[R44 Performance]

Originally Posted by Brandt51

6MT is cool, as is the DCT, but are there any Bimmers with x-drive and a manual? I thought they were all autos.

Is the ZF8 a better transmission than the DCT the F87s used? It’s gotta be alright since it’s in everything.

Cool project. I’m curious about the coding and TC with the new stuff. Good luck.

Hey, thanks for your feedback. The DCT is definitely a great gearbox without a doubt when it comes to racing. The ZF8 is a very quick and powerful gearbox that can handle all the power we intend to make for the car and seems to work perfectly fine during race events as tested in our current G80 M3. We will keep you updated with the build and appreciate the positive comments.

[Basketcase]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9Uw4...t6ZDF3ajhvejh1

It’s happening

[Tag]

[DutchBoysRacing]

Super stoked to see how this goes. Would love to see a stock G87 M2 vs the X-Drive G87 M2 to get an apples to apples on the performance gain in a straight line along with some lap time comparisons

[DrewNewM2]

A Manual xdrive g87 would be amazing. Do one of those next.

Save the AWD Manuals!

[R44 Performance]

Originally Posted by DutchBoysRacing

Super stoked to see how this goes. Would love to see a stock G87 M2 vs the X-Drive G87 M2 to get an apples to apples on the performance gain in a straight line along with some lap time comparisons

Thanks! Hopefully we can get you that comparison soon, there definitely is a huge improvement with starting off the line as opposed to the RWD.

[R44 Performance]

Originally Posted by DutchBoysRacing

Super stoked to see how this goes. Would love to see a stock G87 M2 vs the X-Drive G87 M2 to get an apples to apples on the performance gain in a straight line along with some lap time comparisons

Check out our road & track test comparison!

[R44 Performance]

Finishing the xDrive conversion:

At the end of the last episode, we had the car fully pulled apart with the engine and gearbox dropped out. We gave the front suspension a complete refresh with brand-new OEM BMW parts. Parts that we needed for the xDrive swap include new front hubs, shocks, suspension arms, drive shafts, a front prop shaft, an xDrive steering rack + arms + track rod ends, steering column, backing plate, front differential, new arch liners with space for the new front driveshafts as well as various sensors and hardware.




The prop shaft was still a big unknown - we’re pleased to say we now have a custom-made rear shaft capable of withstanding of high levels of horsepower alongside an OEM front shaft.

Having ‘xDriven’ the front running gear, it was time to get the engine and transmission back in the car and see if we had all four wheels turning. Carefully and precisely, without any swearing at all, the engine and drivetrain were raised back into the car.




With a correct length front prop shaft installed, the hardware aspect of the conversion was now complete. All that stood in our way was coding the transfer case to the car’s OEM ECU which required specialist help. As we swapped over the G87’s original mechatronics unit to the new xDrive ZF HP76 xDrive 8-speed transmission, no coding was needed there as the mechatronic was pre-coded to the car, Huge thank you to our software team as they altered the coding to ensure the dashboard displays all of the X-drive features in addition to the transfer case..

Also, with the engine having been out of the car, we needed to replenish the fluids and prime everything ready first the first start-up. The M2’s S58 engine fired straight up with every warning light imaginable. Once we’d confirmed there were no leaks, the time had come to test whether the swap was successful.

Was the xDrive swap successful?

The G87 pulled away happily under its own power. On the lift, all four wheels were spinning as we shifted up through the gears which was truly amazing to see - the first BMW G87 M2 xDrive.

With the xDrive conversion complete, R44 Performance founder Rhys went to see the car for the first time since sending it away earlier this year. Make sure to check out the video to see his reaction.

xDrive is complete. What now?

We didn’t swap our G87 to xDrive for no reason. The goal now is to transform the M2 into a fully-stripped drag racer with upwards of 1400 wheel horsepower in time for Texas 2K25.

[R44 Performance]

With an xDrive G87 M2 likely to arrive in 2026, we did a comparison test with our OEM xDrive-converted G87.

