build so far, and I cant thank you enough for providing one of the most detailed ownership reports on the F20 (in India). I’ll be updating this thread as things progress. Thanks again for all the advice and support!

Regards,
Anand

Originally Posted by diskeind

That was an amazing project, I really like the custom alloys you used in there it looks really good, it's my first time posting anything on this website, but I am gonna tell you because of this post I learnt something new, the beauty of tuning older performance cars.

Thanks diskeind, glad to hear that you enjoyed this post. Cheers!

Originally Posted by Rapid

Noob question, but can anyone share the pre and post modification power figures of this red-hot beast?

Hi there Rapid! The stock pre-facelift 118d (with the N47 motor) makes 143hp & 320nm, after the remap & downpipe she is now pushing upwards of 200hp & 400nm.

Originally Posted by Sandeepsunny

That's one special hatchback. If you are willing to, can you share the cost of the service and for other changes you have made. It will be really useful for those who want go similiar route

Thanks Sandeepsunny! The basic service cost on the F20 118d is not that expensive, in my case it was roughly around 20k. However, this figure can vary based on the age & condition of the car. Overall I've spent close to 4L on this build so far, this includes the cost of new tires, new Bilstein B6's, new custom downpipe, new brake pads, the remap, the replacement DSC module, complete vehicle service & labor charges of course. You can get in touch with Redline Autohaus for specifics or any further details. Cheers!

Originally Posted by Ak24rapid

Hi, it's a really nice report about the car and what a beautiful machine you have. I still remember the days when I was a 5-year-old boy, having a die-cast BMW 1 Series and dreaming of owning one someday.

Thanks Ak24rapid! I hope you get to fulfil that dream of owning one soon!

Originally Posted by rnair

Hi.... Looks like we have more than one thing in common. I also picked up mine a couple of years back purely for this very reason. Probably the last rear wheel hatchback of our times. This is the most apt project car among the usual GT's and Skodas but also being a sleeper. Often mistaken as a Polo but have had loads of people (enthusiasts) coming over and discussing the car at coffee shops, garages and even grocery stores. With the F20, the story is, if you know, you know. A lot of people have often asked me, whats so special, but wait till you flex it on the highway, the stability it provides and unmentionable speeds is phenomenal. The only problems is in traffic and on bad roads, its a little tiresome and hard. But take her out on nights on free roads, its literally point it- shoot it.

Hey rnair, I couldn't agree more with everything you’ve said! The F20 really is a special gem, and it’s great to know a fellow F20 owner. It’s definitely one of the last of its kind, especially in today’s world where RWD hatchbacks are unheard off. The sleeper aspect is something I love too, people often don’t realize what they’re dealing with until they see it perform.

And you're spot on about the stability on the highway, once you unleash it, it's a different animal entirely. I however feel that the F20 deals with traffic and rough roads rather well, owing to its compact dimensions and decent ground clearance. But once you get on those open stretches, it just feels magical!

Looking forward to hearing more about your experience with it, and hopefully, we can cross paths at some point for a little flex on the highway!

Cheers!

[rnair]

Mine feels a little hard maybe due to 17 inchers I've got. My mods have mostly been cosmetic. I have changed the fabric seats to leather, got a head unit, spoiler, M mirror covers and 17 inch BBS. Next in line is mostly a steering wheel upgrade and most importantly headlamps. The halogens (especially with their vintage units) simply lack any kind of throw and look really bad. Have you had any work arounds with this. I did try to change all bulbs including fogs and drl to LEDs but they tend to flicker even when off.

[Nair.V8]

Originally Posted by rnair

Mine feels a little hard maybe due to 17 inchers I've got. My mods have mostly been cosmetic. I have changed the fabric seats to leather, got a head unit, spoiler, M mirror covers and 17 inch BBS. Next in line is mostly a steering wheel upgrade and most importantly headlamps. The halogens (especially with their vintage units) simply lack any kind of throw and look really bad. Have you had any work arounds with this. I did try to change all bulbs including fogs and drl to LEDs but they tend to flicker even when off.

All of those lovely mods you've got are in my bucket list. I’d suggest focusing on doing a retrofit or upgrading your housings if you're serious about improving light performance. The aesthetic upgrades you've done so far sound amazing, good luck with the steering wheel and lighting!

I've got my eyes on these slick looking Osram LED Headlight units for the F20 (Pre-Facelift), need to find a way to source these without paying heavy taxes!

[Utopian]

Congrats for getting such a rare, pretty steed in your garage. The design of the rims make the stance of the car menacing. Hope the NCR regime does not come to Mumbai and you continue to enjoy loads of happy kms with the (mini) BMW.