As engines age, they inherently become more attention-demanding as their parts wear. Some engines, though, are simply considered unreliable due to common failures even during their lower-mileage life. That doesn’t mean they are worth writing off, however. The BMW N54 and Audi 2.7T are both regularly called ‘unreliable’ but their performance potential outweighs any fears [...]
BMW is no stranger to the turbocharged engine. From their early introduction of turbocharged road cars to current LMP cars, BMW has proven their forced induction engine variants in the hands of commuters and top-performing racing drivers. The N54 twin-turbo straight six is legendary both for its insane horsepower potential and often fragile nature when [...]
The 996 Carrera, which was produced from 1999 until 2004, is a sore topic amongst enthusiasts. Generally, those enthusiasts are quick to grab their bludgeons and wallop the IMS Bearing dead horse en-masse. Somewhere in that collective hatred of the 996, you will hear about the cracked eggshell headlights, water cooled engine, and how [...]
There are seemingly endless numbers of cars featured in posters found on bedroom walls and fawned over by nearly every car enthusiast. Icons of motorsport history like the BMW E30 M3 or tuner legends like the infamous Nissan R34 GTR are cars we can all agree take up a sizeable portion of our imagination. Then [...]
Cars and pets often resemble their owners. Whether it be an intangible attitude or uncanny physical resemblance, somehow you can’t help but think the universe brought those two together whether they are aware of the similarity or not. Such is the case with Tim and his BMW. The two share an exuberant and positive outlook that builds incredibly fast, not unlike the turbo spool from under the carbon fiber hood.
After what felt like a never-ending winter, warm weather finally brought with it the show season and an excuse to leave the office to spend a few days on the beach in South Georgia. While the official debut of our sweepstakes GTI happened last month at Euro District, ECS Tuning attended The European Experience [...]
The old phrase “there is no replacement for displacement” has met its match in today’s aftermarket performance world. The recipe for huge horsepower was to have the biggest bore, most aggressive cams, and a fuel economy that was measured in feet from the largest engine possible. While turbocharged engines are not a new concept, the [...]
When it comes to performance cars, tuners are generally in one of two camps: naturally aspirated or forced induction. Naturally aspirated vehicles offer a smooth power band, but the only way to pull massive horsepower and torque gains from an NA is with more displacement or by introducing a means of forced induction. Turbo [...]
BMW has been fitting several models with turbochargers since their E10 2002tii. BMW turbo and twin turbo powered cars are capable of serious power. The accessible power explains why many record-setting BMWs have inline-six twin-turbos under the hood. Massive gains are easily achievable with light modification and tuning, which makes N54, N55, S55, and N20-powered [...]
If you have ever modified a car, then you are most likely well aware of the age-old argument “do aftermarket intakes add any real power gains?” Several YouTubers, bloggers, and self-proclaimed experts have weighed in on the argument. Despite miles of information regarding the subject, there is still a distinct divide between camps. There are [...]