Performance BMW — September 2017

72 PERFORMANCE BMW

up the power, of course, and getting more

go from his 335i was Jeremey’s first port

of call. “The engine modifications are

fairly simple on this car,” he says, but on

the N54 and N55 you don’t need much

more than that for big power. “The car is

tuned using Cobb Tuning software and

has two maps, one for 93 octane fuel

and one for E85/93 octane blend. Right

around E50 is the mix that I use on the car

as that’s the most that is needed on the

stock turbo and such. I know some people

may run more, but there is no real point,

the gains are minimal and the strain on

drivetrain components is just not worth it.

To support the tuning I went with VRSF

for my cat-less downpipe and intercooler

piping. These two modifications are the

best value on the N55 platform. Getting rid

of the catalytic converter on any turbo car

allows for it to breathe so much easier, its

tons of robbed horsepower right there,”

he explains. “With the intercooler piping

the stock BMW piping is known to crack,

even with stock boost levels. I finished

everything off with the Mishimoto FMIC.

While there is not a true horsepower

gain, it does keep the intake air temps

down on the car, which we were able to

notice retuning the car on the dyno. My

car now makes right around 400whp and

500lb ft wtq on the E50 map, which is

tonnes of power to make the car a blast

to drive every day,” he says with a grin.

“The beauty of the engine mods that I’ve

decided to do is that they were easy and

simple and were done by myself or with

the help of friends,” he adds. “That’s what

makes modifying cars so fun as well, just

having the fellowship behind it.” He’s

completely right, of course, modding is as

much about community as it is the actual

cars, and he’s also right about his power

output – 400whp is tonnes of power, and

with 4WD on board it makes for an epic

all-weather missile.

When it came to suspension, a decent

drop was required especially as the 335i

xDrive models sit higher than their RWD

counterparts and that arch gap would

never do. Unfortunately, there’s less choice

when it comes to suspension options for

the 4WD 335i, as Jeremey discovered when

he went shopping, but luckily H&R offers

a coilover option, so he didn’t need to look

any further. “I am always a firm believer

in going with coilovers versus a spring set

up as you are able to adjust ride height as

you see fit,” says Jeremey. “When I first

equipped the coils I went for a mid-drop,

then when I went with more aggressive

wheels, I lowered the car some more. The

spring rates that the H&R system comes

with did not make the ride harsh at all,

which I love with how much I drive my

car.” Speaking of wheels, we reckon the

E9x sweet spot for size is 19”; wheels

at that size do a great job of filling out

the arches but also look really balanced

against the bodywork and, as with

everything E9x-related, you are absolutely

spoilt for choice when it comes to picking

the perfect set of rims. For Jeremey, it

came down to either a set of TE-37s, one

of his all-time favourite wheels, or the

wheels that eventually won, Avant Garde’s

M590; “I chose the M590 because it is a

classic wheel that looked nice on the car,

especially in the 19” diameter,” he explains.

“It has the luxury look with mesh, with the

concave face profile that I believe every

monoblock wheel should have” and we

are in agreement with him on all fronts as

these wheels look fantastic on the 335i.

The size, the style and the custom finish

with a hint of gold make them the perfect

choice and the extra drop he’s dialled-in is

the finishing touch.

With the performance and chassis side

of his 335i sorted, Jeremey now turned

his attention to the car’s styling; the E92

is a good-looking car, no doubt, but it

doesn’t take much at all to turn it into a

great-looking one, and a selection of the

right mods will make all the difference.

So, we begin with the addition of M

Sport front and rear bumpers, nice and

aggressive but nothing too in-your-face,

in-keeping with Jeremey’s vision for his

335i. “I wanted a simple, classic style for

my E92,” he says, “I wanted the car to

stand-out but for all the right reasons. It’s

unique and simple all at the same time,

the car is truly all about balance.” The

M Sport bumpers needed a little spicing

up and dash of individuality, so Jeremey

opted to add some carbon goodies, fitting

an Arkym front lip for a more aggressive

appearance. He’s matched this at the rear

with a BMW M performance boot spoiler

and a very sexy custom diffuser from

LTMW, and all this carbon really looks

fantastic against the white bodywork.

“

My car now makes right

around 400whp and 500lb ft wtq

on the E50 map, which is tonnes

of power to make the car a

blast to drive every day

”

PBMW217.e92_335i.ed3.indd 72 07/08/2017 08:26