E90 328i + Bolt On's & Tune - Excellent Daily Driver

This great video put together by the guys at Mod Bargains shows what can be done to a 328 with the N52 inline six. I get a lot of people asking me what a good performance car is for someone new to the German import scene and the E90 328 is almost always what I recommend. I think enthusiasts sometimes skip straight to the 335 without even considering its non-turbo brother. The naturally aspirated inline six provides a satisfying power band, and it is without question a dynamic and engaging car to drive. Without the added complexity of a turbo setup it is also more reliable and is slightly lighter as well. I think it makes the perfect car for someone that needs something that will be reliable as possible. The chip from Burger Motorsports and the BMW performance exhaust really wake up this car without destroying its character. I haven't had the opportunity to hear a BMW performance exhaust on a 328 but it sounds absolutely stunning in this video.

BMW Performance Power Kit Tested

I admittedly was very excited when BMW released the power kit for the E90, a significant power boost while being fully factory backed, is never a bad thing. However I was curious to see how much power the actual package puts down. Well Steve Dinan did an in depth dyno of an E90 with a N55 power pack and the results are quite impressive and in typical fashion were underrated by BMW, which I have always admired them for doing. 

Emergency Tire Repair

After going through a terrible freeze-thaw cycle the roads in Toronto were more dangerous than a 1980's Afghan minefield being completely and utterly littered with potholes. Now hopefully this does not give you the impression that Toronto's streets are normally smooth and a joy to drive on but this instance was truly an exception. Needless to say I accidentally ventured into one of these cavernous pits of doom resulting in a rather flat tire. Here are some takeaways from my adventure.

1) Fix-A-Flat (Spare in a can?) - A can of fix flat could be a good quick fix if you don't live in Canada and its not -20 Celsius outside. Given the fact that the can is most likely to be in the trunk - don't count on it working if its cold outside. In fact the can was so cold that fluid and gas were not even coming out, only after an evening of being inside my house was it working properly. Also consider if you have a burst sidewall or

2) Run-flats Don't Equal Immunity - Don't think you are immune from flat tire woes if you are running run flats. Yes with ultra rigid sidewalls I may have not had a sidewall burst but where would all of that energy gone? Most likely I could have ended up with significant damage to the suspension components.

3) BMW Road Side Assistance. I was fortunate enough to get my flat close to a public parking lot where I parked my car and came back later with a proper jack, tools and a fresh tire. But had it been somewhere more remote the annual price of this service, which surprising not a lot of owners know that BMW offers is pretty cheap at the price.

4) Must Have Tools - If you are an urbanite and lucky enough to be able to pull into a parking lot or somewhere you can leave your car safely for a couple of hours feel free to cut the middleman (tow truck and the like) out of the equation by having a very basic set of tools at home.

• Jack
• Breaker bar
• Jack pad adapter
• Appropriate socket for your make of car
• OPTIONAL but a huge help especially if you are doing the job solo - a wheel hanging tool

E46 M3 CSL

What I would consider to be one of the best street cars designed by BMW, the amount of engineering and technology in this car is absolutely astounding. What makes it one of my all time favorites is the emphasis on weight reduction, bare bones interior, and impressive high revving NA engine- truly a track car for the road. 

Key Websites

Knowing the right places to get reliable information, order quality parts and interact with other like minded individuals is a key part of developing more knowledge and developing your passion and vehicle further. I have put together a short list of websites I have personally used and had excellent experiences with. Note that I am not being compensated by any of these sites monetarily or otherwise.

ECS Tuning (http://www.ecstuning.com/) – A fantastic site to purchase parts for most German vehicles. They have an excellent selection of parts, upgrades and most importantly tools. As any good German car tech knows, sometimes finding the tools to perform service work can be quite the task. The website is extremely well laid out and guides a user through what and will not work for a particular make of vehicle, making it very difficult to order the wrong item for your car. I have placed countless order never to find any mistake or error and have generally found their pricing to be quite reasonable.

Turner Motorsports (http://www.turnermotorsport.com/) – A BMW only retailer of replacement and upgrade components. Turner is also quite famous for running successful BMW racing teams. I would generally say that pricing is quite similar to ECS however I find that the ECS website is better structured and more intuitive to navigate. That being said there is something to say for a BMW dedicated retailer; they have a deep selection of products and I have found them to have never made a mistake on any of my orders. Definitely worth investigating.

Burger Motor Sports (http://www.burgertuning.com/) – A primarily BMW upgrade and modification manufacturer and retailer. They offer in-house designed tuning chips and custom components for E90, E82 and F30 platform vehicles. What I absolutely love about BMS is that you can tell whoever is designing the products owns and loves these cars, as they develop products that solve knits that these cars have rather than just making the standard array of intakes, exhausts and body kits. BMS offers unique products that address issues with these cars such as oil catch cans, cowl filters and thermostat bypasses. I must absolutely comment on their excellent customer service, Terry Burger answered my emails when I had a fitment issue worked through it with me and at no charge shipped me a replacement hose that was causing the fit issue.

E90 Post (http://www.e90post.com/forums/) – What is there to say, a great forum and resource for E90 owners to learn and troubleshoot their cars. This is probably the best place to start when it comes to learning about your car and modifying it. There are similar forums for every body series BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Porsche etc.

Philosophy

I believe in transparency, when it comes to journalism or reviews I have always found that I connect the best with individuals that have a position and stick with it. I found that automotive journalists who are up front about who they are and what they like and what they don’t, what their biases are and what they drive are those that I am most drawn to and follow on a consistent basis. I often find myself enjoying a whole wide variety of content be it from the universally renowned Top Gear, the excellent Chris Harris, the very down to earth Matt Farah and the absolutely brilliant and ingenious guys at Mighty Car Mods. They are all very different but very consistent in their approach and that helps me understand their perspective and I appreciate them for what they are and represent.

I am a finance professional that has always had a thing for tinkering and mechanics. I got into cars at a very young age and took mechanics and design classes throughout high school. Throughout my formative years I travelled to various countries and experience different cities along with remote and often very inhospitable areas. I find myself very much a “driving purist”; I enjoy a car that offers a strong connection to the road with minimal interference. Whilst I often find myself thinking of what it would be like to commute in a Caterham or an Atom I am gripped by the reality of living in a city and not on a stretch of private road. I value practicality in cars and am of the belief that it is better to have a car that delivers a very good driving experience and be able to drive it all year round rather than one that is absolutely sublime but only gets pulled out of the garage 3 times a year.

Intro

The face of the auto industry has been ever evolving since its beginning but one thing remains constant, enthusiasts, those that have a deep passion for everything cars. Enthusiasts have driven change and are the lifeblood of the auto industry, calling on manufacturers to push the envelop or sometimes to revert to ways of old. This website is dedicated to enthusiast and the constant pursuit of exceptional motoring.