Josh's (@m235i) Wide-body, Hybrid turbo beast
BMW’s hot 2 series is possibly one of the best performance coupes you could buy, taking all the great aspects of the M135i and putting it into a more sleek coupe body, with its great looks and amazing 3.0-litre turbocharged unit, it’s hard to find many other cars that are this much fun and don’t empty your wallet like full fat ‘M’ cars. Which is why M-Lite models are so popular with anyone who wants a fast, comfortable and fun car with great modding and tuning possibility’s. So what if you want something a little more, well ‘@m235i’ Josh has done just that, with his wild 500bhp wide-body monster of a M235i.
Now the M235i may lack some road presence compared to the beefed-up M2, which is ok if you are looking for something to slip under the radar and be a bit of a sleeper, but if you want to make a statement, and get some serious road respect then Josh has done just that by creating something spectacular with his full-fat hybrid turbo machine. Just by applying a wide-body kit, wrap and lowered suspension this M235i has turned into a mean looking brute that wants to take you outside for a fight!, so if your uninspired by your current ride, take some motivation from Josh, at 26 he created this one-of-a-kind performance machine, as explained by the man himself.
“I’ve always been interested in German cars and BMW’s due to my split-nationality, being half English and half German I regularly visited Germany and also lived there, so I was often seeing these cars as a kid growing up. BMW was my favourite out of Merc/BMW/Audi brands”.
“My first BMW was a 2008 E82 120d that I bought in 2014 and, quite simply, I wanted a BMW coupe that had good mpg that was within my budget. This is due to a daily rounf trip commute of 80 miles during my University work placement year”, “I was completely unaware of the modding and car scene but I quickly caught the bug once I started to join forums such as BabyBMW.net and saw what people were doing. I started modifying the E82 in 2016, replacing the front and rear bumpers with 1M-style ones along with converting the rear exhaust layout to one big exhaust pipe each side to make it look a little different, like the M235i/M240i. Also other mods such as aftermarket alloys, splitter and lip spoiler”.
“In terms of the M235i, I really liked the look and style of the E82 once I had finished with it and it was similar to the looks of the M235i. Along with the increased engine power and other M Sport upgrades, it really was a no-brainer for me that the M235i would be my first ‘sports’ car, I found it via a private seller who couldn’t shift it due to it being a manual and it was in good condition with low mileage. The plan for the car was simple: alloys, splitter and diffuser, now look at it!, the mods increased rapidly once I started to realize many M235i/M240i’s look the same, and I wanted to stand out from the crowd”
“Within the first 3-4 months of owning the M235i after buying it in April 2018 not much was added, the usual black kidney grilles, M Performance front splitter and diffuser and a lovely set of Bola B25s in gloss black which were a real hit and gave the car a nice stealthy look, I’d seen a blacked-out M2 owned by a guy called Alan (M2Alan) which made me want to do the same theme for my M235i. That mixed with the time I saw a wide-body 2 series in Europe was the driving force behind the build – I immediately knew this was the target but to take it to another level”
Josh additionally increased the character of the car by adding H&R lowering springs to give it a fine stance, a custom-made diffuser with OEM M2 quad exhausts, a set of LCI rear lights further enhanced the aggressive rear looks, and the styling was finished off by a set of AutoID mirror replacements identical to the M2. “The addiction was real” and there was no doubt now in Josh’s mind that the finished car was proof of that. Then in Feb 2019 it was time to ‘widen’ his creation in the form of a wide-body kit. “The kit was purchased and shipped over from Asia and installation began with Wrench Studios around April/May time and it took them about 8-9 weeks. They really did a great job as there are some issues with the quality of the kit which they managed to adapt”
The outcome is a stealthy machine that separates itself far away from the standard looking M235i, but this was just the start, the addiction grows and more was added via an AutoID carbon boot lip spoiler, an ECD Performance custom-made carbon diffuser occupied by a set of custom quad slash-cut exhaust tips made by Dave at Hard Knocks Speed Shop, the H&R springs were replaced with BC Racing coilovers while the Bola alloys were replaced by 20” Judd Model Twos. “The final mods have come more recently, enjoying the stealth look for just over half a year, it was decided the Black Sapphire paint finish was swallowing up the aggressiveness of the kit and it was hidden in certain areas around the car, and so we launched version two in February 2020 with a matt grey aluminum wrap by C2F4 Design and also installed an Airlift Performance 3H Kit with a simple but smart boot build by the Tuning store/Car Audio Security”.
