Review Details

2007-2013 M3 Performance Package (Tune + DCT)

Product Review (submitted on October 20, 2014):

As the title says, I had several thing done to my 2008 E92 M3 by Mike Benvo at BPM Sport.

1. Stage I performance tune
2. DCT tune
3. M-Drive retrofit with Euro MDM (I do not have iDrive!!!) and necessary coding
4. Alarm retrofit with coding
5 Convenience coding

And all of this was done remotely :-)!!!

Mike supplied the SZL for the M-Drive retrofit as well as the alarm bits and pieces for the alarm retrofit. I installed them. He first did the stage I tune last weekend. During the week I installed the SZL and alarm components. Then we had a powwow doing the DCT tune and the rest of the coding Thursday night. I didn't get the work done until 11:00pm and he stayed on the phone with me doing the coding until 12:15am because he wasn't going to be able to do the coding over the weekend. Talk about customer service :-).

I haven't been able to drive it much but I can give preliminary feedback.

Stage I tune:

I got the cold start delete, eliminated the top speed shelf, reduced redline when the engine is cold and kept factory redline when warmed up.

The car felt much smoother. Take off from a stand still is very smooth. No lurching. In fact, you need very little modulation of the gas peddle to take off quickly. The exhaust sounded a little deeper... not something I expected.

DCT tune:

Starts in D2. Smooth as hell with shifting... almost boring in automatic mode. When you shift back to manual mode, it remembers which setting you were in last (S5 by default). The shifts there seem quicker with more of a kick in the butt. The real fun is the downshift throttle blips... they sound much more refined than before the tune. It is loud, but definitely less rasp. I had no idea that was even possible but the effect is obvious. Another thing I noticed is the car is much smoother coming to a complete halt.

M-Drive with Euro MDM retrofit:

It works! I love being able to push a button and go from D2 with normal steering and DSC to S5 with firmer steering and Euro MDM enabled. The only problem is pressing the "M" button also changes the audio source so if you have the radio on it will change it to the CD player.

Alarm retrofit:

It works. Not much to say other than it is convenient, offers piece of mind and allows you to use the same key fob.

Convenience coding:

These little things are just nice. I got rid of a lot of the door chimes. I allowed the key fob to raise and lower the window and rotate the mirrors in and out. Taking off in the car automatically locks the doors and pulling the key out unlocks them... which means no double pulls on the door handle :-). I also got double flashes on the hazards and instantaneous MPG. Lastly, the windows can be raised or lowered with the doors open. I might be forgetting something but I think that's it.

Conclusion:

All in all with this boat load of changes it feels like a new car. I keep coming back to the same adjective... but the car just feels more refined. Personally I love it. Everything is the way I want it and I plan on keeping it along time so it was worth every penny. I'll be sure post again with more driving impressions but for now this will have to do.

Thanks Mike!!!