Turner Motorsport: Project E82 1 Series 128i Coupe

Turner / H&R Springs 2008 128i Coupe Project Car (E82)

The 1 Series is perhaps the hottest new addition to BMW's product offering yet. This smaller and lighter little brother to the 3 series is causing some excitement, as well as proving itself as a nimble street and track adversary.

With the help of our friends at H&R Springs, makers of the world's finest German made suspension products, we've started developing a 1 Series street project car of our own. Our primary goal? Creating the perfect street carving 1 Series that can also crank out some fast and fun weekend track laps at will.

Why not a 135i? There's no doubt that the twin-turbo 135i is a faster machine, but it's also more expensive than the 128i. So while the allure of the twin turbo power of 135i is compelling, we know that there are many who (for any number of reasons) might prefer a naturally aspirated version. So rather than build a 135i with the intention of gunning for some of it's bigger-bodied brethren, we thought "Why not build a 128i that can not only outshine a 135i, but also upset some of the M cars too?". This would of course be more of a challenge, and we've never shied away from challenges. Best of all, almost all the parts and products we'll be using on the 128i are also applicable to the 135i as well as the the convertible model 128i and 135i. This means we're not excluding ANY 1 Series owners or cars on this project.

Having a 1 Series here on hand means we have instant access at all times to develop and test our own new products, as well as test fit newly released offerings from Turner and our trusted vendors. Not only does this mean a more rapid delivery of new products to the market, but it means a higher degree of knowledge as well as better product quality control. Why would you want to buy parts for 1 Series from a company that doesn't even own one? You wouldn't. This is all just part of our commitment to our customers.

Here you'll find information, articles, and all of the performance parts, modifications and enhancements we have made to our E82 128i. You'll also find photos, galleries, and video clips of our 128i as we capture them. Check back often, as we'll be doing extensive work on this 1 Series project.

Video Media:

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Suspension

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H&R Premium Coil Over Suspension Kit
Engineered for street and occasional track use, H&R Premium Coil-Overs feature a fully-threaded aluminum front strut body rather than the heavier steel front strut bodies used in other kits, resulting in a 30-40% weight reduction when compared to stock struts. As with the standard H&R Sport coilover kit, the adjustability will allow you to precisely dial in height adjustment to achieve optimum weight transfer, or simply get the aggressive look you've been looking for. Click here to order.

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H&R 27mm Front Sway Bar for E82/E88
H&R Sway Bars are the perfect compliment to H&R springs or coil overs on the 128i and 135i 1 series. Designed to reduce body roll, increase lateral stiffness and improve handling as a whole, H&R Sway Bars are made using a proprietary alloy that is both stronger and more resilient than competitive sway bars. But it doesn't end there. All Sway Bar kits have precision forged ends and include bushings made from an exclusive urethane/Teflon composite that eliminates squeaks, and don't require lubrication. Ever. That means no mess, no maintenance - just bolt in H&R Sway Bars and go! Click here to order.

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H&R 20mm Rear Sway Bar for E82/E88
H&R Sway Bars are the perfect compliment to H&R springs or coil overs on the 128i and 135i 1 series. Designed to reduce body roll, increase lateral stiffness and improve handling as a whole, H&R Sway Bars are made using a proprietary alloy that is both stronger and more resilient than competitive sway bars. But it doesn't end there. All Sway Bar kits have precision forged ends and include bushings made from an exclusive urethane/Teflon composite that eliminates squeaks, and don't require lubrication. Ever. The installation on the rear bar on the 1 series is much more involved than earlier BMW's, so please keep this in mind when ordering. Click here to order.

Wheels

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Forgeline ZX3P "Premier Series" Forged Alloys

You might not go 200 miles per hour everyday, but these wheels could - and certainly have! Forgeline wheels have been mounted on championship-winning cars of the Speed World Challenge and Grand Am Cup race series for numerous years.

ZX3P with Matte Black powder coated centers and gloss white powder coated

Front: 19x8.5" 5x120mm - 40mm offset (225/35/19 tire)
Rear: 19x9.5" 5x120mm - 47mm offset (255/30/19 tire)

Click for more info on Forgeline wheels & how to order.

Exterior / Body Styling

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E82/E88 1 Series Genuine BMW Black Grills
We love how black grills help complete the "storm trooper" look on our 128i. While chrome is great in the right amounts, the "black out" or "shadow" look has been a hot trend the last few years, and we like it. These are Genuine BMW front center "kidney" grills that install in minutes, eliminating the chrome and giving you the blacked out "shadow" look that has become so popular and attractive. These work on any 1 series, including 128i and 135i (both coupe and convertible) and are the highest quality, as you'd expect from Genuine BMW factory parts. Kit includes one left grill and one right grill. Click here to order.

