A BMW 1 Series, outfitted with a diesel engine from a 335d E90 to produce a ridiculous 1,020 horsepower, has now become the fastest diesel-powered vehicle from the brand. A Romania-based tuner Dragos Stacescu recently set an impressive quarter-mile time under 9 seconds in this diesel monster, clenching the top spot at a drag racing event held last month.
Extensively modified, this 1 Series features components from various other vehicles from BMW and is a project car that has been under development since 2018. It can make the 0-60 MPH sprint faster than some recent all-electric performance sedans and uses a brake chute to tame its 160+ MPH top speed.
Here's How This 1 Series Became The Fastest Diesel BMW
Dragos Stacescu, in his modified BMW 1 Series, created this record at the National Drag Championship held in Romania last month. It was such a huge achievement that it even caught the attention of BMW, which released an official press release about it.
Alex Seremet, corporate communication manager for the brand in Romania, commended Dragos for this world record by saying it is "a remarkable performance that will remain in history." This 1,020 diesel beast became the fastest BMW and the fastest diesel car in Romania, in addition to being the quickest car overall in the event.
Dragos broke his previous quarter-mile record of 9 seconds with the help of this diesel 1 Series. In his record run, he was able to cover the distance in a record-shattering 8.31 seconds. The speed of this modified BMW 1 Series with a diesel heart was an eye-watering 167 MPH while crossing the line.
What's more impressive is that this car could go from 0-62 MPH in just 1.87 seconds, faster than even the Tesla Model S Plaid. Moreover, it maintained its powerful surge of acceleration, crossing the 124 MPH barrier in just 4.71 seconds and reaching 155 MPH in 7.15 seconds.
Here's What Under The Hood Of This Diesel Drag Racing King
What's interesting to note here is that in addition to all the modifications that Dragos has given to his BMW 1 Series, it still uses multiple parts from series production vehicles from the German brand. So, for example, the red diesel drag racing machine you see in these images started its life as a humble BMW 118d of the E81 era.
However, Dragos swapped the stock engine of this 1 Series with an engine from a 335d E90 series. The eight-speed transmission of this diesel drag racer comes from an X6 of the F16 generation, while the all-wheel drive system is from a 335d E90.
To make all these components work together in perfect sync and transform this first-generation BMW 1 Series into a drag racing machine, Dragos did several modifications to its powertrain and the chassis components. In terms of the driveline, various components, such as the turbines, the fuel system, and electronics, among others, were upgraded.
To give an additional boost to the diesel engine, Dragos even gave it a nitrous oxide injection system. What's astonishing here is that most of the engine and transmission components of this modified diesel BMW 1 Series remain stock. These series BMW components, such as the transfer case, planetary gears, and prop shaft, account for almost 75 percent of the total parts.
Yet, despite remaining stock, these can handle a substantial increase of 200 percent in power and 300 percent in torque figures. To put things in perspective, the standard straight six diesel engine of a BMW 335d E90 produces 282 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque. However, the diesel engine in this modified 1 Series, tinkered by Dragos, churns out 1,020 horsepower and 1,650 Nm of torque.
It is impressive that stock BMW components can handle such an immense increase in performance figures. "I bow to the BMW engineers," said Dragos, acknowledging this fact. In addition to modifying the powertrain and chassis, this diesel beast also gets a few other upgrades. At the front, it drops the headlights for weight saving and gets additional vents for better engine cooling.
Also, the front and the rear tracks are wider than the stock 1 Series, and it gets fatter rubber on all four wheels for better drag racing performance. There is also a side-mounted exhaust, while additional stopping power comes from a brake chute at the back.
The Man Behind The Record-Breaking Diesel BMW 1 Series
Dragos Stacescu is no stranger to the world of drag racing and performance tuning. He owns and runs a workshop in Romania called CompleteCHIP Lasi. This performance tuning workshop is the home base where Dragos is known to engage in intelligent and impressive software and hardware-related upgrades.
In addition to giving an additional performance to the vehicles, Dragos also ensures that every vehicle that leaves his garage complies with the strict emission regulation in Europe despite being run on diesel. Dragos is known to own several records on the drag strip, be it in diesel-powered machines or otherwise.
All the vehicles he has held a record in were born in his garage. The diesel BMW 1 Series you see in the images is essentially an improved version of a project that Dragos started in 2018. This project moved to the 1 Series platform in 2019 and, since then, has been under development and is now used to set and break records at the Romanian drag strips.
Source: BMW Romania