You Should Shove A 450-HP Volvo Engine In Your BMW E30, Unless You're Chicken

When you really need 450 horsepower from a small and lightweight engine, where are you going to turn first? Chances are, your mind probably goes to something like a turbocharged Honda K-series engine, as those can reasonably easily pump out the ponies. That's too mainstream, however, for Jonas Dalseth Jacobsen's rallycross BMW E30. Over the last couple of seasons, this car has apparently been running a naturally-aspirated engine, but in order to move toward the front of the grid, Jonas installed a monster Alf Eng-built Volvo B4204T35 turbocharged and supercharged 2.0-liter four cylinder engine, and threw down.  

While usually set up for rallycross, Jacobsen decided to enter the Lillehammer Hillclimb with driver Hans-Joran Ostreng doing the driving. The car was given a slightly stiffer suspension setup, though not too stiff, because this car still squats at the rear getting away from every corner under acceleration, picks up the inside front wheel on every corner, and slides around like it's running on marbles. Even with all those strange exterior body dynamics, Ostreng ended up posting a time good enough for fourth-fastest overall in the event. That's pretty impressive considering the level of competition at this premier Norwegian hillclimb. 

It's difficult to find much about this particular BMW, but according to Hillclimb Monsters, Eng built the engine up to 450 horsepower, which meets the local rallycross regulations. This twin-charged engine is currently in use across the Volvo fleet, powering the hybrid top-spec sports wagons like the Volvo V60 T8 Polestar Engineered (lending even more weight to the notion that the T8 is an engine that belongs in sleepers).

Looking around a little bit, it seems most of the fastest hillclimb and rallycross cars in Norway are powered by engines from Volvo. Take, for example, this ridiculously fast Audi A1, driven by Emil Sivesind. The A1 is already one of your favorite Audis, and in this form, it looks like a proper rallycross car built by STARD or even Audisport itself. After checking over the spec sheet, however, you might be forgiven for needing a deep breath. This little rally machine is not an all-wheel drive monster with a tiny engine and a big turbo. It's actually been converted to rear-wheel drive, and features a heavily modified Volvo RedBlock B230 engine punched out to a full 3.0-liters and making 400 ponies at over 8,000 rpm.

If 400 horsepower doesn't sound like enough for you, look no further than this Volvo 5-cylinder-swapped Fiesta. This time, the car is a proper rally machine, with a Fiesta Turbo20 RX used as the base vehicle for Stian Hafsengen's "Blue Beasts" squad. Instead of a 2.0-liter, however, it's got a longitudinally mounted 2.5-liter I-5 Volvo engine, making 1,000 horsepower. And it's silly fast as well, with just over 2,200 pounds of weight to push around. 

I am constantly impressed by what Scandinavian car enthusiasts can build during their lengthy and cold winters. Every season, I am amazed by some new build coming out of the region. I could never have imagined a 450-horsepower Volvo-powered BMW E30 before, but maybe I shouldn't be afraid to dream big.