As we told you a long time ago, the new BMW 340i will get a different M Performance Power kit that should kick things up a notch and allow it to compare to the Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG Sport model. While we’re waiting for an M Performance model within the 3 Series range, this will have to do.
So what will this upgrade bring? Well, quite a lot, actually, as the numbers will improve rather drastically, to be honest. In stock guise, the BMW 340i has 326 PS and 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) of torque going to the rear wheels. With the M Performance Power kit, these figures will rise to “around” 360 PS and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque. Almost shocking, isn’t it?
Those are the exact same numbers the BMW X4 M40i is supposed to reach, and it seems that achieving them is as easy as replacing the exhaust. The difference is that the X4 is still using the old N55 engine.
At least that’s what officials told Bimmerpost on the floor at SEMA: “There's two ways to increase power - intake more air, or reduce back pressure allowing for faster air exit. With the previous MPPK (for the N55 engine), we went the route of more air intake, but for the 340i (B58 engine) we modified the exhaust system to reduce back pressure and allow the air to exit the car faster, which together with the modified ECU, results in more power.”
Therefore, unlike on the previous models that used the N55 engine on the 335i version, this time the M division went to the other end of the car to allow it to deliver better performance. Furthermore, the 335i with the M Performance Power Kit used to make 320 HP at most, so this should be a bigger improvement overall.
The exhaust itself has flaps inside and sounds rather good. The video posted below shows the difference between it and the stock version, and you can color us impressed. Chip in the limited slip differential that is already available for order and you can have a lot of fun with a 3 Series without having to upgrade to the M3.
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