WATCH HERE

xDrive vs Rear Wheel Drive Performance

We put British GT4 driver, Tom Wrigley, behind the wheel for some timed laps and to get his thoughts on the new xDrive setup. Tom tunes these cars daily, giving him plenty of seat time in the standard rear-wheel drive model.



Using the Dragy app, the xDrive G87 M2 consistently completed the 0-60 sprint in 3.23 seconds - a whole second faster than we achieved with the 2WD setup.

Tom, who has the job of launching his rear-wheel drive G82 M4 GT4 car, is very aware of the challenges faced by the 2WD setup. “Having driven the rear-wheel drive M2, we know it doesn’t launch that well - especially on the road… and now to have xDrive, it felt absolutely awesome and completely transformed the whole car for me”.

How has xDrive affected the handling?

After taking the car for a hot lap around the circuit, Tom reported the handling “isn’t really affected at all” - something we were a bit surprised to hear.



He notes “In years gone by, older four-wheel drive cars have always had a bad reputation for creating understeer but BMW has got this so right.”

We believe this is thanks to the xDrive setup not adding too much weight and the fact the M2 is biased to the rear.

“It still has a rear-wheel drive feel to it but just a bit of extra grip from the front”.

Should you wait for a potential G87 M2 xDrive or buy the standard rear-wheel drive model today?

The first point to consider is that a G87 M2 xDrive will likely ditch the 6-speed manual gearbox option which is a make or break for many customers with around 50% of USA G87s being specified with this transmission option. It’s also rumoured that BMW may ditch the rear wheel drive option altogether which would be a massive shame for a lot of people.

If you want to stay manual and rear-wheel drive as long as possible, then don’t wait around or you could be limited to buying only used examples. If you’re a G42 M240i xDrive owner, the xDrive M2 could be the next logical step up. Or, if you live in a cold and wet climate, the xDrive model would generally be the one to go for.

Rhys opted for the xDrive setup because the car is now being transformed into a 1500 bhp+ drag monster designed to compete amongst the fastest BMWs in the world.

We asked both Tom & Rhys if they were customers buying a brand new G87 M2 as their personal cars, which drivetrain would they opt for?

Tom’s decision is clear: “It would be xDrive for me all day. I like to use my cars on the road and a tuned G87 M2 xDrive is the perfect car that you’d be hard-pushed to beat”.

We want to know what you think. Which would you rather have? Rear-wheel drive or xDrive? Manual or ZF? Let us know!

What’s next for the car?

Our G87 M2 is now off to SW Motorsports for a fully bespoke roll cage. Meanwhile, the engine is being stripped down and forged to be capable of some serious power.

[DrewNewM2]

I would 100% trade my 24 for an XDrive if BMW paired it with a manual like the olden days lol. Porsche Turbos, Gallardos, R8s. Grip and driver engagement! As good as new autos are they’re just missing something ….a 3rd pedal, hand shifter. I personally struggle with the idea that the sports car experience has become just putting your right foot down. I think an AWD manual might get some trade ups from those with Golf Rs, STis, Focus RS and other AWD manuals.

[BroDoze]

Never gon’ happen with the manual. BMW bailed on us for a proper manual.

[R44 Performance]

Originally Posted by DrewNewM2

I personally struggle with the idea that the sports car experience has become just putting your right foot down.

It's unfortunately what the mass market seems to demand. People want cars to be fast, easy to drive, comfortable and it compromises the sports car experience. The only way around it is to inject some more personality into the car with an aftermarket exhaust/intake or just make it extremely fast.

When the M2 was previously Stage 2, the whoosh sounds from the Ramair intake, the tone from the single midpipe and the speed from the tune added the drama the G87 was missing.

[DrewNewM2]

Someone should do an XDrive conversion on a manual, upgraded clutch etc, etc. Surely it can be done and whoever does it now, will be the first so none of the BS back and forth on who was first.

[R44 Performance]

The M2 Goes on a Diet

With the xDrive conversion now complete, the next stage of the project is to put the M2 on a serious diet. The G87 weighs in at 1805 kg (3981 lbs) from the factory, meaning she needs to lose over 300 kg to achieve our 1500 kg goal. The xDrive conversion added some weight on top of that figure so the odds are very much stacked against us.

