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BMW Blog, Performance, Tuning, Motorsport, and Modification News
Published on 01-19-2012 02:56 AM
There have been a surprising number of S65 V8 failures. Some of these have been with supercharged motors and often times fanboys and tuners alike would engage in a mud slinging campaign pointing to a competing tuner as the reason for the failure. The fact of the matter is, the S65 V8 seems to have an inherent weakness. It's wet sump oiling system does not seem to evenly lubricate the bearings which eventually leads to a failure. ...Published on 01-17-2012 10:58 PM
Active Autowerke has been in the BMW tuning game a long time. They are a well known and established name. This blown motor is a story we reported in September of 2010. We asked for further details on how this was resolved and what happened but never received them and Active Autowerke did not seem interested in addressing it. They sure have had plenty of time to do so. Read the experience of the kit owner below and come to your own conclusion but perhaps how this was handled and other internal issues explain why certain key people have left Active Autowerke as of late. ...Published on 01-17-2012 02:20 AM
Dinan has released their Stage 2 Performance Software for BMW's equipped with the N55 direct injected turbo six cylinder. It is currently available for 2011-2012 BMW 335's (including X-drive), E82 135i, and the E70/E71 X5 and X6 35i. Applications for the F10 535i and F25 X3 xDrive35i are coming soon. $1999 is a bit on the high side but one can be very confident in choosing Dinan and the Dinan supplied warranty in lieu of the BMW factory warranty is always an attractive option for owners concerned about any potential issues. No dyno graph provided as usual and we wish Dinan would get out of this habit. ...Published on 01-15-2012 07:41 AM
BMW is testing the replacement for the current X5 which is due in 2013 as a 2014 model. So what will be different? Well, apparently LED's will be included and a hybrid model will be a focal point. Styling will get a mild update of course and we expect BMW to play it conservative as it has with the current batch of next generation models. What we want to see is the weight drop significantly as Porsche managed to do in the new Cayenne and more diesel options for the USA. ...Published on 01-14-2012 04:53 AM
BMW has taken home the championship the last two years in ALMS GT. They are gearing up for a third championship and issued a press release stating exactly that as well as naming the driver lineup. One can not help but appreciate the BMW Motorsport confidence and swagger. We wish it carried over to the production M models for the street. Regardless, Dirk Mueller, Joey Hand, and Bill Auberlen will be returing. New to the team are Jorg Muller and Uwe Alzen. ...Published on 01-14-2012 01:27 AM
Many tuners have attempted single turbo setups on the BMW N54 direct injected turbo 6. Up to this point, nobody has been able to come to market with a reliable solution. HPF announced they intended to provide a single turbo kit for the N54 last year. They seem to be progressing further than anyone else and making it into a reality. Expect dyno numbers to come soon but for now the details we have are that this kit will be able to run any Precision T4 Turbo from a 67 to a 76. ...Published on 01-13-2012 04:34 AM
Thank you for kicking your American performance enthusiasts in the balls yet again BMW. Fortunately, we are used to it (CSL, GTS) so it no longer hurts the way it used to. Would someone please make sense of this? BMW hypes the hell out of its new X6M50d with teaser videos telling us how great of an "M" it is and gets us all turned on at the prospect of a high performance diesel only to leave us hanging. BMW, you are the girlfriend from hell. ...Published on 01-11-2012 08:00 PM
Everyone should know by now that BMW is replacing their naturally aspirated N52 6 cylinder with the N20 turbocharged and direct injected 4 cylinder. How do these motors compare in the same model? Insideline did that exact comparison with a 2011 N52 powered F10 528i vs. a 2012 N20 F10 528i. Both motors are rated at the same output by BMW but the results below as well as dyno numbers show the N20 is in fact putting out more power. ...Published on 01-10-2012 06:51 PM
Here is another great video from our Russian friends at dragtimes.info. A stock 997 GT2 dyno's in the low 500 wheel horsepower range. The supercharger on the E92 M3 here is an ESS VT2-650 which is the highest horsepower stock internal offering from ESS pushing 8.5 psi of boost. Dyno numbers for the VT2-650 have been claimed to be in the 600 wheel range so we are surprised to see the trap speed at the mile favoring the GT2 with 179.67 mph versus 169.46 for the M3. Both clearly are very fast cars but 10 MPH is quite a difference especially considering it is in the favor of what is supposedly the much less powerful car. Interesting result to say the least. ...Published on 01-09-2012 08:51 PM
BMW published a press release today confirming the 6 speed manual for the US market we all knew was coming. It is nice the US market is getting something the rest of the world is not so at least one small gesture for North American BMW enthusiasts. The manual will share the DCT's final drive ratio (likely to lower cost on differentials for BMW) but the individual gearing will be changed obviously as the manual has 6 speeds versus the DCT's 7. ...Published on 01-09-2012 01:13 AM
