- Prices start at $599 plus installation for a software upgrade that boosts engine output to 320 horsepower.
- A more extensive kit bundles an auxiliary water cooler and an enhanced radiator fan.
- The kits are available as a port installation or a dealer upgrade.
WOODCLIFF LAKE, New Jersey — BMW is offering new and current owners of the 135i and 335i a relatively affordable way to boost output and torque on the cars' turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6.
The latest BMW Performance Power Kits are being offered as a port or dealer installation. The basic package is essentially a software upgrade that boosts output from 300 to 320 horsepower and torque from 300 pound-feet to 332 lb-ft with an automatic transmission and 317 lb-ft with a manual or DCT.
The basic kit is priced at $599 plus installation, and is also available as a retrofit on BMW X6 models built through April 2010.
A more extensive package includes the software upgrade, plus an auxiliary water cooler and an enhanced radiator fan, which BMW says will "reduce the higher thermal stresses on the engine during extreme driving." This kit is priced at $1,199, plus installation and additional air ducts or other components that may be needed to install the kit.
A version of the software upgrade package was first offered in July as a $550 Performance Edition package on the outgoing 2011 335i sedan.
Developed in-house by BMW's engineering department, the performance kits trim 0-60 acceleration by 0.2 second without affecting fuel economy or emissions, the company said, and add an exhaust "burble" during engine overrun.
BMW also said the kit should only be installed on the 135i and 335i equipped with option code S840 (increased top speed limiter), which includes an additional oil cooler.
Inside Line says: How much is an extra 20 horses worth, Bimmer owners?
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billygriffiths says:
12:02 PM, 05/24/2012
I had the Power Kit installed on my 320d LCI and it made a huge difference. I went for the Stage 2 upgrade consisting of software and an upgraded cooling package. The best thing about these kits are that they do not affect your vehicle warranty or motorplan. The new parts are not covered by the original warranty though, but have a 2 year warranty of their own. It completely transformed my car, for the better! I wrote about it here for those still needing to decide: http://bit.ly/KeEHmf
damaje says:
02:37 PM, 09/20/2011
I think this is a great way to boost performace without impacting CAFE numbers. The person thinking it would cost 150 for a BMW install is a bit off, considering brakes usually cost around 1200 at a dealer for all for corners. I do not know what it is about the newer ones, but my 87 328i only needed pads if I would get them done within a week of the brake wear indicator light lighting up, the newer ones once that light lights, you're like 2 miles away from needing new rotors added.
Being a dealer installed option though would make it a bargain in that it would not kill the warranty, so even if it cost $1000 to install, it being done while maintaining the warranty, versus paying a couple hundred elsewhere and voiding the warranty makes it worth it. In case you did not know, BMWs are not the cheapest cars in the world to repair when something does go wrong.
boostaholic says:
01:06 PM, 09/20/2011
a typical catback exhaust is $600 and you gain nowhere near 20hp + torque. unless you have a romping v8 under the hood. also, i am guessing that the gain with the upgrade will be felt across the revs. combine this with bmw warranty, $599 is a bargain.
wjtinatl says:
01:01 PM, 09/20/2011
Will the new tuning be standard on cars delivered new as of this announcement? Similar to Ford's tuning package for the Mustang 5.0, I wonder why a company would charge more for increased performance if it comes at no detriment to reliability or fuel economy and is as cheap as a reflash. If it has a significant impact on mileage, than I understand. The article does not reference the impact to economy.
marcus1701 says:
12:07 PM, 09/20/2011
For a 0-60 .2 sec improvement this isn't a bad deal especially for new cars still under warranty. BMW will not warranty cars with aftermarket software tweaks.
blueguydotcom says:
10:41 AM, 09/20/2011
Overpriced for delivering almost no change.
cambino123 says:
09:42 AM, 09/20/2011
This car is starting to look a little outdated. i'm just saying
k55 says:
09:12 AM, 09/20/2011
if you just threw a grenade inside it.......wouldn't that offer the best bang for the buck?
kosmo69 says:
09:02 AM, 09/20/2011
what a joke.
larryfitz says:
08:55 AM, 09/20/2011
think the BMW-installed kit is pretty appealing. I suppose the 4-yr warranty is not affected. If the installation cost is around $150, this would be competitive, too.
Sure, COBB gives more HP/torque, but it costs $899, and (although very easy to install) you need to remove the flash tune each time when returning the car to the dealer for service.
Likewise the piggyback tunes (e.g., JB4) require entering the ECU unit of the engine that's even more work to install and remove. They are cheaper, however.
Dinan is very expensive.
And, ALL these non-BMW aftermarket upgrades make the car illegal to operate in CA per existing emission rules.
$599 + installation is pretty reasonable when it upgrades the engine specs 135i to the 1-series M, and for us w/ 6-speed steptronic, we can still keep the auto trans, too.