BMW tuning from Alpina, Lumma, Hamann, G-Power, Nowack Motors, Emotion Wheels

Alpina

BMW 5 Series

Alpina cars are produced directly on the BMW assembly line and are serviced by its official dealers. No tuning studio in the world has such privileges. And all because Alpina, which dates back to 1965, has been cooperating with the Bavarian automaker for a long time: there are cases when BMW itself turned to Alpina for help in developing cars. The latest creation of masters from the city with the name Bukhloe, dear to the Russian heart, is the B5 F10 Bi-Turbo based on the latest BMW 5 Series.

The appearance of any Alpina car is distinctly strict. No protruding spoilers, wheel arches, or other tuning tinsel. The car differs from the “donor” BMW with light, neat touches that will tell a person who knows a lot. Even the bumpers remain stock to successfully pass crash tests. The changes include modest linings on the front and rear bumpers, a small visor on the trunk lid, four exhaust pipes, a slightly lowered suspension and branded 20-spoke wheels with a diameter of 20 inches. And it's all. The result is obvious: no one can do it more elegantly. The interior is trimmed with the finest leather.

The technical content is even more impressive. The engine is a 4.4-liter V8 biturbo, developing 407 hp in standard “fives”. and 600 Nm, after modification in Alpina it produces 507 hp. and 700 Nm. The eight-speed automatic transmission has been recalibrated for better rate of fire and smoothness. Dynamic characteristics – 4.7 from acceleration to 100 km/h and 307 km/h maximum speed. The suspension has also been retuned towards... a smoother ride. In short, any Alpina is a unique car. This is evidenced, for example, by the following fact: it was the B5 F10 Bi-Turbo that Michelin chose to debut its newest Pilot Super Sport tires.

Fuel pressure regulator is faulty

It is impossible to achieve the desired speeds when accelerating a vehicle if the product does not correctly “perform” fuel return. The moment of release occurs provided that the pressure has exceeded the standard parameters. If the regulator is faulty, fuel will begin to flow back into the tank prematurely. That is, when accelerating a car, it will not reach the required speed, since the power of the propulsion system will drop.

Check the serviceability of the regulator using an air pump. For the control process, it is necessary to prepare a special rail and air blower. It can be not only a pump. It is recommended to use a compressor to speed up the action. While pumping air, monitor the readings of the rack. When the regulator operates, look at its readings. When it operates before reaching the control mark, it must be repaired or replaced with a new regulator.

Experienced motorists claim that a cracking sound appears in the engine compartment due to a faulty fuel regulator.

BMW 3 Series Coupe/Convertible

The next creation of specialists from the city of Buchloe is the BMW 3 Series coupe and convertible. The fact is that the Bavarian automaker recently subjected 2-door “three rubles” to the procedure of planned restyling, which means that the existing versions from Alpina also required an “upgrade”. After modifications, the cars naturally changed their name to Alpina B3 S Bi-Turbo.

The Bi-Turbo prefix in the name means that under the hood of the car there is a power unit with two turbines, namely a 3-liter inline six, which in the standard version develops 306 hp. power and 400 Nm of torque. The pre-restyling version of Alpina squeezed 360 hp out of this unit. and 500 Nm. The current figures have become even more impressive: 400 hp. and 540 Nm. This required optimizing the air intake system, installing a “zero” air filter, a new exhaust system, Mahle pistons and a more powerful cooling system. After the modifications, the coupe accelerates to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds and reaches a top speed of 300 km/h. The convertible is slightly slower: 4.9 s and 298 km/h. Before restyling, the figures were 4.8 s and 285 km/h (5 s and 280 km/h for the convertible). Standard models are noticeably slower - 5.5 and 5.7 seconds respectively, and their top speed is limited to 250 km/h.

In addition to the engine, the suspension was reconfigured. Only it is made not harder, as one would expect, but softer, so that the Alpina owner enjoys excellent smoothness. For the same purpose, “puncture-free” runflat tires with rigid sidewalls, which are equipped on standard BMW cars on the assembly line, are thrown into a landfill. It turns out to be a comfortable alternative to the M3 sports model. In addition, the Emka is produced only with rear-wheel drive, while the Alpina can be all-wheel drive.

Content

1. Chip tuning of the power unit.2. How gas dynamics will change after tuning the E34.3. Tuning the interior of BMW E34.4. Body modification and external tuning of BMW E34.

