Best FMIC and Exhaust System for E92?

Hello All,

I'm looking to enhance my factory 2007 335i Coupe performance by at least 100 hp. Thinking about installing the COBB tune and some mods should follow. I was told i need a Front Mount Intercooler, Exhaust system with intake and downpipe.

To this effect, i'm grateful to you guys for your comments and suggestions.

What's the best (in terms of performance and cost!!) FMIC that i can get out there? Is the STETTPerformance one ok?
2. Exhaust? Do i really need the quad tips or dual is fine? What's the best deal? Intake and Downpipe?

any suggestion is welcomed. Thanks.

Jessen

Use the search function and get educated. Also go visit bimmerboost.com as there is significant information there on FMIC, down pipes and intakes as well as blow off valves (BOVs). In a nutshell there is no right answer. I have COBB tuner but used Burger Tuning Plus. There are others but I like COBB because it is not a one trick pony meaning you can check the codes on your ride which is added value.
FMIC range from eBay models, some good some not but the low end of the range is around 600 bucks. AA has one for around that price and the higher end Helix is around 800 bucks or more.
Key parameters are pressure drop, indicated air temp (IAT) increase or no increase and easy of installation (disregarding price for the moment). If you want pure plug and play you will restrict yourself some as very few are plug and play. Minor plastic trimming and removing the BMW quick clamps move things up the next scale because the BMW design flows well but is choked down by the type of clamps to the intercooler and out of the intercooler used. Those are typically replaced by cutting them off and using t-clamps with silicon hose sleaves which is very much what industry uses.

Intake and BOV are another choice you can look into but those are lessor important than the down pipe. That is where the cats and O2 sensors are and if you remove them with those that are catless and flow better you stand a better chance of achieving 100 hp gain. Its all about flow. BMW exhaust systems flow well, money spent for an exhaust doesn't provide much bang for the buck as do tuning, FMIC and downpipes in that order.

Bimmerboost is a great place to get educated with what they are testing. One member has tested a number of FMICs so it is a good place to start. You can't beat COBB if you want more utility than just tuning but again others out there have very good tunes as well.

It is possible achieve the 100 hp increase with FMIC-downpipe-tuning but that would typically be a stage II tune.
Hope this helps some...

You can see from this thread as an example that there are many opinions on FMICs.

Personally, I think Helix is the best FMIC for both the N54 and N55, but it's also one of the more (if not the most) expensive on the market.

You wouldn't need any bolt-on mods for the Cobb Stage 1 tune, only Stage 2 as f2d mentioned.

Cheers.

Originally Posted by jessen

Hello All,

I'm looking to enhance my factory 2007 335i Coupe performance by at least 100 hp. Thinking about installing the COBB tune and some mods should follow. I was told i need a Front Mount Intercooler, Exhaust system with intake and downpipe.

To this effect, i'm grateful to you guys for your comments and suggestions.

What's the best (in terms of performance and cost!!) FMIC that i can get out there? Is the STETTPerformance one ok?
2. Exhaust? Do i really need the quad tips or dual is fine? What's the best deal? Intake and Downpipe?

any suggestion is welcomed. Thanks.

Jessen

I'd look at the COBB Accessport for convenience and some serious power gains as well. Everything is done through a handheld unit, no need to plug in anything underneath the engine bay as this is a flash, not a piggy back system. Out of the 5 vehicles we have here (employee cars), that have a N54 motor all 5 of them have the COBB on their car. Some run stage 1, some run stage 2 of course, but if you're looking to add some serious power, I'd take a look more into the COBB:



*Cobb AccessPORT ECU Flash Tuner BMW N54 (135i/335i/535i/1M/Z4)

Installation is a breeze as well... Take a look:


Don't hesitate to ask any questions either. You can PM/Email or call me direct at 714.582.3330 extension 8002, just ask for Jurrian!

This is great guys, thanks so much for the info, this really helps.

Awesome.

Jessen