We are huge fans of the BMW M F8X platform with its award-winning S55 3.0L straight six engine. The first generation of turbocharged M cars, the M3, M4 and M2 Competition were all hugely impressive straight from the factory. However, the BMW M Division allowed plenty of headroom to improve things even further and to create a truly gobsmacking performance car. That's where Enginetuner comes in.
Using our F87 M2 Competition development car, we have created performance packages designed to enhance your F8X without breaking the bank. All our packages use parts and ECU calibrations that we have used on our own M2 Competition - both on the street and at the race track - so we know they are proven and effective.
The performance packages are modular, incremental and cost effective. For example, having already applied the ET500 package to your car, you only need to add the additional parts needed for the ET550 package later on.
The packages come in two forms - Street and Track. You will find details of our Street packages below and these are focussed on extracting reliable power from your car. To convert any package from Street to Track, we can supply and fit the full range of extra enhancements that make our M2 Competition such a weapon on the race track - brakes, aero, suspension and uprated cooling. If you would like more information about our Track package, please get in touch.
Performance Packages
Using the Bootmod3 turning platform by Protuning Freaks, we apply the stage 1 calibration to the mighty S55 engine. At the same time we also fit aluminium charge pipes to replace the OEM plastic pipes that are prone to cracking with increased boost pressure. We replace your spark plugs with NGK Iridium 97506 plugs which are two steps colder than the OEM items.
The ET500 package also includes a dyno run before and after the new calibration is applied so that you can see the increased power and torque that the package produces.
The ET500 package will result in engine power of at least 500BHP using 99RON pump fuel. It costs £1,575 including VAT, parts and labour at our Plymouth workshop. The package can be fitted the same day.
*Please note that cars manufactured after June 2019 will require their ECU to be removed and unlocked before we can apply a Bootmod3 calibration. If required, this service will incur an additional charge of £450 (including VAT). As a precaution, when refitting the intake manifold after putting the ECU back in the car, we always use new genuine BMW OEM gaskets.
Crank Hub Fix
The S55 engine fitted to the F8X M cars can be prone to failure or "slipping" of the OEM crank hub. The first sign that a failure has occured is often a "drivetrain" warning flashing up on the dashboard, a sign that the engine timing is no longer correct. At best, failure requires retiming of the engine or at worst, piston to valve contact can occur which requires an engine rebuild.
We have seen this issue affect both tuned cars and those that are completely stock. It is more common with cars fitted with the DCT gearbox due to the extra drivetrain shock from fast downshifts. As a result, many owners take the precaution of upgrading their crank hub, especially when modifying their car to increase power and torque.
We offer a drive in, drive out service to replace the OEM hub with the Evolve Automotive Pinned Crank Hub. We also fit the MMR crank hub capture plate for complete piece of mind. This services includes replacement of the following components using only genuine BMW OEM parts:
- Sump gasket
- Sump screws
- Crank seal
- Cover lid
- Cam cover gaskets
- Timing chain tensioner
- Vanos bolts x2
- Crank bolt
- Securing sprocket
- Oil filter
- Oil change
The cost of this service is £2,125 which includes VAT and all parts and labour.
We always remove the sump as part of the repair procedure which allows us to inspect the rod bearings. The BMW OEM rod bearings are made of a rather soft material which can wear prematurely due to the tight tolerances of this high performance engine. This can be an issue when the engine oil has not been allowed to come up to operating temperature before being driven enthusiastically. For £500 including VAT, we offer replacement rod bearings using superior parts from ACL or Mahle.
If you are considering upgrading your downpipes or fitting hybrid turbos to your F8X M BMW, this is the ideal time to do so as the front subframe is removed to replace the crank hub and this significantly reduces the labour time to fit replacement downpipes and turbos.
Optional Upgrades
In addition to the upgrades that form part of our performance packages, we are happy to recommend and fit a wide range of optional parts to your BMW F8X M car. Simply get in touch to discuss your requirements. Some popular upgrades are listed below:
Evolve Automotive pinned crank hub
xHP DCT gearbox mapping
Mishimoto charge cooler radiator
Mishimoto charge cooler
Masata magnetic engine oil sump plug
Masata magnetic diff oil sump plug
VRSF high flow intake kit
Eventuri carbon fibre intake kit V2
Modstock equal length exhaust midpipe
Zunsport grills
Track Package
In the pursuit of enhanced performance both on the street and the track, we have fitted and tested a wide range of wheel, braking and suspension upgrades to our M2 Competition development car.
This gives us the confidence to recommend upgrades to our customers that are proven to be effective and will help you extract even more enjoyment from your F8X M car.
Our M2 Competition currently runs the parts listed below which have transformed it into a highly capable track car with impeccable driveability on the street. These parts make up our Track package and can be supplied and fitted to your F8X at our Plymouth workshop.
Wheels and tyres
Protrack One 18" 9.5J alloy wheels
Nankang CR-S 265/35/18 tyres
Bimecc stud and nut conversion
Braking
Front - EBC 370mm two piece floating brake rotors, Ferodo DSUNO brake pads, Goodridge braided brake lines, Motul RBF 600 brake fluid and BMW CS Racing bumper brake ducts
Rear - OEM rotors with Ferodo DSUNO brake pads, Goodridge braided brake lines and Motul RBF 600 brake fluid
Suspension
KW V3 3-way adjustable coilover suspension
Millway front camber plates
Whiteline adjustable front and rear anti-roll bar and drop links
Suspension Secrets solid front and rear control arm bushes
Suspension Secrets adjustable rear toe arms and traction arms
We are constantly investing in and developing our M2 Competition development car and will continue to update this page.
