[Jason]

BIMMERPOST NEWS

Gabura to create BMW V8i, powered by S63Tu V8

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Via BBC:

The team at Gabura Racing Technologies, a motorsports engineering company with expertise in race transmissions and custom builds, has taken BMW’s plug-in hybrid i8 sportscar and turned it into a supercar. The Munich-based company (handy, yes?) has removed all vestiges of futuristic hybrid technology from the i8, and rather than plug in a power cord has plugged in a supertuned BMW S63 twin-turbo V8 — mounted in the front, no less. That engine, the M-version of the occasionally maligned and once-recalled N63 4.4-litre, already boasts 560 horses, and the boosted Gabura version (apparently pre-tweaked by BMW tuner Alpina) is said to add at least 200 more.

Gabura put this work-in-progress on display at the 2015 Professional MotorSport World Expo in Cologne, where the company made great pains to point out that this isn’t just a tune-up. They have, they say, completely emptied that aluminum and carbon i8 shell, and placed an entirely new car inside it.
The V8i is an exercise in marketing, perhaps, but it will yield a street-legal racecar of exceptional speed. We don’t know yet what kind of performance to expect (the stock i8 can hit 60mph in just 4.4 seconds), but we know that the i8’s curb weight is half a ton less than the M6 that the S63 engine normally powers. Oh, and Gabura specializes in racing transmissions, so expect a six-speed sequential manual mounted ahead of the rear axle. Back-of-the-envelope calculations say the V8i should be really, really fast.

[professor_yo]

Wow! Exceptional!!

[e92_boost]

Amazing

[ChrisNich117]

Shut up and take my money!

I wish Weismann was still around. We would see the s63tu in a 3000lb RWD coupe

[q8kamikaze]

Can't wait to see the results

[Eddien123]

Holy shit! This is going to epic!

[Lalit@autocouture]

But why an N63! Such a shitty motor

Edit: Thread title suggests N63, article suggests S63tu

[1230vani]

Originally Posted by ChrisNich117

Shut up and take my money!

I wish Weismann was still around. We would see the s63tu in a 3000lb RWD coupe

It will be around again, one rich family bought it, paid off debts and will resume production soon. Saw an article, cannot find it now!!! Annoying

[330xtrai]

Maybe this'll change bmws mind to build an m supercar

[BEMR]

Hoully Moully

[georgere]

This was discussed before. There simply no place to fit a large engine. How they gonna do this?????

[Diver]

I could see sticking that big motor in a smaller rear drive chassis.

Taking the i8 and upping both internal combustion and electric motor power would be interesting, but this project sounds more like a funny car.

[FilipMPower]

Originally Posted by Lalit@AUTOcouture

But why an N63! Such a shitty motor

Edit: Thread title suggests N63, article suggests S63tu

Pretty much same engine anyway.

Like every standard and M engine

On a more serious note, this is what the i8 needed from day one!

[deemo319]

I read this yesterday. It will be very interesting to see what they take out and why besides the obvious.

And then to see what the engineering solutions are needed to add for the much larger engine.

And an Alpina tweaked S63!!!!

C'mon man let's see.......

[ekbusdriver]

Originally Posted by georgere

This was discussed before. There simply no place to fit a large engine. How they gonna do this?????

lose the back seats for mid-engine would be my thought. Will be interesting to see the end result.

[s0ul]

That video was nicely put together. I for one would like to see this happen. Perhaps M division would come up with a response.

[ORIGIN M.]

Originally Posted by Lalit@AUTOcouture

But why an N63! Such a shitty motor

Edit: Thread title suggests N63, article suggests S63tu

Thtead title is a little skewed.

"Gabura to create S63tu V8 Powered BMW i8 "

might be more befitting

[chipotle_napkins]

What BMW should have done!!!

[elusive]

Wow. Can't wait for build pics

[Aye-eight]

Originally Posted by chipotle_napkins

What BMW should have done!!!

BMW is trying to make an entirely different point with the i8. This will never be a big-engine old school gas burner. There's a reason they created an i sub-brand.

What may happen is that some of the light-weight stuff from the i8 and i3 will find its way into M cars or Minis. But they will keep the styling language clearly distinctive, and the technology platforms as well.

[Dackelone]

Some more pics from Gabura's FB page. These photos were taken at the Essen Motor Show. The Gabura i8 will be powered by an Alpina tuned M5/M6 engine producing 800 Hp, driving the rear wheels.

[ORIGIN M.]

Well hot damn glad the girls showed up !