YouTuber Swaps BMW i8 with B58 Inline-Six, Aiming for 700 HP

The BMW i8, which once wowed audiences with its supercar-inspired design but underwhelming performance, is now undergoing a radical transformation. Popular YouTuber Trevor Elam is removing the factory 1.5-liter turbocharged plug-in hybrid system (producing a combined 360 horsepower) and replacing it with the B58 3.0-liter inline-six turbocharged engine from a 2017 340i xDrive. Originally rated at 320 horsepower, the engine is slated to be tuned up to 700 horsepower. In the project’s early stages, the battery pack has already been removed, a transmission tunnel has been fabricated through the center of the cabin, and the subframe is being redesigned. The new engine will be mounted in the front axle area—where the original electric motor was located—with most of it positioned behind the front wheels. While the impact on weight distribution and handling remains uncertain, the original hybrid layout has left ample room for this modification. If successful, this i8—long expected to embody genuine BMW performance DNA—may finally fulfill its true supercar potential.