(Once the build is complete, we’ll put it on the scales to confirm the exact number we were able to achieve).

Stripping the Interior

The headlining had already been removed whilst we installed a new xDrive wiring harness but the rest of the interior has to go!

Stripping the interior also makes space for our bespoke SW Motorsports roll cage - an essential for a competition-spec drag car and also to keep us safe when traveling in excess of 200 mph over the half mile. SW Motorsports also installed a few other surprises that we’ll touch on shortly.

*Queue the music*






After a couple of hours, the interior was fully stripped. Seats, seatbelts, door cards, centre console, carpets and more all in the bin. Well… on eBay as we need to make some money back somehow. The factory carbon bucket seats, for example, sold for around £5,000 which really helps towards the cost of the project.

Installing the Roll Cage

We threw one spare M140i seat we found lying around and drove the car around 2 hours north up to the SW Motorsports HQ. We needed a roll cage and we needed it fast. This project is really against the clock with the car leaving for America in early December. Getting a brand new bespoke cage developed and manufactured up to spec can be a very time-consuming process.



Tom Wrigley, who needed the car back for the 1500+ bhp engine build wasn’t very pleased with us for delaying the project.

Fortunately, SW Motorsports are very experienced in the design & manufacture of roll cages and, within moments of arriving at their HQ, the engineers got to work 3D scanning the M2’s interior.




Having previously installed their half cage & rear seat delete kit to our F80 M3 track car, we knew they’d be up to the task. However, a 7-day turnaround would still be a lot to ask for.

Within a week, the cage was inside the car, fully painted & ready to go.





There were a few concerns going in that SW was able to address. Thankfully, the G87 had enough access behind the dashboard to allow them to install the cage without needing to remove it.

Essential for legality, the cage meets regulations with its FIA-specified mountings. The cage uses flush connectors which are as close to a weld as possible without actually welding the cage to the car. This meant it could be painted outside the car as well as removed and reinstalled at any time.

SW added a set-back halo bar toward the rear of the cage to serve as the attachment point for the required racing harnesses.

AST Air Jacks

Midway through the cage development, we received a package from AST Suspension. They sent us their incredible 55mm air jacks and safety stands. This is a really cool modification that would allow us to jack up the car in seconds, negating the need to carry a heavy floor jack with us across America.

Track-side maintenance would be made much easier and well… they’re just cool.



Installing the air jacks wasn’t without its issues. SW had to move the car’s throttle pedal over slightly to accommodate the driver’s side mounting point. And let me remind you, this was all accomplished within a week of dropping off the car. Incredible work.



The Parachute

One of the final drag racing features is the crash bar-mounted parachute. SW Motorsports swapped the extremely heavy OEM rear crash bar with a lightweight titanium version modified with a parachute mounting point.



The M2 is beginning to look very serious and we cannot wait for you to see the final product. What do you guys think?

[TargaM2]

Fantastic project. Are you planning on any circuit use also or is it purely for the 1/4 mile.
As someone who’s built dedicated track cars i can appreciate the difficulty in chasing down kg’s. Making power is a much easier task by comparison. 1500bhp & 1500kg is one hell of a target.
I’d guess the cage, awd & air jacks would have added similar weight to what you removed by gutting the interior.
Anyway im subscribed. Great to see someone pushing the boundries with the G87 platform. Love the colour choice too.👍

[R44 Performance]

Originally Posted by TargaM2

Fantastic project. Are you planning on any circuit use also or is it purely for the 1/4 mile.
As someone who’s built dedicated track cars i can appreciate the difficulty in chasing down kg’s. Making power is a much easier task by comparison. 1500bhp & 1500kg is one hell of a target.
I’d guess the cage, awd & air jacks would have added similar weight to what you removed by gutting the interior.
Anyway im subscribed. Great to see someone pushing the boundries with the G87 platform. Love the colour choice too.👍

Thank you so much - we have a new video on the engine build coming this Sunday which I'm sure you'll enjoy.