The BMW E34 is by no means a young generation of cars; it can already be considered a classic. The last model rolled off the assembly line back in 1996, which means that the “youngest” BMW is now celebrating its 20th anniversary. For any car, this age is considered very impressive, so you need to take very good care of such a car. Modern opportunities for high-quality tuning will help any owner of this brainchild of the German automobile industry to turn an old BMW into a new-fangled beauty that will be practically in no way inferior to the most modern cars.

BMW 760Li

The German tuning studio Lumma in the city of Winterling has recently gained great fame in Russia thanks to stunning changes in the appearance of the BMW X6. This time the company launched an even more ambitious project, for which it entered into cooperation with the Swiss distributor of Windows Mobile devices, Shaston SA. The brand's flagship, the BMW 760Li, was chosen for the “surgical intervention.”

The first thing that came under the scalpel was the wheel arches, which were thoroughly widened and slots were cut into them - supposedly to cool the brakes. The front bumper is also completely new; it differs from the standard one in its carved shapes, enlarged air intakes and small garlands of daytime running light diodes. New thresholds of a strict shape were installed on the sides. At the rear, everything is quite modest - no spoilers, no wings, just one carbon diffuser. In general, Lumma didn’t skimp on the carbon trim. This material, which came from motorsport, is used to trim the rear-view mirrors, the false radiator grille and all the parts that are covered in chrome on the production model. The picture is completed by huge rims with wide tires. Unfortunately, their dimensions are not indicated, but it is clear that the diameter of the disks is no less than 21 inches. The aerodynamic body kit from Lumma was not at all pretentious, like the BMW X6, but, on the contrary, extremely strict and elegant - after all, this is an executive sedan, not a sports car.

Why did you need cooperation with Shaston SA? To integrate the latest infotainment system from Microsoft into the car. According to rumors, it will be built on the latest Windows Phone 7 platform. But this is a topic for the next story. After all, we also need to work on the engine.

Body

The E34 is available in sedan and station wagon body styles. The easiest way to update the appearance of a car is to repaint it. Due to age, the paintwork will likely have imperfections and will likely not be original. Moreover, most cars have pockets of corrosion, if they have not been eliminated, and other defects. All this is removed during the process of this work. You can do the BMW E34 tuning yourself by renting a paint booth. The mounted body parts are removed from a thoroughly cleaned car (they are painted separately). All present defects are cleaned and treated with putty. Finally, having covered the unpainted fragments, paint and varnish material is applied in two or three layers.

Body kits on such cars are rare. Usually they limit themselves to light body tuning, such as replacing optics, mirrors, and tinting a BMW E34. It is relatively easy to do this with your own hands. New headlights should be adjusted. Tinting is usually done by two people. Moreover, this does not require specialized equipment, and it is quite possible to get by with improvised tools.

BMW 5 Series GT

Hamann, headquartered in the town of Huttisheim in southern Germany, is known throughout the world for its extreme customization projects for a variety of car brands. But this time, when refining the BMW 5 Series GT, the tuning studio specialists presented a rather modest product to the public.

When you look at the car, you won't see huge wheel arches and spoilers. Even the bumpers remained standard. So, at the front we limited ourselves to a thin “lip”, and at the rear – a small trim under the bumper with a proprietary “four-barreled” stainless steel exhaust pipe and a neat anti-wing. True, they set their own thresholds, but they were also implemented very strictly. But in terms of the choice of wheels, Richard Hamann offers everything your heart desires: all sorts of design options, different colors and sizes, right up to 22-inch branded “rollers” called Anniversary Evo, dressed, of course, in ultra-low-profile tires. And, of course, such wheels will not look good unless you order a suspension lowering kit, thanks to which the wheel arches will be filled without gaps. This kit is available for the 530d, 535i and 550i models.

Inside, Hamann offers aluminum pedals and black floor mats with the Hamann logo. If this is not enough for the client, the interior can be completely “redecorated”, decorated with expensive leathers and other exclusive materials to suit every taste and color. Well, for those who want to add additional horsepower to the engine, chip tuning of the 3-liter turbodiesel is offered, increasing power from 245 to 275 hp and torque from 540 to 620 Nm. The “upgrade” of other power units is promised to be carried out later.

