Many folks find themselves considering supercharging or turboing for your car, or any vehicle for that matter, there are many things to take into account. There are the simple questions like, turbo or supercharger, which kit and how much boost pressure. But also equally critical are issues of how other components within your car will need to be improved to adequately deal with all of that additional power. It is hardly ever the situation where you can buy a supercharger and off you go without being required to consider these other systems.
I can’t describe every BMW version in terms of forced induction, there are too many versions to cover here. However, generally, superchargers offer less costly, easier to install kit. These kits frequently make 6-8 lbs of boost and the average home mechanic can safely install a quality application in 6 hours. Superchargers will typically make impressive hp but many suppliers do not make a tremendous amount of low RPM torque. For daily driving you will not observe much of a difference until you get to higher RPMs. Turbos offer huge horsepower potential, result in a lot of low end torque once spooled up but can present a more complicated installation. For example, in high boost kits you often need to lower the compression ratio with either a thicker head gasket or shorter pistons. There are more components to a turbo application as well, made up of items like an intercooler, bypass valve, blow off valve, waste gate, exhaust manifold, larger injectors, etc. The typical home mechanic will probably be unable to complete this installation. A professional mechanic will require 8-12 hours depending on the kit and this can boost the expense of the project. But, the increased power is worth every penny as long as it is in your budget.
Stopping: If you build a 400 to 500 hp BMW you had better have 400 to 500 hp brakes. More power results in more acceleration, increased speed and much greater stress on your braking system. Many upgrades include larger diameter rotors, multi piston calipers, sport brake pads, stainless steel brake lines and performance brake fluid. This should be one of the first things you improve after adding a turbo or supercharger.
Drivetrain: If you have a manual transmission, seriously consider upgrading the clutch. The Sachs heavy duty clutch is ideal for mild kits with higher performance kits requiring a UUC, Clutchmaster or similar application. It is best to change it out now, because your stock clutch will likely die very quickly otherwise. This is typically about a six hour job for many technicians.
Cooling System: Power makes heat. Your vehicle’s radiator was designed to deal with your stock power heat output. Should you live in a hot area, track your car or do a lot of high speed driving you need better cooling. Your best bet is to purchase a higher capacity, performance radiator. Make sure the radiator is flushed and has new fluid. You may also install engine heat shields to keep the heat from your intake and special hoods that have slots installed to allow the hot air to escape quickly.
Your Skills: The most critical thing to improve is your driving skill. All of that hp may get you in a lot of trouble and you do not want to be injured or injure anybody else. A good place to begin is to look into BMWCCA driving schools. These are expensive and you really learn a great deal. There are also many other professionally run driving schools throughout the country that have the ability to teach you how to safely drive your high performance BMW.
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