BMW-Mercedes cooperation seems impossible, but the American tuner Gooichi Motors in Florida has done it: it has fitted a 6.0-liter V12 Mercedes engine under the bonnet of a BMW Z4. The car should be legal to drive in the U.S.
Photo: Gooichi Motors Instagram
At the SEMA Auto Show in Las Vegas from 5-8 November 2023, Florida tuner Gooichi Motors unveiled the most powerful BMW Z4 ever built. The American tuner has fitted a Mercedes V12 engine, code M120 in the BMW Z4 E89 produced between 2009 and 2016. This operation was possible because the BMW Z4 has a fairly long hood, so there was plenty of room for the large displacement 6-liter engine.
The Mercedes V12 engine, codenamed M120, was produced between 1991 and 1998 and was placed in the Mercedes S 600 (W140) and Mercedes 600 SEC (C140) and later in the SL 600 R129. The 6.0 liter naturally aspirated V12 engine developed 408 ps. The same engine was later modified and a much more powerful version was used in the Pagani Zonda and Mercedes CLK GTR.
Mercedes V12 with supercharger and more than three times more power
To substantially increase performance, Gooichi Motors equipped the Mercedes V12 engine with a Procharger Stage 3F1x mechanical supercharger. The American tuner did not disclose technical data but announced its target of 1500 ps. The engine is mated to a sequential transmission supplied by New Zealand specialist Humbel Gear Technology, the exhaust system comes from Dutch specialist Celeritech, and the brakes are supplied by Wilwood Engineering of California. The BMW Z4 V12 runs on center-mounted F1-style wheels with Toyo tyres.
Unlike the production model, the bonnet has two extra air intakes, and the rear is dominated by an immense spoiler attached to the boot lid spoiling the Z4’s sleek design. The aim was probably to get extra downforce at the rear axle, which needed to transmit the much higher engine torque to the ground. The car also has a race-inspired pneumatic lifting system but should be legal in the U.S.
