This BMW 1M makes 550 hp thanks to American muscle [w/video]

We’re firm believers in the fact that there are few things on this green Earth that can’t be improved with the addition of a General Motors small block. Need proof? Take a peek over Jon Sibal’s site for a look at a BMW 1 Series M Coupe powered by a good old-fashioned American lump.

Get Autoblog in your Google feed

We’re firm believers in the fact that there are few things on this green Earth that can’t be improved with the addition of a General Motors small block. Need proof? Take a peek over Jon Sibal’s site for a look at a BMW 1 Series M Coupe powered by a good old-fashioned American lump.

The GC10-V8 is actually a silhouette race car, which means the vehicle makes use of a complete tube chassis which is then covered in whatever sheet metal (or carbon fiber) you like. This machine was built by Global Concept Automobile, and began with a 1 Series M Coupe shell.

The team then applied some seriously-aggressive composite fender arches to cover the vehicle’s meaty race rubber. Sibal says the eight-pot at work in the GC10-V8 is good for a blistering 550 horsepower, and that a three-way Ohlins adjustable suspension takes care of keeping the coupe planted on the tarmac.

The racer has already gotten its feet wet in a couple of endurance races around France this year. Awesome. Head over to Jon Sibal’s site for more information and photos, and be sure to click past the jump for a look at the GC10-V8 in the pits.

Watch on YouTube