60 PERFORMANCE BMWCaesar’s Car Alarms fi tted the whole meth
system based on the guy’s instructions
and the kit instructions and then I had to
get it tuned; I was emailing with the guy
in Texas to get everything set up. It took
a lot of time and effort,” says Nick, “and I
almost gave up at one point but I decided
to persist. There was a lot to learn and a
lot of work involved – the injector size,
pressure and mix all affect how it works
and have to be perfectly matched. The
ECU also has to learn that there’s meth
being added to the engine and it takes six
pulls before it understands what’s going
on. We decided to let the ECU do its own
adjustments and it does a good job; I was
worried that if I had it mapped specifi cally
for meth and I then ran out, the engine
would be running on the wrong map. The
fi rst time I drove it I was disappointed
that I couldn’t feel a difference but when
it adjusted and everything started working
I realised what all the fuss was about and
all the hard work instantly paid off. There
are lot of benefi ts to having meth beyond
the extra power it gives,” Nick explains, “it
cleans the inside of the engine, it actually
improves fuel economy and reduces piston
temperatures as well. The one gallon tank I
have in the boot lasts about three weeks –
this is my daily and I do quite a few miles,
so that’s really good, though on track I’ll go
through that in a day,” he laughs.
In addition to the meth Nick has also
wrapped the turbos and downpipes with
DEI heat wrap, which he says reduced
under-bonnet temperatures by a staggering
200°C, and he’s also wrapped the water
feed pipes and oil pipes with Thermo-Tec
refl ective wrap to keep the engine’s vital
fl uids cool. In addition to the various
other performance enhancements, Nick
has also fi tted bigger bore FTP charge
pipes and changed the hoses and clamps,
which help to ensure that there are no
leaks at the higher boost pressure he’s now
running, 21psi to be precise. It’s a very
comprehensive range of engine upgrades
and it has resulted in a dyno-tested 820hp,
which is a monstrous amount of power in
anyone’s book. You might think that he’s
done but that’s defi nitely not the case;
next on his to-do list are pair of 40% larger
chargecoolers, to further help keep intake
temperatures down, and he’s also planning
to switch to a JB4, which will allow him
to have the fl exibility of switchable maps,
ideal for his meth setup. With so much
power, Nick is also very keen to keep a
close eye on his engine to ensure that it’s
in perfect condition internally. “I’ve done
20,000 miles in just this past year,” he says,
“so I periodically get the oil checked by acompany called The Oil Lab. It costs £50 to
have 30ml analysed and they can tell you
everything about how healthy your engine
is and it’s really incredibly useful to make
sure everything is OK.”
With so much power on tap, Nick found
that he was constantly struggling for grip
and traction and the only solution was to
go for the widest, stickiest tyres he could
squeeze under the M5’s ample rear arches.
It now wears 315/30 Toyo R888R rubber
at the back, the only tyres Nick’s tried
that are capable of actually transmitting
the M5’s monstrous power and torque to
the Tarmac without wheelspin. As far as
suspension is concerned, Nick has taken
the decision to fi t a set of H&R lowering
springs, but only at the front as he likes
the raked look, while the brakes have
undergone a few custom modifi cations.“
This is where Nick’s M5
journey ventures off-piste
and heads in a direction that’s not
yet well-established in the UK and
that’s meth injection
”Uprated pads and
braided hoses improve
stopping powerPBMW217.f10_m5.ed3.indd 60 07/08/2017 08:27