Scorching hatch? Cool. Rear-wheel-drive sizzling hatch? Even cooler. A rear-wheel-drive sizzling hatch that’s right-hand-drive JDM, too? Perhaps one of many coolest. That’s what proprietor and driver Mike Pagano drives in Gridlife GLTC: a Japanese-market BMW 116i.
A lot of Mike’s inspiration comes from the U.Okay. He grew up watching the British Touring Automobile Championship, a collection the place Colin Turkington would marketing campaign a second-generation BMW 1 Collection to earn two of his 4 drivers’ championships. Mike’s love for BTCC and sizzling hatches led him to hunt out a BMW 1 Collection.
“British Touring Automobile was tremendous aggressive–it was like European NASCAR,” Mike says. “I used to be at all times fascinated by the hatchbacks. To have a rear-wheel-drive hatchback is having the super-hot hatch.”
Mike Pagano. Picture by J.A. Ackley.
Whereas BMW supplied the 1 Collection within the U.S. from 2008 to 2013, the hatches by no means came visiting to the States. Mike thought of importing one from Mexico, however a pal’s fiancée in Canada stumbled upon one which had been not too long ago imported from Japan. “We drove up there instantly with a trailer, purchased it and drove it again,” Mike says. “We used the race automotive clause [to import it because we were] turning it right into a race automotive.”
After bringing it again to his Appears Legit Storage in Michigan, Mike started dismantling the BMW. “We stripped it to the bone,” he says. “We then caged it out, with the assistance of my buddy Jelani, put air jacks in it and began engaged on the motor. This got here with a four-cylinder, which instantly went into the dumpster. No automotive makes use of it right here. I couldn’t promote it to anyone.”
Mike then inserted an M54B30 inline-six from an E46 BMW that places out 220 horsepower. He additionally swapped in a ZF 8HP 45 computerized transmission. He has since switched to a distinct powertrain, choosing a higher-revving M54B25 and a seven-speed BMW DCT as an alternative.
“We did this to make the most of the shut ratios between gears to maintain the engine in its energy vary,” Mike explains. “That is value loads whenever you solely have 220 horsepower. On the observe we had been very aggressive on the straights, at all times within the energy. I ended up dropping valves when pushing the inventory motors too far and constructed [the engine] with diminished displacement to make the most of the principles, which gave advantages to decrease displacements.”
Picture by J.A. Ackley.
Then Mike went to work on modding the BMW for his final aim of endurance racing it. Mike thought a sliding pedal field would do the trick in accommodating drivers of various statures, however that required different changes.
“The ground-mount sliding pedal field diminished the quantity of legroom, which was already of brief provide within the 1 Collection, so the choice was made to shift the driving place again loads,” Mike explains. “To do that, we made customized seat mounts and applied a Woodward steering column. This moved the again of the seat nearly all the best way to the rear seat edge/body-in-white waterfall. In the long run, I’m very proud of the positioning. The texture of the automotive is nice again there.”
Picture by J.A. Ackley.
Mike swapped in a suspension from an F80 together with E90 subframes. “We fused the F80 knuckles to the automotive utilizing a mixture of adjustable hyperlinks we already make for the usual knuckles … and a few customized hyperlinks to be used with the little variations of the knuckles,” Mike says.
“The principle upside of the knuckles is free observe width–about an inch per facet–so we are able to use the widebody [kit] with out big spacers, since we don’t have very extensive tires–265s,” he continues. “I’ve an E46 with a horrible scrub radius dealing with traits from the widebody design, so I needed to verify we didn’t fall into that gap once more. Classes discovered. The opposite good thing is the F80 brakes that bolt on. They’re very succesful and finances pleasant for a observe automotive. We’re 1000 kilos lighter than an F80, in order that they handle enterprise.”
Mike additionally modified the brake grasp cylinders from 15/16- and 1-inch cylinders to 7/8- and 15/16-inch, respectively. “This elevated journey barely,” Mike says, “however it let me hit goal pressures.”
Mike provides that one change made an enormous distinction in dealing with: “This stuff are infamous for understeering. Stiffening each sway bars helped the understeer tremendously.”
Picture by J.A. Ackley.