The car's setup will be so drag-focused, it wouldn't do the best lap times, especially with smaller drag-racing brakes designed to shed weight. Exiting a corner with such a big turbo would be quite entertaining though!

[R44 Performance]

Hi everyone, thank you for all the support on this project so far. We really appreciate it and love chatting with you guys about the build.

This week, we had a huge delivery of upgraded engine hardware from 5150 AutoSport and we also stripped down the motor, ready for machining.





At the time of posting this, the machining has already been completed by a company called SpecJ. We needed to machine the block to accept the 5150 AutoSport Xtreme duty cylinder sleeves - a vital engine modification we’ll touch on shortly.

THE NEED FOR A BUILT ENGINE

People often talk about how the S58 engine is forged from the factory. This is true, all the main internal components - crankshaft, pistons, conrods, camshafts - are all forged parts. However, forging is just a manufacturing process. Design & materials also play a huge role when it comes to strength.



We’ve seen G80 M3s with over 1,000 bhp on a standard engine however, these cars are running on borrowed time. We personally wouldn’t run any higher than 800 bhp on an unbuilt engine, however mapping and how you bring the power in makes a big difference in how much the S58 can tolerate. Our G87 M2 will be making upwards of 1400 wheel-horsepower and there’s no chance the standard engine would survive that level of power and boost.




WHAT HARDWARE ARE WE UPGRADING?

To make things simple, here is a list of all the internals our S58 is running to make over 1400 whp:

• ARP main studs
• ARP head studs (custom age 625+)
• 5150 AutoSport CPM Carrillo Pro-Xtreme pistons
• 5150 AutoSport CPM Carrillo Pro-Xtreme rods
• 5150 AutoSport Xtreme Duty cylinder sleeves & O-rings
• 5150 AutoSport High Performance main bearings
• 5150 AutoSport High Performance rod bearings
• GSC billet S3 camshafts
• GSC beehive valve springs
• GSC STD intake valves
• GSC super alloy exhaust valves
• GSC intake & exhaust valve stem seals

ARP STUDS




We used ARP studs on our previous 1,000 bhp G80 M3 build and they’ll be essential for our G87 project. The studs will allow a higher clamping pressure and improve stability and strength. The OEM bolts can move around a bit which puts wear on the bearings and increases the chance of failure.

PRO-XTREME PISTONS & RODS







These components are manufactured by Carrillo but built to 5150 AutoSport’s specifications. The rods take an unbelievable amount of strain which is why upgrading to a thicker forged aluminum rod is essential. Combined with that, the pistons are also forged aluminum with a different strength-promoting design, as shown in the side-by-side comparison.

XTREME DUTY CYLINDER SLEEVES & O-RINGS



To increase the strength of the block itself, we’re using heavy-duty cylinder sleeves, also from 5150 AutoSport. Installing these required machining, courtesy of SpecJ Motorsport here in the UK. The O-rings that accompany the sleeves pinch the head gasket to the head which allows us to run high levels of boost without any lift.

GSC POWER-DIVISION HARDWARE

Unfortunately, you don’t get to see much on GSC in part 1 of the engine build. More on that in the next update where we’ll touch on the design of the valves, why they use conical springs and more.

SINGLE TURBO KIT

To make up for you guys missing out on GSC in part 1, we added a bit of single turbo content over at Overkill Performance located around 60 miles north of our HQ.

For this project, we’re not messing around. The turbo is a Precision 83/85 which is pretty much the largest turbo we could fit in the engine bay of the G87. Many people have told us this is a little too large with concerns of lag etc. We’ll see when it comes to mapping and testing how this turbo performs.

You guys in America won’t know the struggles of installing a single-turbo kit on a right-hand drive car. Unfortunately, there isn’t as much space as when the steering wheel is on the left (wrong) side

This just makes the fabrication a little more complicated but we’ve worked with Overkill to install quite a few of our right-hand drive-compatible single turbo kits now and they’ve got the design down to a T.

