Hartge GmbH has been mis-matching BMW hardware, squeezing oversized, range-topping engines into small saloons and coupes. Its creations are never anything short of spectacular, yet usually come wrapped in subtle bodies ready to scare unsuspecting, self-assured supercar drivers. But not any more. Few cars have ever oozed menace like the H50. It's almost cartoon-like, bursting at the seams like a steroid-filled body-builder. Just look at that raised, heavily vented bonnet, the slashed wings, the four fat pipes, the oh-so-low suspension and those enormous 21in wheels. Stealth, it seems, is off the menu.
The car you see here was once an unassuming 330i. Now, one major transplant and extreme makeover later, its heart beats with four extra cylinders. Crammed into the engine bay is the extraordinary 5-litre V10 unit that usually powers the M5 and M6. Now this may sound crazy, but fitting a standard engine with 'just' 500bhp was never going to be enough for Hartge, so they reworked the cylinder heads, modified the butterflies, fitted new camshafts and remapped the ECU. Hitting the 'Power' button now unleashes grunt of colossal proportions, 550bhp and 384lb ft of torque, armed and ready to fire this 1670kg machine headlong at the horizon.
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