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Genuine BMW Performance Side Skirts
Genuine BMW side skirts, modeled after the sideskirts that appeared on the BMW "Tii" Concept car. These feature more aggressive styling cues which go nicely with both the front Performance spoiler and the Performance rear apron. These sideskirts fit all 1 Series including 128i and 135i coupe & convertible. Kit includes both left and right side skirts, which come primed ready to paint (professional paint and installation recommended). Click here to order.

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Genuine BMW Performance Rear Apron
Genuine BMW Performance rear apron for all BMW 1 series, including 128i and 135i (coupe and convertible). Give your 1 series the more aggressive styling of the BMW "Tii Concept" car, with this rear apron. Comes primed and ready to paint (professional paint and installation recommended). Please note, this apron is only for cars WITHOUT PDC (park distance control). Click here to order.

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Genuine BMW Carbon Fiber Rear Spoiler
This carbon fiber lip spoiler is perhaps our favorite piece from the BMW Performance Aero options. Made of beautiful and real woven carbon fiber, this spoiler is easy to install (it adheres to the E82 trunk lid) and it's the perfect balance aesthetically -- not too much, not too little, JUST RIGHT. And it's ready to install out of the box (unless you want to paint yours body color). We recommend installing it just how it is. Click here to order

Interior

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Genuine BMW Performance Seats
These are perhaps most aggressive sport seats BMW has ever offered for a street car -- but they aren't for sale in the US. One look and we knew: Our project 128i MUST have these seats. Made by Recaro, and covered in high-grip alcantara suede, these seats much like real race seats. Lighter, firmer and more supportive in corners, they even have pass-thru's for harnesses. Because these seats are not approved for use in the United States, we do not and can not sell them. Those lucky Europeans!

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BMW Performance Steering Wheel
(For All 1 Series and E9x 3 Series - E90/E91/E92/E93)
Hands down, the coolest, most advanced BMW steering wheel ever produced! The computerized BMW Performance steering wheel has lots of tricks up it's sleave, including built in progressive LED shift light indicators, a lap timer (with programmable track sections), G-force display (both lateral & forward g's), and coolant & oil temp displays. It has two "hidden" buttons, both located at the thumb positions for controlling the wheels internal functions. Click here to order

Engine

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Turbo Tuner Boost Enhancement Module
Enhance Performance by adding 50 ft-lbs and 40 hp to the wheels! The Turbo Tuner is a "plug and play" module that works seamlessly with the stock ECU. The Turbo Tuner is not a boost controller -- boost itself remains controlled by the stock engine computer. This is a night and day difference, and the improvement in acceleration is remarkable. This module plugs (and unplugs) into your BMW's wiring harness with no cutting or splicing, and can be installed and uninstalled in just minutes, even by your average BMW owner.
Click here dyno chart and more info.

Exhaust

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E82 135i UUC/Corsa Performance Exhaust
The 135i has phenomenal power (especially if you're using boost enhancement measures, such as our software or Turbo Tuner), but it completely lacks both exhaust sound and FLOW. This axle-back exhaust system has a nonrestrictive design tuned just for your 135i twin-turbo drivetrain. The system is 7 lbs lighter than stock, and has been benchtested to flow 18% than stock. This reduction in exhaust restriction is a MUST if you want to make more horsepower and torque on the 135i. And best of all, it sounds AMAZING from both the cockpit and outside the car. But don't take our word for it, HEAR IT FOR YOURSELF in the posted video clip here:
Click here for info and sound/video clip.

Brakes

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135i Cooly Willy Racing Brake Pads
For use on 135i 1-series BMW with it's massive six piston calipers, these pads have been hand-made for TMS to fulfill the numerous requests received by BMW 135i owners for high performance/track pads. These high performance pads are the exact same compound found on all other Cool Willy pads, making them an excellent choice for dual purpose driving. If you drive your track-car on the street, then these should be high on your list for your next set of pads.
FRONT SET - Click to order
REAR SET - Click to order

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135i Hawk HT10 Racing Brake Pads
Hawk's track-only line of pads, designed strictly for track use ONLY! Unlike some of the pads appropriate for street driving, Hawk HT10's are not designed to perform at the low temperatures that are normally experienced in ANY street car. The HT10 Compound offers a smooth initial bite and a higher torque level, high fade resistance and maximum operating temperature than the Hawk Blue compound. Optimum temp range on these is 300-1,300 degrees Fahrenheit (150-870 degrees C). Not for street use.
FRONT SET - Click to order
REAR SET - Click to order