BUT, THERE’S A PROBLEM

Unfortunately, we’re still waiting on one flange from Florida which is holding us up a bit. It might even make us miss our deadline…

Part 2 of the engine build is due to come out next week where we’ll build the engine back up and go into a bit more detail. Until then, we hope you have a great week!

[R44 Performance]

Another week, another R44 G87 M2 update. I know we promised you the completion of the engine build however, that will be its own post next week detailing the full process from start to finish.

This week, we just had the huge Precision single-turbo housing and CSF inlet manifold back from coating. We had both pieces powder-coated in Porsche Miami Blue. You may think that’s a bit odd considering the M2 is wrapped in Inozetek Papaya Orange but we’re currently finalizing the livery for the car - the Miami Blue will all make sense!



A nice little touch is the KLM catch can ring also finished in Miami Blue to match.

For those of you wondering about the size/spec of the turbo, it’s a next-gen Precision 8385 Sportsman turbocharger - quoted to run up to 1700 horsepower. We opted for a V-band connection over the usual silicon such as the 6870 fitted to our G81 M3 Touring. The reason for this is strength: a V-band connection can withstand much higher levels of boost.

Many people have told us that an 8385 is too big and we’ll struggle with turbo-lag and achieving an optimal power curve. We believe with solid tuning, this won’t be an issue. The Tom Wrigley Performance G80 M3 ran an 8-second flat quarter-mile on its first and only pass. We know this turbo is capable of getting us into the 7’s. Tom was previously running a 7275 but hit the ceiling in terms of boost and needed to upgrade. We didn’t want to risk going too small and having to spend even more money later on.

Huge shoutout to CSF for facilitating the powder coating and color-match.

Supporting mods for this setup include the full CSF S58 cooling package. You’ve already seen the Miami Blue Level Up charge cooler inlet manifold but we’ll also run their front mount heat exchanger, engine oil cooler and ZF8 transmission cooler to maintain reliability and prevent heat-soak. As you can imagine, such a big power build can generate a lot of heat, making a strong cooling system essential.

Previously we’ve run a Mexico Blue paint matched manifold on the R44 Performance 1,034 bhp G80 M3 + a raw finish on our G81 M3 Touring to match the polished Precision turbo. Check them out:




As we’re investing quite a substantial amount of time and money in this car, we’ve been looking at the best ways to protect our investment. As much as we’re confident in the car when you’re pushing this level of power, anything can happen. At first, we were thinking of just rocking the OEM BMW M Performance fire extinguisher that fits under the passenger seat. These have been very popular since adding them to our online store - most likely purchased just as an accessory despite actually being quite effective.

In the end, we opted for a full OMP fire suppression system following Tom’s recommendation. This setup can be triggered remotely, meaning you haven’t got to struggle to reach the extinguisher. The system features a series of dispensers under the engine bay, towards the driver etc. It will keep both ourselves and the car safe during competition.




With the M2’s AST air jacks previously installed by SW Motorsports, we needed to call on another UK motorsports expert to complete the setup. Jay from German Auto Werks came up to plumb the air jacks in with AN6 hard line connecting to a diving scuba tank-style bottle, allowing us to top up at diving shops across the country when we ship the M2 over to the US.





For the rest of the setup, we’re using components from Krontec - a leader in the motorsports world. We’re running a Krontec LL-16PLUS valve (the king of Krontec valves). This version uses a push-button connection that allows you to gradually lower the car instead of just slamming down to the ground.



We’re also using a Krontec LL-03 lance and the LL-85 regulator to regulate the air pressure.



The valve will be routed in through one of the M2’s ACW Motorsport Plastics’ hard-coated thermoformed polycarbonate rear windows. These will be nice and rigid as well as lightweight to help us achieve that 1:1 power-to-weight ratio. Unfortunately, the pillarless doors have made it impossible to utilize the same material for the front windows. It could be done but we’re not willing to risk running them at over 200 mph as they would likely pop out from the door seal. Carbon doors and other weight-saving measures are still on the cards, however.

As promised, next week we’ll be finishing the engine build with new cams, valves, valve springs and more! You’ll also get to see the air jacks in action for the first time!

