BHPian Nair.V8 recently shared this with other enthusiasts: This monsoon, Sabine received a slew of upgrades (mechanical and cosmetic) and some routine maintenance jobs.Carbon fiber M-Sport replica steering wheelEven though I knew the benefits on paper, I seriously underestimated how much I would end up loving this upgrade! It has completely transformed the look and feel of the interior; it just makes me smile every time I get behind the wheel! Not only does it feel great in the hands, but the lightning-fast response from the paddle shifters elevates the driving pleasure to a whole new level. This new steering wheel also came with a practical benefit, it allowed me to activate cruise control. The original setup only had a speed limiter function, now with proper cruise control long drives are much more enjoyable on our speed-camera infested highways. Redline Autohaus took care of everything, from the installation to the coding for the paddle shifters and cruise control. TCU Tune, Sport+ mode activation & sporty Red SwitchesTo complement the steering wheel upgrade, Redline Autohaus also did a TCU tune to enable quicker gear shifts and activated the Sport+ mode on the drive mode selector. I’ve really come to appreciate the noticeably quicker gear shifts on the ZF transmission, but I haven’t had a chance to try out the Sport+ mode yet. This mode turns off the traction control, and I would rather try this once the monsoons are done. As a final cosmetic touch the standard black drive mode selector, traction control, and ignition switches have been replaced with new red-colored switches for a sportier look and feel inside the car. Headlight upgrade: LED bulbsThis base variant 118d came from the factory with halogen headlights. Having driven the car in different conditions, I found the illumination to be barely adequate. I looked into some LED headlamp upgrades online, but they were all costing upwards of 70,000. After some thought, I decided to try out LED bulbs first. The bulb specifications for these headlamps are as follows:Daytime Running Lights: W21W (21 Watt Bulb)Side Lights: H6W (6 Watt Bulb)Low-Beam Headlights: H7 Bulb (55 Watt)High-Beam Headlights: H7 Bulb (55 Watt)Front Fog Lights: H8 Bulb (35 Watts)For the low-beam, high-beam, and fog lights, I got DHC’s warm white LED bulbs with Canbus to avoid any error messages. The purchase and installation were done at Amar Motors Dadar. Getting H7 and H8 LED bulbs was relatively easy, as this is a commonly used size in many cars. The real struggle was finding W21W and H6W LED bulbs, as none of the local accessory stores I checked had them. After some online browsing, I was relieved to find that Auxbeam offers W21W LED bulbs, and another lesser-known brand, iJDMtoy, had H6W LED bulbs. However, both of these bulbs were only available in an ice blue shade. Regardless, I decided to purchase and install them to ensure all the bulbs in the headlamp were LEDs.The illumination provided by the warm white DHC bulbs is phenomenal, especially when compared to the OEM halogen bulbs. They inspire great confidence, even when driving through heavy rain at night. Overall, I am very pleased with the light output for now. The ice blue Auxbeam DRL bulb is also a great upgrade over the old yellow DRL, and it has added a touch of modernity to the car. DHC warm white H7 LEDs for low beam & high beam and H8 for the fog lamps: Auxbeam ice blue W21W LED bulbs for the DRLs: iJDMtoy ice blue H6W LED bulbs for the parking lights:Precautionary service after 5k kms of ownershipAfter putting about 5,000 kms on Sabine since Dec-24, I decided to get a precautionary service done at N1 Racing. I’d been running on 0W-40 engine oil, but after doing some research and consulting with few trusted car enthusiasts, I decided to switch to 5W-40. I learned that the higher viscosity is actually better for the N47 engine given our local weather conditions. During the service, we also swapped out the oil, air, and cabin filters along with a coolant top-up. As a necessary extra step, given the car had over 92,000 kms on it at the time, we also did a transmission fluid and filter change for the ZF gearbox. This whole service was about peace of mind, just to make sure Sabine continues to run perfectly.Rear spoiler, Dual-slat front grill & Painted brake callipersTo give Sabine a sportier look, I ordered a rear spoiler and a dual-slat front grille (both in gloss black) from Car Crafts India. I was confident in ordering from them again after the great experience I had with the red interior switches. The installation of the new parts was a team effort at a friend’s garage, Midtown-Autoworkz in Tardeo. While we were at it, we also had the brake callipers painted in a shade of warm gold for a subtle, sporty touch. As an inexpensive experiment we even applied a yellow film to the fog lights for a different look. Rear spoiler: Dual-slat front grill: Brake calipers painted in warm gold: Parking lights + yellow fogs: MTS Lowering SpringsThe suspension setup on Sabine, was a mix of Bilstein B6 dampers and stock coil springs. While this setup was fine for rough roads & sporty handling, the look was compromised by the large ungainly wheel arch gap. To get the stance just right, I decided to install lowering springs, since this car isn’t my daily driver. After consulting with N1 Racing, I chose MTS Technik lowering springs to pair with the existing B6 dampers. MTS Technik offers lowering springs in 2 different height options for the F20 118d. Option-1 is a 25mm front + 35mm rear drop and option-2 is a more aggressive 35mm front + 45mm rear drop. I opted for the former as it was better suited to our road conditions. After the order was placed the springs were shipped from the UK to N1 within 2 weeks, and my excitement ensured that I arrived at N1 promptly as per the scheduled date & time. The installation was a fairly straight forward process and was completed within 2 hours. Once the car was taken out of the garage lift, the improved stance was immediately evident! Sabine looked so much better & sportier now! Along with a technician from N1, I took the car for a quick spin to test how it felt. After taking the first few potholes, I found the ride quality to be near identical to the OEM springs. This was a huge relief for me as the older setup was already stiff and I was really hoping that things didn’t get worse, phew! However, the reduced ride height means I now need to be more cautious with large speed bumps and uneven surfaces where the chin of the front bumper & the underbelly of the car is now prone to scrapes. Small to medium speed breakers can be approached straight, provided the speed is under 5kph. Larger speed breakers need to be dealt with caution and must be tackled with a sideways approach. On the upside, the lowered height has noticeably improved the car’s handling. The MTS springs beautifully complement the B6 dampers, providing excellent stability and sharp handling that makes the 1er even more engaging to drive. After all the work done this monsoon, Sabine has turned out exactly the way I had envisioned. These upgrades have breathed new life into the car, by providing better handling, improved visibility, and a more engaging cockpit. Each modification, from the steering wheel to the subtle new stance, has made a noticeable difference. It goes to show that with a bit of research and the right people, you can take a great car and make it truly phenomenal. The journey continues, but for now I’m just going to enjoy the ride!Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
