Why build a Yamaha R1 powered Toyota IQ?

 I think it`s cool and I find it refreshing to do something that has never been done before.

I also enjoy a good engineering challenge, it exercises my mind and body.

I have completed a lot of projects just like this one and they all had a high build quality but interesting to build.

The IQ that was just the right size for a Motorcycle engined car project plus I already owned it.

I had always wanted to build a Bike Engine Car,  [BEC]  after seeing one in person over 20 years ago, way before you could research them on YouTube and the internet.

It was a MK1 Mini Cooper fitted with a Suzuki Hayabusa engine,it was on a Dynometer going through some tuning at my buddy Larry`s shop PDQ Developments back in the UK.

They were tuning up the Suzuki engine and as they pushed it through all 6 gears around at 14,000 on the rev limiter I promised myself one day I would build something similar.

The video link below showing a Kawasaki Z1 engined car on the Dyno is from his shop.

  20 or so years later here we are...

In 2015  I was in the market for a cheap compact car to commute to Miami and back every day. After a little research I picked up a used 2012 Scion IQ with just under 20K miles.

After driving it for almost 2 years I realized the IQ was one amazing and underestimated little car.

I had done some minor mods, like upgrading the suspension, new wheels with sticky tires, anti  roll bar and some racing seats, and modified the restricted exhaust. 

Unfortunately the little 97bhp engine was not easy to tune, Turbo kits were available but only increased output by a mere 20-30% and that was not worth the cost.

Something had to be done, the car already handled like a go Kart and could corner like it was on rails, but the power I wanted was just not available.

And then it hit me...  Swap out the engine for something a little faster just like I promised I would do one day.

I took the plunge and bought a low mileage 2012 Yamaha R1 Crossplane engine off eBay, complete with wiring loom, injectors and ECU.

I began planning the up coming build, Being Optimistic by giving myself 12 months to complete it.

My conversion was started on the 1st January 2017 and nearly 2 years later its almost completed.

edit:  it`s now December 2018 and it is completed!

I just got a couple of little things to take care of like putting larger Wilwood calipers and converting the rear drum brakes to Disc rotors.

The cost of toiling away in my garage every weekend for nearly 23 months?

  Don`t ask,  or my Wife will kill me if she found out.

I always like to use this quote when asked how much it actually cost me.

"There was no Budget, But I still went over it"