A few days ago we brought you a video that took a look inside a secret BMW M garage. In it, we see a V12-powered BMW Z3 prototype. That car, as you may have realised, didn’t make it to production. However, the car featured here could well be the world’s first V12 BMW Z4.

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World’s First

The world’s first V12 BMW Z4 is the handiwork of a petrolhead by the name of Andrius Bilinauskas. In fact, the same Z3 that we mentioned earlier was his inspiration. He saw the one-off in the BMW museum on a recent visit to Germany. However, the Lithuanian started with a Z4 roadster instead. 

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The E85 generation was the very first Z4, which replaced the Z3 roadster. His car left the factory with a 2,5-litre inline six-cylinder engine. Andrius ripped out the original motor and started to make plans to double the cylinder count. 

Slight Mods

His powerplant of choice came from within the BMW family. He chose a V12 that is usually found in an E38 7 Series BMW. The ignition and exhaust systems were stripped from 5,4-litre unit. VW individual coils now sit atop the heads. In addition, the exhaust was replaced by a full stainless steel system. A Vems ECU replaced the BMW unit. 

Check out a wild Nissan 350Z with a Bentley W12 motor at this link.

Six on the Floor

The stock gearbox could not handle the torque from the V12. It was replaced by a six-speed manual that came from 3 Series diesel. In addition, the rear axle and braking system was fitted from an E46 M3.

At the time of writing the car had just been to the dyno. It produced 240 kW at the wheels, along with a handy 508 N.m of torque. That power figure is what the 7 Series engine produced at the flywheel when it left the factory. Also, the V12 BMW Z4 weighs a scant 1 100 kg.

Bilinauskas has really created something special in the world’s first V12 BMW Z4. It is, as you can see, a real cruise mobile and not some lightweight stripped out drag or drift car. The project was completed in his own home garage. In fact, Andrius isn’t even a mechanic. He told us in an online chat: “Cars are just my hobby”. The entire project took him and a friend just ten months to complete.

 

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