We really like the Car and Driver Lightning Lap articles where they take a nice group of cars and run them all on the same roadcourse comparing the laptimes. The 2012 edition includes the X5M which surprisingly outlapped the 335is by over 2 seconds. What else is interesting is that the top speed the X5M hit matched the much lighter BMW 1M although the smaller bimmer did outlap as it should. Something to keep in mind is that VIR is a 4.1 mile long course meaning it is fairly long so power is at a premium. ...Published on 01-07-2012 06:30 PM
We wish to offer a warm welcome to our newest vendor, Cobb Tuning. Most of our members should be familiar with Cobb especially those in the N54 section. Their N54 AccessPORT solution has been changing the 135/335 game and we all welcome the increased competition especially from a solid, well known, and reputable vendor such as Cobb. For now their main focus is the N54 but we hope to see other applications soon in the BMW and German car world. ...Published on 01-05-2012 12:40 AM
So this is not exactly a modded BMW but we can go outside the box once in a while. This is the Wazuma V8F quad. The F signifying a Ferrari 3.0 liter V8. The V8 produces 250 horsepower which propels the 1400 pound quad easily. What is the BMW connection? The V8 is mated to a BMW SMGII transmission out of an E46 M3. The tires on this beast are 315/30/18 in back and 285/30/18 up front. Unique? Badass? Yes to both and we want one! ...Published on 01-03-2012 09:56 PM
We all know Vorsteiner is becoming one of the top names in the aftermarket for German luxury cars. It is well deserved as their approach to marketing is really top tier. They know how to tease and do a proper reveal generating tons of interest and their M-Tech F10 pieces are no exception. This is a lightweight pre-preg carbon fiber aerodynamic package including a front spoiler, rear diffuser, and decklid spoiler. In addition to the body pieces a cat-back exhaust is available along with Vorsteiner's wheels. The end result is the best looking M-Tech package to date, well done as usual. ...Published on 12-31-2011 09:23 PM
This is a very interesting comparison of all the current M cars by Autobild with an E60 M5 thrown in for good measure. The result is somewhat surprising in the sense that the new F10 M5 (which is quite heavy) manages to outlap a DCT E92 M3 on the Sachsenring in Germany. The X5M and X6M also outlap the the E60 M5 which certainly is impressive. The M3 GTS and M3 CRT naturally were the quickest around the track being lighter and more powerful models created with the track in mind. And yes, the 1M lapped the course slightly quicker than the E92 M3. ...Published on 12-30-2011 01:51 PM
BMW continues to test the 2013 F80 M3 which is no surprise as we should see it next year after all with the F30 3 Series having already made its debut. The real question is about the motor, what will it be? Yes, the V8 will be replaced and the motor will be turbocharged. Will it be a tweaked N55? Or will it be the rumored 3.3 liter tri-turbo V6 with 450 horsepower? No matter what the motor choice we should expect power in the 450 range which unfortunately leaves the M3 outgunned both in displacement, power, and tuning potential versus its rivals namely the C63 AMG the next generation of which should get the 5.5 liter twin turbo M157 V8 from AMG. ...Published on 12-29-2011 06:58 AM
This is the rematch of the race that was posted last week. Many fanboys whined and cried that the Procede car was not at full strength due to issues with the meth system despite the BMS tuned E90 running less boost. Fine, here is the rematch between the two with some minor changes to the cars. The result is a much closer this time around that should make everyone happy. Video and full mod list below. ...Published on 12-28-2011 08:03 PM
Here is a interesting comparison by EVO Magazine of some of the best drivers cars out there that one may be able to actually afford. The supplemental video to the article only focuses on the BMW 1M and Porsche Cayman R leaving out the 370Z and Audi TT-RS which is a bit disappointing. EVO felt the BMW 1M and Porsche Cayman R were the class of the field with the TT-RS being placed in last place and the 370Z coming in third. ...Published on 12-27-2011 06:36 PM
This is the Prior Design F10 5 series body kit. Overall, very nice, except we have no idea what someone was thinking with the Zebra striped hood. The kit consists of a new front spoiler, rear diffuser for a center style quad exhaust, side skirts, and a carbon roof spoiler. Nothing over the top just subtle and simple additions to the 5 series that give it a slightly more aggressive look. ...Published on 12-27-2011 06:41 AM
BMW continues to stack its drivers for the 2012 DTM season and appears very serious about beating Audi and Mercedes. First BMW stole Bruno Spengler from Mercedes. Then they took 2011 DTM champion Martin Tomczyk from Audi. Now they get Joey Hand to switch from ALMS to DTM to make what will be an all-star driver lineup when he also joins recent BMW DTM driver additions Andy Priaux and Augusto Farfus. Only 1 driver's seat left in the BMW DTM stable. ...
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