Used BMW 1 Series Cylinder Head

Both fall within the E87/E81/E82/E88 generation, which ran from 2004 to 2013, so there is a reasonable chance of compatibility — but fitment depends almost entirely on the engine code, not the year alone. Confirm the engine code from your V5 or a VIN check and supply it to the breaker, who can match it against the donor car. Never assume a year-to-year match without verifying the code first.

The F20 is the second-generation 1 Series, running from 2011 to 2019 (with a facelift in 2015), while the E87 is the first generation, running from 2004 to 2013 — these are entirely different platforms with different engines, so a cylinder head from one will not fit the other. Even where an engine code looks similar across generations, the castings and ancillaries can differ, so treat these as non-interchangeable unless a specialist breaker confirms otherwise against your exact registration.

For a BMW 1 Series, trim levels like SE, Sport, M Sport, and M135i refer to equipment and cosmetic packages, and trim alone does not determine which cylinder head you need. What matters is the engine code, which can be the same across different trims fitted with the same engine. Give the breaker your engine code rather than your trim name, and be aware that a head pulled from a different trim car may arrive with different cam cover finishes or ancillaries attached, but the head itself fits by engine code.

The F20 ran from 2011 to 2019 with a facelift in 2015, so your 2016 car sits in the post-facelift period and a 2012 donor is pre-facelift — crossing that boundary means you should not assume direct compatibility. Engine codes can differ or carry mid-run changes to porting, ancillary mounts, or cooling passages that affect whether the head swaps cleanly. Name your specific engine code to the breaker and ask them to confirm the donor head matches it; do not rely on the generation name alone.

The N47 engine was used across several BMW models and the cylinder head primarily follows the engine code rather than the body style it came from, so a head from an N47 in a 3 Series or 5 Series may well be compatible with your 1 Series. However, there were variants within the N47 family and production changes over time that can affect head specifications, so supply your full engine code — including any suffix — to the breaker for verification. This is the single most useful piece of information you can provide, and the breaker should confirm it against the donor car's code before you commit.

Gearbox type does not directly affect cylinder head fitment — the head is part of the engine assembly and is matched by engine code rather than transmission. That said, mention your gearbox to the breaker anyway, as it can help them narrow down the exact engine variant if your code has sub-variants associated with specific transmission configurations. The engine code from your V5 or VIN remains the primary detail to confirm.