Swapping a motorbike engine into a little car is nothing new. We’ve seen it done plenty of times over the years, in everything from tiny hatchbacks built for hillclimbing to Caterhams and the like. However, the engines favoured for these kinds of swaps tend to be high-revving four-cylinders from Japanese sports bikes, usually with a displacement of a litre or so – Honda Fireblades, Yamaha R1s, Suzuki GSX-Rs, and so on.
This is something different. It’s a classic Mini that’s been hacked up to accept the thumping great 1.8-litre two-cylinder boxer from a BMW R18. The R18 is a cruiser, the sort of bike that favours low-end grunt over top-end power. The engine makes its peak of 89bhp at 4750rpm, while the maximum torque of 117lb ft is delivered at just 3000rpm.
Mini R18 project – engine bay
It’s the work of BYmyCAR Motorrad, a BMW motorbike dealer in Île-de-France on the outskirts of Paris, and as their page documenting the build shows, getting the engine to fit was no mean feat. A new section of chassis and entirely custom front suspension had to be fabricated to allow the flat-twin to sit in the Mini’s now completely exposed front end – although the team behind it plans to somehow reintegrate the front bodywork further down the line.
Power is now sent to the rear axle, which is taken from a BMW 3-series, via a mishmash of both 3-series and R18 driveshafts. It’s all driven through a sequential gearbox operated by an adapted hydraulic handbrake lever. The engine breathes through a custom side-exit exhaust system.
Mini R18 project – fuel tank
A variety of vehicles have donated parts to help create this Frankenstein’s Mini: the fuel tank is from a BMW C400 scooter, and the brake callipers come from an MG Metro Turbo. Inside, the original instruments have been chucked and replaced with the R18’s digital screen, which looks surprisingly big in the Mini’s compact interior.
All in all, it’s an utterly mad thing to behold: a classic Mini infused with the look of a Morgan 3 Wheeler and a testament to outside-the-box thinking and engineering ingenuity. We love it.
Mini R18 project – interior
Oddly enough, it emerged this week that there’s a possibility of the modern iteration of Mini branching out into the world of motorbikes. Company boss Stefanie Wurst told Auto Express that the company could consider offering an electric bike based on one of BMW’s existing motorcycles if the interest was there.