Chassis

Both car suspensions are independent. Their settings are focused on handling, so the car has a sporty character. In view of this, many are satisfied with its driving characteristics, so the chassis is rarely modified. The simplest tuning method for those who lack standard handling is to install a coil-over suspension on the E34. This type of tuning can also be done independently. This is relatively simple: the car is lifted and the standard struts are replaced with new ones. You can change springs and shock absorbers separately. However, in this case you will have to match them to each other, so it is easier to use a screw suspension. You can also configure it yourself.

All versions were equipped with disc brakes, and starting with the 525i model, front ventilated ones. Their functionality is also good. The brake system can be modified, for example, by using components from more powerful versions of the E34 or other generations and models.

Most versions were equipped with 15-inch wheels. Naturally, all cars have non-standard tires, and many have wheels. By selecting wheels based on parameters such as width, diameter, weight, profile and tire quality, you can significantly change the behavior of the car.

BMW X6

The name of the tuning studio G-Power speaks for itself. It is the power, brought to insane levels, that the cars coming out of the gates of the company based in Frankfurt are famous for. But this time the atelier’s craftsmen seem to have changed their sense of proportion. After what they did with the BMW X6 M, it’s generally not clear how to release the resulting copy on public roads.

The monster, called Typhoon RS Ultimate V10, looks like the “donor” BMW X6 M, if you put it next to it, would simply get lost against the background of this “typhoon”. The huge air intakes of the new front bumper, in addition to their immediate functions, have another – terrifying one. Wheel arch extensions with ventilation slots at the front and rear also serve the same purpose. The composition of the “front view” is completed by a carbon hood, also covered in ventilation holes. On the sides there are wide sills. The “stern” is also impressive. Spoiler above the rear window, spoiler under the rear window, holes in the wings, diffuser and “quad-barrel” exhaust. All that remains is to talk about the 23-inch wheels with Michelin tires, the lowered suspension and four racing buckets in the “altered” interior.

And now about the main thing. Under the hood of the monster is the V10 engine from the BMW M5, whose displacement was increased by 0.5 liters to 5.5 liters, almost all the filling was replaced, powerful intercoolers were installed, a zero intake, a titanium exhaust, and most importantly, a twin-turbocharger from the X6 M. Engine power was 900 hp and torque was 870 Nm. The gearbox is a 6-speed manual, which production X6s never had. They also got rid of all-wheel drive - only rear-wheel drive. The result is 4.2 s to 100 km/h and a “maximum speed” of more than 330 km/h. The world's fastest crossover costs 675,000 euros. Comments, as they say, are unnecessary.

BMW E34 interior tuning

If everything has become clear with engine chipping and physical adjustments, now it’s worth talking about how you can modernize your car by tuning the interior.

When tuning a BMW E34 in the cabin, you first need to take care of reupholstering the seats, headrest, armrests, ceiling, and door inserts. The type of material is limited solely by the financial capabilities and imagination of the owner - it can be either ordinary leather or its ecological version. However, the upgrade cannot be completed with just one reupholstery, so you can also completely replace the entire interior lighting with something more pleasing to the eye, and also purchase special covers for the pedals, dashboard, door handles and gear lever.

It is recommended to replace the steering wheel with a more modern one, or even better, a sports one. Although the standard version is considered convenient from a driving point of view, it is difficult to disagree with the fact that it will be much more pleasant to drive a car with a sports steering wheel, which will have various buttons to control new functions. All of them, by the way, can be easily and quickly configured via the on-board computer.

Restyling headlights involves a complete change of optics. You can install both lens and crystal, each option has its pros and cons. Lens optics are strong in that they create a dense and, as a result, stronger beam of light, which clearly and clearly illuminates the space in front of the car (this is due to the presence of additional lenses). Thanks to crystal optics, you can create a “crystal glow” - a special effect in which the light appears more concentrated and does not have irritating properties. In a similar way, you can tune not only the front, but also the rear lights.

When upgrading the rear lights, you can think about introducing an additional fog optics system. The practical benefits of such a solution will be noticeable instantly, and the appearance of the BMW will only benefit from this.

BMW M3 Tornado CS, M3 GT2 S

G-Power showed no less interesting developments based on the BMW M3 sports coupe. Moreover, the studio offers two options for modifying the car: very fast and very, very fast. Both cars were created in honor of the BMW team's victory in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in the M3 GT2 racing car.

