--- title: "This BMW Motorcycle Engine Is Actually a $9,185 Coffee Maker" date: "2025-08-06" modified: "2025-08-06" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/this-bmw-motorcycle-engine-is-actually-a-9185-coffee-maker" categories: - "BMW News" - "Culture" - "News" - "News by Brand" --- # This BMW Motorcycle Engine Is Actually a $9,185 Coffee Maker ![Image of Big Coffee Boxer espresso machine on table]() *\ECM Manufacture\* My attitude toward [coffee]() is fairly plebian. I love it, and I'm addicted to it, but I don't obsess over making it properly. I did pour-overs for a while, but for the last several years I've relied on a basic drip machine and whatever relatively decent-sounding beans are on sale at the grocery store. Espresso drinks are fantastic, but I leave making them to the experts. But now, having seen this limited run of [BMW]() R18 motorcycle engines turned into espresso machines that German outfit ECM is selling, I'm wondering if this is the kind of hardware I need to kick coffee from a habit to a craft hobby. ECM will be making only 80 of these gorgeous contraptions, priced at $9,185 including tax. They call it the Big Coffee Boxer, which is appropriate because it weighs 140 pounds. I do not know what goes into an espresso machine, but I'm sure some of you out there do, so I'm just going to list the topline details from the manufacturer: - Two independently operating water circulation systems for simultaneous preparation of coffee and milk foam - Heat exchanger system - Boiler and pump pressure gauges - 1.9-liter stainless-steel boiler - Quiet rotary pump - Professional quick-steam and hot-water valves - Discreet shot-counter display - Three selectable temperatures: 120°C/248°F, 124°C/255.2°F, 128°C/262.4°F - Preinfusion on/off ![BMW motorcycle engine coffee maker.]() ![]() It's a lot of money to spend on a coffee maker, but believe it or not, even $9,000 is not *completely* outrageous in the context of espresso machines. You can easily spend over $2,000 on a good mass-produced one, and commercial units can be [over $20,000](). The Big Coffee Boxer isn't merely made to look like one of BMW's boxers—it started life as one. As Michael Hauck, ECM's managing director, [told BMW](), transforming a motorcycle engine into an espresso machine is a rather complicated process. "Working on the solid aluminium block requires a delicate touch. However, our team—from Head Designer Tiziano \[Cutaia\] right down to our external partners—were immediately excited about the idea and worked on it with passion." "Passion" is the operative word when you're talking about German meticulousness in designing a product that brews Italian coffee as perfectly—and fashionably—as possible. The chrome against the black case and the gauges on each side are absolutely exquisite. And though I may not be an espresso expert, I'm fairly convinced that better-looking machines brew better coffee, so a shot from this thing has got to be the best in the world. *Got a tip? Send it our way at tips@thedrive.com*[]() ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()