The performance and suspension upgrades have completely transformed this modest 118d into a true powerhouse!
BHPian Nair.V8 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
With the recent influx of amazing driving roads around Mumbai, Iâve developed a strong desire to own a fun project car for weekend and late-night drives. With a budget of up to 15L, Iâve 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-seriesâ 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 wasnât 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 couldnât move forward due to the high prices of the LCi models (only 25 LCiâs were ever sold in India). I then looked at a few other 116iâs and 118dâs 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! Thereâs 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 BMWâs.
The test drive revealed that the suspension was at the end of its life, brakes felt rather weak, tyres werenât road worthy, but the engine & gearbox felt smooth and effortless. It was obvious that the previous owner didnât 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 whoâs 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 16â 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 F20âs 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 F20âs 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!
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