RE: BMW M135i: PH Fleet
Discussion
They've already spent about £6,000 yet seemingly still haven't fitted the front M4 LCAs at £300 which is the first step IME, far a variety of benefits.
The other question is, how much value does that £6k retain (if the upgrade budget stops there) ? And is that particular depreciation added to the depreciation on the rest of the car more or less than the depreciation on a M2 under warranty which now seem to change hands for £36k/£37k for a 5k miles / 1 year old example ?
The other question is, how much value does that £6k retain (if the upgrade budget stops there) ? And is that particular depreciation added to the depreciation on the rest of the car more or less than the depreciation on a M2 under warranty which now seem to change hands for £36k/£37k for a 5k miles / 1 year old example ?
People should ignore the extortionate birds prices for everything. You could have car same spec as that ones for 1/3rd what they charge.
I’m looking forward to the performance figures for this car.
You could buy a cheaper 135i, get the remap lsd etc for 17k total. And that would be a total bargain for a relatively fresh and easy to run 400bhp rwd lsd equipped car
I’m looking forward to the performance figures for this car.
You could buy a cheaper 135i, get the remap lsd etc for 17k total. And that would be a total bargain for a relatively fresh and easy to run 400bhp rwd lsd equipped car
"We did push one of these engines beyond 400hp," says company founder Kevin Bird, "but we found that the ignition timing was being retarded at maximum torque rpm in the higher gears. If you kept the throttle pinned for more than ten seconds you could also see that the throttle was beginning to close, ultimately triggering limp mode. We determined that the detonation protection was being triggered, and clearly the thermodynamic and physical limits of the engine were being exceeded at the level of boost required for 400hp plus. To get more power we would have to either open up the engine, or provide additional external equipment to increase the detonation limit of the engine."
This does not fill me with any kind of confidence. If developing a platform I would expect to be logging a multitude of things like EGT, wideband lambda, and knock. I'd want a baseline of the knock profile as standard and start to monitor that as the tuning work progresses. Basically, I'd ensure I knew the onset of any detonation before there were any symptoms from it.
It reads as though boost and fuel have been turned up until things start going wrong, and then backed off a bit.
This does not fill me with any kind of confidence. If developing a platform I would expect to be logging a multitude of things like EGT, wideband lambda, and knock. I'd want a baseline of the knock profile as standard and start to monitor that as the tuning work progresses. Basically, I'd ensure I knew the onset of any detonation before there were any symptoms from it.
It reads as though boost and fuel have been turned up until things start going wrong, and then backed off a bit.
It is on the pricey side; especially considering you're not getting anything more than another reputable tuner would charge, for a whole lot less.
Other than that, the car is looking like a right weapon now. Similar gains from a Golf R on a standard map. Some real giant-slayer ability, for sure!
Other than that, the car is looking like a right weapon now. Similar gains from a Golf R on a standard map. Some real giant-slayer ability, for sure!
CABC said:
high costs of this particular tuner to one side, I really appreciate this project. getting good a driver's car from a production model with its inherent cost compromises needs mods.
Couldn't agree more - I find even vaguely performance orientated cars need mods to make them interesting. Standard cars are largely dull IMO.
Misread the article.Ironically, if this article is supposed to have one eye on providing advertising to Bird's and what they can offer, its sort of just highlighting how expensive they are and what other options are available upon reading the comments..
I do agree though that the last thing to look at on the M135i is more power / torque..
SPMX5 said:
i really like these articles. Yes it's promotional but why is that an issue? it's still interesting to read about.
that said, I too would really like to know more about the remap as that does seem wildly expensive!
Because promotional material should be clearly tagged as such.that said, I too would really like to know more about the remap as that does seem wildly expensive!
I'd be interested in seeing different maps on this thing, to compare and contrast them, including how they are applied, how "custom" they are and so on.
I'm conflicted regarding whether maps are needed on these cars. I've got a mk7 Golf R and it's the same thing - 300 bhp seems to be plenty for me. It's fast enough. If I went on track days I'd probably think otherwise. I might still go ahead at some point though.
Not if it costs 2K though.
I'm conflicted regarding whether maps are needed on these cars. I've got a mk7 Golf R and it's the same thing - 300 bhp seems to be plenty for me. It's fast enough. If I went on track days I'd probably think otherwise. I might still go ahead at some point though.
Not if it costs 2K though.
pppppppppppppppp said:
I'm conflicted regarding whether maps are needed on these cars. I've got a mk7 Golf R and it's the same thing - 300 bhp seems to be plenty for me. It's fast enough. If I went on track days I'd probably think otherwise. I might still go ahead at some point though.
I guess it comes down to personal preference, and the fact that the power is so cheap and easy to unlock (if you avoid Birds), but I feel the same as you about my standard M140i. I have never once put my foot down and thought "hmmm, needs a bit more". Out of the box, 100 mph comes up in about 10 seconds. How much more performance you could reasonably need or legally and safely use on the public road?
As you say, track use is a different matter, but mine (like most others I suspect) is purely for road use. Perhaps with the suspension and LSD upgrades, it might all feel a bit more planted and less dramatic, and leave you wanting more, but I reckon a standard car with the LSD and suspension upgrades would be significantly faster everywhere than a mapped one on standard diff and suspension. Yet I know lots of people doing the map first, because it's cheap and quick to do.
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