Conclusion
When it comes to tuning BMW's N54 turbo gas engine the biggest hurdle is... BMW. The company has made it clear that if you modify the ultimate driving machine you will no longer have a warranty. Newer models have an installed system that can detect if the vehicle is operating outside a specific range that can throw a fault code indicating the engine has been tuned. This mod-alert should make owners more conscientious in regard to what modifications are used and that the upgrade(s) work within the necessary engine parameters. The Burger Motorsports Juice Box Stage 3 PnP system offers several settings that work within these limits. The thing that really stands out is its capacity to allow users the ability to select a program that best fits their driving habits, or turn it off entirely without having to remove it.
Simply using the BMS Juice Box Map 1 (11-12 psi), completely transformed the vehicle. The low boost option could have kept a smile on my face, but inevitably gave way to the knowledge that more power was just a few taps away. Within seconds of pulling over I was able switch to Map 3 (13-14 psi); while not as smooth as Map 1, the slight boost in the mid-range power with a nice bump in the higher rpm range was much appreciated.
Dyno results from the AFE intake system demonstrated that regardless of all the advanced engineering a company puts into an aftermarket air intake system, it generally cannot outperform the already well-designed stock airbox. This is not to say that AFE doesn't make a great product, just that it's hard to improve on perfection. Though there was a minimal loss of torque and a small gain of horsepower at the top end, you still cannot truly gauge real world effects of air velocity and flow conditions at speed on a dynamometer. The AFE intake could be a worthwhile mod even if the biggest things gained are increased throttle response and a delicious growl from underneath the hood. And despite BMW's best efforts to prevent consumers from modifying their 3.0-liter turbo, where there's demand for more power there will always be those who find a way to meet it.
| PARTS COST |
| BMS Juice Box Stage 3 Map 1 | $579.00 |
| BMS Juice Box Stage 3 Map 3 | included |
| AFE Stage 2 Intake System | $498.75 |
| MSRP total: | $1,077.75 |