The fiberglass widebody equipment comes from the Mikinka Projekt in Poland. The automotive weighs simply 2640 kilos, however to run in Gridlife GLTC, which has weight minimums, Mike bolts on the ballast (and himself) to up that determine to 2870 kilos. “Our aim was to make it appear like a correct BTCC automotive,” Mike reminds us. “[It] was the theme of the entire challenge.”
Picture by J.A. Ackley.
The BMW 116i debuted at Gridlife Midwest in 2024. “I anticipated it to be actually bizarre sitting on the improper facet of the automotive,” Mike says. “On observe, it’s not that bad. I dropped the wheel on the entry to the corners greater than on exit simply because I positioned the automotive a bit too shut, particularly on a right-hander. Aside from that, it’s okay.”
Along with powertrain adjustments, Mike says, “we struggled with tossing belts all season after that. We created some upgraded energy steering mounts and now don’t have any belt points.”
Not too long ago, Mike competed on the Gridlife occasion at Highway Atlanta. “This was my first occasion this season, so I used to be for positive a bit rusty, however the automotive felt nice,” Mike contends. “The one factor I can actually complain about is my defogging capabilities. I couldn’t see something on the market and needed to are available in when it bought bad.”
When Mike might see the observe, he liked each minute of recreating his BTCC goals. “Going sluggish has by no means been so enjoyable,” he jokes. “The automotive is extra balanced than ever, and I used to be flat by way of Flip 12 [at Road Atlanta] and felt nice rotating by way of Flip 1 at excessive speeds. I’ll be capable to get extra out of it as soon as I’m higher on the brakes and make much less errors. The automotive simply makes me need to drive extra.”
Picture by Rob Wilkinson/courtesy Appears Legit Storage.
Feedback
I at all times thought the 1 Collection hatch could be a near-perfect automotive for me, assuming I might afford one.
I did get to take a seat in a single (I believe it was an M Sport mannequin) within the foyer of the BMW Welt throughout a examine overseas journey, in order that was fairly cool.
This might have been one heck of a automotive to have right here. I like the concept of RWD in a small, competent bundle. Unusually sufficient, I used to be watching reruns of High Gear on YouTube yesterday and Jeremy Clarkson in contrast this automotive to the Golf GTI. Whereas I can not keep in mind which engine bundle the BMW had, it was noticeably faster. The one odd factor (on the present at the very least) was at excessive speeds the automotive misplaced grip–on the straight within the drag race–and spun at velocity. This appeared very very odd to me as BMW sometimes makes automobiles to go quick in straight strains and their aero appears to be as much as the duty, however on the present it made Clarkson poo, I imagine. In the long run he most popular the GTI as a result of “it did not attempt to kill him.” Within the article above, Mike appears to be doing fairly effectively together with his 1 collection hatch and I like that 
I keep in mind seeing them overseas years in the past. All the time needed one. Add it to the record of automobiles I want we had within the US.
I ponder what it might price to import a 128i/130i hatch into Canada or how onerous it might be to search out in a spec value leaping by way of the hoops for? I at all times most popular the strains of the hatch over the coupe we bought right here.
In reply to adam525i :
Examine UK fb market, fairly widespread over there and ought to be low-cost as chips. You’ll be able to go by the license plate and search for the MOT historical past of the car to see if rust repairs have been made. Greatest to steer clear of them.
25 12 months from date of Manufacture of the car is the important thing for registering for street use in any other case it is available in as a car that may by no means be registered for street use.
Oops, by no means thoughts simply noticed that you’re in Canada so undecided of the principles up there!
Once I noticed the image on the high I assumed to myself “This factor is cool!” After studying the article, and seeing all he did to this automotive to make his personal, I’m pondering “This factor is admittedly freaking cool!”
In reply to rjracin240 :
Up right here after 15 years they simply do not care anymore so we get all of the cool stuff ten years forward of you.
I would undoubtedly need left hand drive and one thing fairly mint. In an ideal world I would discover one thing, go over and use it for a enjoyable European trip ensuring to hit the ring for some laps after which put it on a ship in Belgium or the Netherlands certain for Nova Scotia or Montreal and drive it dwelling from there. I’ve zero finances for this so it is all a pipe dream. I have already got a gray market automotive too that retains me busy
In reply to adam525i :
So, what I heard is that if I need to drive some cool automobiles not discovered right here, head as much as Canada. 
Epic cool import/observe automotive, as a 128i proprietor I totally dig what they’ve put collectively.
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