When you have to give up your beloved ride because of overseas job reallocation, bidding farewell is never easy especially for a petrolhead like Sebastian. He has spent a sizeable amount of effort to spruce up his BMW 116i, or as he affectionally puts it, the "white horse".

Much of the modifications are inspired directly by the 1er bloodline's current top performer M135i. It also helps when you have a supportive spouse who incidentally is also the chief finance officer to agree on the approval of fund release. But first, being a passionate Liverpool FC husband-and-wife fan team alleviates most disagreements, anyway.


The BMW 1 Series is a compact family hatchback designed to rival the likes of the Audi A3 and Mercedes A-Class. Despite being the entry-level of the brand, this overall German package is not too shabby. The interior is well-built, handling and engine performance is of BMW benchmark, and we all know where this benchmark stands. With a little "touchup" on this zippy car, the result can be pretty sporty thanks to some clever software management which Sebastian has nicely executed.

By piggy-backing on the available 136 bhp from the 1.6-litre turbocharged engine with Kelleners Sports' chiptuning setup, an extra 25 horses and 40 Nm torque were extracted. Putting it into sports mode will also make the turbo work harder, resulting in a more responsive drive.