The finished article is nothing short of amazing, and gains credible road presence without going too far over the top, the added kit manages to further increase the M235i’s smooth looks without stopping any crucial factory designs from flowing naturally, preferably the vents around the arches that look like they should have been on the car from the moment it left the factory, combined with the carbon elements it is a real head turner, with anyone who sees it wanting to get there latest camera phone out right away for a quick snap!
The colour choice for the wrap is all so perfect with the matt grey allowing for the black elements and body curves to really stand out, and topped off by those Judd 20’s that make for a truly imposing ride.
With the exterior getting most of the fame Josh hasn’t forgot the power that lies underneath, the N55 3.0-litre straight-six turbo, “Unfortunately, in late 2018 a tuning company placed a map on the car which led to some severe symptoms (black smoke, revs not going over 3/4k) and then engine problems followed quickly, resulting in a full engine rebuild with a new block required. This was a massive setback and ultimately delayed the wide-body project by half a year. Having at first thought/ been advised it was a turbo issue, the new uprated hybrid turbo kit was purchased and fitting began in March 2019. It was at this point we found out the block had cracks and so this needed replacing resulting in further delays and costs – N55 life.
However, months later and having had the wide-body kit installed, the engine was rebuilt, with a new turbo and new mapping, running just how it should of done”
While the ride was an emotional headache the end result was worth the struggle, the range of engine upgrades comprise of a Hi-Tech Performance hybrid turbo merged by an XDI-30 high-pressure fuel pump, a forge charge pipe, an uprated Hi-Tech intercooler, de-cat downpipe and the said M2 back box, tuned by PCW Exhaust Mods for more noise. The result is 500bhp and 516lb ft of torque which nails down the fact that this M235i has the power to match the looks.
On the inside Josh has also refrained from going over the top, by adding bits that make a difference and a special touch but not too much that its still easy on the eye, “The main interior mods I wanted to get were Alcantara-based because I like the look and feel, it really brings the interior up to date and style, My steering wheel, steering wheel trim and armrest have been retrimmed by Royal Steering Wheels who I now do some work for. I really liked their products and work and got on well with Jack, the owner, we managed to work out a plan of how I could help them out and join the team”
The steering wheel itself is a thing of beauty, transforming the interior with its perforated leather and Alcantara finish, flat bottom and sculped grips, the steering wheel is joined by a matching M Performance carbon and Alcantara handbrake and gear lever, carbon dipped trim also joins the changes which makes all these small touches add up to a great difference.
Josh’s build journey has been a struggle at times but I think it’s safe to say that he is more than thrilled with the results, from the goal of turning a regular M235i into something that stands out from the crowd, he has certainly made the modifying dream turn into reality. A lot has gone into the project and the amount of hours, and no doubt lots of cash spent, the end result is nothing short of spectacular. “Picking my favourite mod is a tough one, I really like a lot of the custom pieces/parts around the car such as the embossed company logos of firms who have worked on the car, and custom-made carbon rear diffuser or even the 20” Judd alloys. Overall, it would be the wide-body kit itself, though, it took the car to another level and made it stand out amongst the M-Lite community”.
We are not shocked that Josh’s favourite mod is the wide-body kit, without it there would definitely be an element missing and the kit transforms the M235i into a real aggressive machine with the power to meet the buck, Josh says that he’d ‘like to think finally no’ more plans for his ride, if his modding journey is complete he can step back and be proud of what he and the company’s that helped have created, a truly one-off M235i.
Wide-body F22 M235i Spec
ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION
3.0-litre straight-six turbo N55B30 producing 500bhp and 516lb ft, Hi-Tech Performance hybrid turbo, XDI-30 high-pressure fuel pump from Ross Sport LTD, Forge charge pipe, uprated Hi-Tech intercooler, de-cat downpipe, M2 backbox modified by PCW Exhaust Mods, Six-speed manual.
CHASSIS
10x20” (front) and 11x20” (rear) Judd Model Two wheels with 265/30 (front) and 295/30 (rear) tyres, Air Lift Performance 3H air suspension setup.
EXTERIOR
Matt Grey Aluminum wrap by C2F4 Design, BMWShowcase wide-body kit installed by Wrench Studios, M Performance front splitter, AutoID mirrors and carbon boot lip spoiler, custom-made ECD Performance carbon diffuser, LCI rear lights, light and window tints, Exclusive Registrations 3D/4D plates
INTERIOR
Custom flat-bottom Alcantara steering wheel, Alcantara steering wheel trim and armrest from Royal Steering Wheels, M Performance Carbon/Alcantara handbrake and gear knob, carbon-dipped dash trim.