Hey all... I was considering a few different option to increase the performance of my 1997 328i sedan, 5 speed with sports package. Here is my list and details.. please feel free to add anything that may help me... the issue always is of course, price vs real world performance.... just to let you know, my passion is in the handling of my car and practical torque or 0/60 times... 1. Tires - I have recently upgraded from 16" to 17" and am in the middle of getting 245's (slightly wider) than my usual 225's in the rear. Just getting to the 17" made a big difference already in handling and cruising.. low profile performacne tires of course, but they wear out so quick! I one time had these crappy 16" regular touring tires, and I thought i was driving a boat. Disgusting. 2. Cold air intake - seems like the prevalent opinion of this is, not worth it... only benefit may be a nicer, throatier sound, but I like the sound of mine, so this is out. 3. Performance chip - varying thoughts on this, but there seems to be two types, a cheaper one (under $100) which is supposed to make your engine and car more efficient and therefore run faster with better gas mileage by reprogramming the current chip, or the expensive one (over $400) that seems to also take out the speed limiter, etc... I am not very well versed in this, any thoughts? 4. Strut/sway bars - I am pretty sure my sports package came with a sway bar, although not that thick or heavy duty.... there is no strut bar... my car handles great, and not sure if i should even look into getting a stronger sway bar and put in a strut bar ubder the hood unless I consider doing a lot of drift racing.... I know a little sway in the car helps traction on the outside wheels in a turn, and I dont want to start slipping out because I just wanted to stiffen the car up.... 5. Turbo/Supercharger - Yea the ultimate but if I had the money to do that, I would probably just get an M3 instead right. Unless someone has some revolutionary price for performace on these. 6. Anything else? Thanks guys!
What type of better performance are you looking for? Acceleration, handling, grip. At the track or on the street? 1) Bigger tires will look better, improve grip imperceptibly, the weight and any increase in diameter will slow the car slightly. 2) CAI is not worth it. De-baffling the air box will improve intake note, K&N will make it louder still. K&N will not improve performance. 3)A chip with high octane fuel will improve performance. 4)Sway bars will improve the way car handles and feels on the street and track. Strut brace will not be noticed. Get an X-brace. 5) Get the an M3 instead of spending $6k on forced induction. 6) X-brace ($115), De-baffle air box($free), cold air hose to existing airbox($custom), Limited slip ($500+), Replace worn suspension
Think about chip Think about the chip before you spend the money. Realize that if you ever plan on having the car serviced at the dealership with the new software installed their diagnostic equipment will not be able to communicate with the dme (i.e. if the check engine light comes on with won"t be able to look into it). It's as easy as reseting the software before your visit to the shop but it's something to look at if you are including new parts that need that software to run, like the euro hfm I have on my M3. If I want to bring it in not only do I have to reset the software but I have to remove the euro hfm and replace it with the old one. Just something to mull over. Good luck with your upgrades.
