Photo: BR-Performance
BMW has slowly phased out the award winning 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine used on MINIs and 1 Series models for the better part of the last decade that was developed in collaboration with PSA. However, there’s still one car out there that still uses it.
The entry level 3 Series model is the 316i. It’s fitted with the aforementioned plant that is rated at 136 HP and 220 Nm (162 lb-ft) of torque which might not be enough for a car the size of a 3er.
However, it is the cheapest choice of the entire range and sales are going pretty well for it, despite using an older engine. Not all hope is lost though as some tuning companies offer incredible amounts of power via ECU re-flashing, just like BR-Performance.
They’re a company located in Belgium and have been gathering a following thanks to their work. The best thing that recommends them is that they offer a 5-year warranty on their products that, as you’re about to see, drastically increase the performance of your car.
Since we’re talking about the 316i, we’ll tell you that according to them, this engine is capable of putting down 220 HP and 310 Nm (229 lb-ft) of torque. That’s right, numbers pretty damn close to those of a 328i to be honest.
If you look at the price difference, you might start wondering why pay BMW €10,000 more (which is the actual difference between the 316i and 328i) instead of going to them and having your car tuned for €639. If now warranty was involved, the choice would’ve been obvious but in this case, it boggles the mind that this kind of price/performance ratio can be achieved. But wait, it gets better!
That’s the offer for the Stage 1 upgrade but the guys claim that they can go even further, to 240 HP and 330 Nm (243 lb-ft) of torque with an even more aggressive setup. The price isn’t specified on their website but it has to be under €10,000, that’s for sure!
However, it is the cheapest choice of the entire range and sales are going pretty well for it, despite using an older engine. Not all hope is lost though as some tuning companies offer incredible amounts of power via ECU re-flashing, just like BR-Performance.
They’re a company located in Belgium and have been gathering a following thanks to their work. The best thing that recommends them is that they offer a 5-year warranty on their products that, as you’re about to see, drastically increase the performance of your car.
Since we’re talking about the 316i, we’ll tell you that according to them, this engine is capable of putting down 220 HP and 310 Nm (229 lb-ft) of torque. That’s right, numbers pretty damn close to those of a 328i to be honest.
If you look at the price difference, you might start wondering why pay BMW €10,000 more (which is the actual difference between the 316i and 328i) instead of going to them and having your car tuned for €639. If now warranty was involved, the choice would’ve been obvious but in this case, it boggles the mind that this kind of price/performance ratio can be achieved. But wait, it gets better!
That’s the offer for the Stage 1 upgrade but the guys claim that they can go even further, to 240 HP and 330 Nm (243 lb-ft) of torque with an even more aggressive setup. The price isn’t specified on their website but it has to be under €10,000, that’s for sure!
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