Unlike the factory M3 GT2, G-Power's creations can easily be driven on public roads. Both cars are mechanically supercharged, the same type that Alpina uses for its B3 coupe that competes in GT3 racing. Air is forced into the cylinders at a pressure of 0.5 bar, which increases the power of the 4.2-liter V8 from 420 to 600 hp. The torque increases from 400 to 580 Nm. With this power unit, the more modest Tornado CS accelerates to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds, and the GT2 S is even better at 4.1 seconds. This is because the “esque” body is 150 kg lighter due to carbon parts and forged wheels. The maximum speed for both versions is the same, and it depends on the choice of gearbox. If the transmission is a 6-speed manual, the cars accelerate to 320 km/h, and when installing a 7-speed DCT with two clutches, the ceiling is even higher – 330 km/h. For comparison: a regular M3 reaches 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds and reaches a top speed of 280 km/h.

Externally, cars differ primarily in the width of the wheel arches. If the Tornado CS has them as standard, then the GT2 S has wings that protrude from the body by a good ten centimeters and are equipped with aerodynamic openings to reduce turbulence in the wheel arches. At the back of the “esque” there is a real impressive wing, and there is no rear sofa in the cabin. So for everyday life, the Tornado CS version is preferable - five people can ride it if desired.

Content

1. Chip tuning of the power unit.2. How gas dynamics will change after tuning the E34.3. Tuning the interior of BMW E34.4. Body modification and external tuning of BMW E34.

BMW M5

Despite the fact that the BMW M5 is being retired due to the debut of a new generation model next year, this sedan still haunts various tuning studios. So the German company Nowack Motors decided to add some horsepower to the M5, because the base 507 hp, which is developed by the naturally aspirated 5-liter V10, is so little in these days.

The car received a prefix to its name - the name of the founder of the studio, Hans Nowack: Hans Nowack Edition. This was the decision of his son, Oliver Novak, who became the owner of the company after his father’s death in 2005. Hans Novak is known in the tuning world as one of the creators of the concept of “chip tuning”. True, what they did with the engine at Nowack Motors cannot be called simple chip tuning. In addition to changing the engine control program, the power unit received new intake manifolds and something else, modestly mentioned in the press release as “modified engine components,” after which its volume increased from 5 to 5.8 liters.

It would seem, how many “horses” will be added after such an intervention? A hundred? No matter how it is. The increase was 211 hp. At the same time, the engine produces 718 hp. has no supercharging - it spins up to 9000 rpm! Specific power – 123.8 hp/l! Only one road car in the world has more - the Ferrari 458 Italia. But Ferrari’s engine has a much smaller displacement, and making a high-speed naturally-aspirated engine of large displacement is an almost impossible task.

Nowack Motors specialists have created a real technical masterpiece, which also comes with a one-year warranty without mileage limitation. And it doesn’t matter that the company hasn’t published the dynamic characteristics – it’s clear that the sedan will go very fast.

Instead of a resume

Nothing is impossible in the world. And there are no ideals. Even the seemingly unattainable achievements of many automakers, the BMW achievements implemented in the M5 super sedan, turn out to be surpassed by a team (as we see, even several) of enthusiasts with sparkling eyes and arms growing from their shoulders. Perhaps such examples are great motivation, don’t you think?

Under the hood of the car in the picture on the left is a 2.5-liter 204-horsepower engine, the weakest in the Bavarian range. But can BMW afford to produce cars that are not dynamic enough? You will find out the answer from our test drive.

Shelby Super Cars Tuatara

The SSC Tuatara is a vehicle produced by Shelby Super Cars. It was founded by Jerod Shelby in 1999, after making his first serious money selling medical equipment.

The company's first car was the SSC Ultimate Aero, the first prototypes of which were released in 2004. He also showed very high speed, but when Bugatti broke this record in 2010, it was decided to make a new car so that it would again bring the company the title of the fastest designer.

This is the first SSC car.

The SSC Tuatara was first presented in 2011 in the Chinese city of Shanghai during the opening of the first official SSC dealer in Asia. Later the car was officially presented in the USA. This happened at the Pebble Beach competition in Monterey. The first prototype of the car left the factory in 2014, after which there was a long process of refinement, but the car is still being produced to this day. The lot cannot be called large, because it consists of only 100 cars.