Product Description
"This car is an absolute hammer." - James Clay, BimmerWorld President.Our founder and president, James Clay, came away hugely impressed with what this big turbo package will do on the 2.0-liter turbo N20 engine. And this is coming from a guy who raced an F30 328i and whose daily driver was a 600hp E36 wagon. Raw numbers from a straight software flash come close to the power from this big turbo kit on the N20, but numbers alone don't tell the full story. This new power is added in a range that makes the car absolutely amazing to drive and you can enjoy the car for the long term without damage concerns.
Peak power gains are 68hp and 98ft-lbs. At 3,000 RPM there is over 50 more ft-lbs of torque than the stock N20. Power peaks at 290whp or over 340hp at the crank. Torque tops out at 340ft-lbs to the wheels - that's roughly 400ft-lbs at the flywheel - more peak torque than an E39 M5!
"But can't I just turn the boost up with the stock turbo to make more power?" Yes but it's only effective for short term gains (such as when making a cheaty dyno chart). The stock N20 turbo is already operating at the top end of its efficiency map. Which means more boost will overspeed the turbo (it's already spinning close to 100,000 RPM) and create exponentially more heat for an incremental increase in power. An oversped turbo makes more intake heat which dramatically decreases turbo life and increases cooling and oil system temperatures. The added heat to the intake air, even with a larger intercooler, will ultimately lead to detonation (pre-ignition) and reduced engine life. But with a larger turbo running at the same boost pressure, higher power can be achieved with less effort and stress and without increased system temperatures. The turbo simply does not have to work as hard to make the same levels of power as you would with a stock turbo tuned to within an inch of its life.
How do we know so much about the limits of the stock N20 turbo? We have raced the F30 328i in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge series for five years. No other BMW tuner has as much experience with this engine than we do. Mitsubishi (MHI) is the original supplier to BMW for the N20 turbo and we partnered with them on a turbo upgrade for our race cars. We needed a turbo that did not lose flow at high RPM and would not make more heat in the engine bay (which gets plenty hot on its own in an endurance race). Ultimately, they never allowed this turbo in the rules and we spent tens of thousands of dollars on cooling solutions to make the stock turbo work - which you won't have to do! The MHI N20 turbo is the same twin-scroll design as the original turbo so boost lag is minimized and low and mid-range torque does not suffer. The upgrade comes from using a larger compressor wheel inside the turbo. The compressor is also made from machined aluminum, rather than cast like the stock part, for extra strength, lighter weight, and improved durability. The MHI turbo is complete with the exhaust manifold and ready for a direct swap on your N20.
To make the most of the bigger N20 turbo we had Epic Motorsports tune the ECU for the new air flow. This custom software tuning was carried out on the BimmerWorld dyno and resulted in huge gains over the stock software and even more than the piggyback unit we started with. The Epic tune for the N20 resulted in more low-end torque and a smoother torque curve. Note that >300ft-lbs of torque is available from 2,750-5,000 RPM. Flash tuning also allowed us to modify the built-in torque limiters and improve the throttle response, something not possible with any piggyback.
A larger front mount intercooler is not required with this package but still strongly recommended. The larger turbo does not produce the same excess heat but the factory intercooler can still be overwhelmed and suffer from heat soak. Having cooler intake air is always better. We recommend a CSF front mount intercooler with this turbo, which is sold separately.
Notice of Emissions Non-Compliance. Removing, disabling, or altering emissions equipment on a pollution-controlled road vehicle is illegal. Installing devices or software that trick, disable, or modify emissions controls and monitors on a pollution-controlled road vehicle is also illegal. This product is sold only for racing, competition, track, hobby, or other off-road use. It's use is prohibited in any motor vehicle that is subject to emissions inspection or control. Not legal for installation or use in California on any pollution controlled motor vehicle. Not legal for installation or use on any pollution controlled motor vehicle in any state, province, or jurisdiction governed by, or which has adopted, CARB or EPA regulations.