[Tag]

Originally Posted by R44 Performance

Supporting mods for this setup include the full CSF S58 cooling package. You’ve already seen the Miami Blue Level Up charge cooler inlet manifold but we’ll also run their front mount heat exchanger, engine oil cooler and ZF8 transmission cooler to maintain reliability and prevent heat-soak. As you can imagine, such a big power build can generate a lot of heat, making a strong cooling system essential.

Previously we’ve run a Mexico Blue paint matched manifold on the R44 Performance 1,034 bhp G80 M3 + a raw finish on our G81 M3 Touring to match the polished Precision turbo. Check them out:

Tell us you're changing the cars color to Miami Blue without telling us.

It'll look awesome.

[TargaM2]

Gulf livery coming im guessing.

[R44 Performance]

Originally Posted by TargaM2

Gulf livery coming im guessing.

Reveal coming soon

[R44 Performance]

Hey guys, the engine build is now complete! The guys at Tom Wrigley Performance have reassembled our S58 with all the new 5150 AutoSport & GSC upgraded internals.

Check out the video:

We covered the 5150 upgrades previously in this thread so here are the GSC components we're running:

• GSC billet S2 camshafts
• GSC beehive valve springs
• GSC STD intake valves
• GSC super alloy exhaust valves
• GSC intake & exhaust valve stem seals

GSC BILLET STAGE 2 CAMSHAFTS

These BMW S58 upgraded camshafts from GSC are works of art. In addition to looking amazing, these camshafts are incredibly strong, as proven on Tom Wrigley’s 1500 bhp G80 M3. In addition to being stronger, the GSC stage 2 cams have larger lobes which cause the valves to open further and for longer. The stage 3 camshafts have an even larger lobe duration however, they are largely untested at the moment which is why we’re sticking with the tried and tested S2’s for now.




GSC UPRATED VALVES

In addition to the camshafts, GSC also supplied us with their super alloy valves. Just like the other components, the valves are incredibly strong to ensure the setup copes with high levels of boost and an increased redline. The most notable difference is the design of the head which is also swirl-polished. This increases airflow by 30CFM over the standard valves.




All benefits include:

• Swirl polished heads for smoother airflow over the valve
• Back cut to reduce valve weight for higher RPM, higher boost pressure, and allow for more aggressive cam profiles without increasing valve spring seat pressures
• Valve stems are micro-polished to allow for less oil retention on the stem, which creates less drag on the stem to guide for a smoother motion
• Intake valves are a modified 21-4n stainless
• Valve tips are either hardened or have a stelite wafer tip fused so that the tip is within 5 Rockwell C of the rocker or valve tappet for extended life and less wear
• Valve tip lengths - GSC has taken extra time to adjust tip heights on the applications to require less tipping of the valve, to maintain proper tip height for proper valve train geometry, and to cut down on install times when setting valve lash
• GSC has also adjusted the keeper groove to properly balance intake and exhaust spring pressures to reduce the use of valve spring shims and maximize performance from our spring and retainer kits.

GSC BEEHIVE VALVE SPRINGS

To support the valves, we’re running GSC’s oval valve springs with titanium retainers. The ‘beehive’ design means the coils are progressive in size, increasing strength. They also utilize advanced material heat treatment methods for superior load loss capabilities. These springs have the highest level of spring load retention while still maintaining good fatigue throughout the life of the spring. Beehive springs allow for the use of a smaller, lighter retainer allowing for higher RPM and more valve control.




Valve specifications:

Max RPM: 9,000 RPM
Max boost: 70 psi
101 lbs @ 1.415" install height
221lbs @ 0.982" (11mm Valve Lift)

Their primary function is to prevent what’s known as valve float. This is where high levels of boost cause the valves to push open as the spring doesn’t have enough resistance.

GSC VALVE STEM SEALS



Lastly, GSC Power-Division Viton® valve seals provide improved resistance to high temperatures, fuel, and chemical contaminants as well as extended wear as seen in high rpm engines. These are the last pieces to the puzzle and round up the engine hardware we’re using to achieve over 1500 bhp in our BMW G87 M2’s S58 engine.