"Mazarin" (Mazarin)
02/17/2016 at 16:40 • Filed to: None
5
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"Mazarin" (Mazarin)
02/17/2016 at 16:40 • Filed to: None | 5
| 37 |
Tax return came(and went) with enough breathing room to be “responsible” but still be able to get something nice for this little blue bomber here. And that something was the NM Engineering Power Module.
Right away, I’m weary about messing w/ the ECU and fine tuning of these new engines and “Twin Power” turbos, and to be honest, I haven’t really messed with a car newer than the late 80's(as far as go-fast mods) so my caveman brain is scared and frightened about all the magic I could undo in that witchcraft box under the hood of a 6 month old car. That said, Ugg only know fast, and Ugg need faster.
The NM Power Module has been out for quite a while, and everyone says it’s great. Of the many reviews I’ve read, only one of them ever said it threw a code at them and NM was on the case to work with them to get it resolved. Everyone says the guys @ NM are easy to get a hold of and will answer any questions, and I can vouch for that too when I was looking for info before I bought mine.
So there it is, nestled behind the airbox in front of the red positive terminal. You’d miss it, even if you were looking for it. Installation was cake - remove the plug into the throttle body, plug the NM in, and plug the old cord into the back of that. I didn’t need to remove as much as the instructions stated either, just the front air intake and that’s all you need. I was done in 10 minutes for a 1st-time install.
And then I drove it. Holy shit.
I’m sure I look like a damn idiot(moreso) in this car now. I was happy with it before - 190 HP is a blast in this thing in Sport Mode, and in the 6 months I’ve had it, I’m averaging 31.1 MPG, so I’m almost a responsible adult. But with this thing in it, it’s suggested that I’m now at 232 HP and 257 TQ. I’m inclined to believe I’m close, if not at those numbers. I’ve been ripping around in it for a day or so now, and my God... It’s wonderful. That much HP in something so little? You know that dumb look you get on the power? You can FEEL how stupid you look. I grin like an idiot every time I hit the throttle actuator.
It has 2 settings, 91 octane low, and 100+ octane high. The guys at NM, and several others have been running it in high w/ basic 91+ without issue, but NM states if you’re going to a track day and are going to beat the hell out of it for a while, do go for the 100+ to stay safe. Several other piggybackers(Burger Tune is popular as well) are all in the “91 is fine for everything” camp. Even BMW tuners seem to think “the ceiling is high” on the B48 engine, especially since the Cooper s has the lowest rating of all the cars with this engine. The John Cooper Works F56 is rated at 231 HP, and the 730i is getting 254 HP out of its stock trim on this plant.
So yeah, less than $400 for 44HP, a well-backed and proven product, and the ability to completely remove it w/ no trace(so everyone has said) in 5 minutes? Yeah, buy this for your 2014+ Cooper S.
Aaron M - MasoFiST
> Mazarin
02/17/2016 at 16:46 |
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That reminds me of getting my WRX back after going Stage 2.
“Hmmm. It’s rumbly. That’s different. Well, let’s pull out onto the road and give it some FFFFUUUUUU-”
That first mod was about $1000 for 90hp, so a similar ratio. Of course, everything beyond that got more expensive...my final build came out to about $2800 for 150hp.
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Mazarin
> Aaron M - MasoFiST
02/17/2016 at 16:50 |
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I’m thinking I’m just going to get a Remus exhaust for it and I’ll be done, but let’s be honest - you’re never done.
d15b
> Mazarin
02/17/2016 at 16:50 |
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My response, to your increase in HP, in a little car?
Wacko
> Mazarin
02/17/2016 at 16:55 |
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http://roadracemotorsports.com/store/index.ph…
I wanted this for my SX4, but crashed last year.
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Aaron M - MasoFiST
> Mazarin
02/17/2016 at 16:57 |
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Stage 2 for me was exhaust and tune, and I was honestly perfectly happy.
Then my turbo blew. I was sitting in the Subaru dealership looking crestfallen at a $2200 estimate to replace the turbo. A flash of inspiration occurred and I called my tuner. “Not only can we beat that price, we can put in a larger, more reliable turbo AND get you a new tune, all for $1500.”
Sold.
Limped the car down to the tuner and had them install the turbo. Thing ran great. Tuner said “and if you drop in a new intercooler I can get you yet another 30hp.” Used STI intercooler for $250, retune for $100. Sold.
Then the clutch blew. And that’s when I knew I had gone too far.
Now I have a bone stock car...until I order the new wheels in the spring. It never ends.
DrScientist
> Mazarin
02/17/2016 at 16:59 |
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do you have a sense of your mpgs now?
GTI Sprinks
> Aaron M - MasoFiST
02/17/2016 at 17:03 |
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That thirst for HP cannot be quenched. Wallets be damned!
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Mazarin
> DrScientist
02/17/2016 at 17:15 |
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Not yet, but after 60+ mi on the power and the avg is still sitting on 31.1. I just reset it so we’ll see what happens. But I can say Green Mode = LOL
Tikigod
> Mazarin
02/17/2016 at 18:11 |
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That upgrade is on my very short list of things I want to add. I ordered my F56 w/ the JCW Tuning Kit, so this should add that last little bit.
Christopher Winslow
> Mazarin
02/17/2016 at 18:37 |
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I thought about going this route, but I think I am going to make it official and get the JCW kit for my F56 S. However I would say I have been looking at this module for some time though.
AM3R shamefully returns
> Aaron M - MasoFiST
02/17/2016 at 19:11 |
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128i or 135i?
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Aaron M - MasoFiST
> AM3R shamefully returns
02/17/2016 at 19:18 |
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128i. The lack of turbo helps keep my insurance costs down. The WRX, on the other hand, led me to once saying “Man, did you know park rangers are allowed to give speeding tickets?”
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AM3R shamefully returns
> Aaron M - MasoFiST
02/17/2016 at 19:25 |
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Man the N52 is an absolute gem of an engine. I bet it's a ton of fun in the E82 chassis. 335i is my first turbo car and I can already tell it's gonna be trouble!
V12 Jake- Hittin' Switches
> Mazarin
02/17/2016 at 19:26 |
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I'm thinking of doing something similar to my S600. A renntech ECU/TCU re flash that would put me at 635hp/745 ft-lb of torque. But $$$
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Aaron M - MasoFiST
> AM3R shamefully returns
02/17/2016 at 19:31 |
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It’s funny, it’s clearly less powerful than the WRX I traded on it but everything is just nicer. The shifter and clutch are better, the throttle response is fantastic, the interior is better, the sound system is better...I could go on. Funny thing is, it was even better in the snow than the WRX, but that’s because I put snows on the 1er and had all-seasons on the Rex.
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AM3R shamefully returns
> Aaron M - MasoFiST
02/17/2016 at 19:33 |
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Throw on a OEM performance exhaust and then just enjoy the car. The E82 is a really great chassis, I remember seeing a cutaway diagram showing how it's pretty much the size of the E36 coupe.
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Aaron M - MasoFiST
> AM3R shamefully returns
02/17/2016 at 19:34 |
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Yeah, I’m not planning on modifying it much if at all...and after the fiasco that was the trade-in value of my WRX, I’ll probably stick to BMW Performance parts even if I do. Only exception is lighter wheels, which go on when it’s time to switch to summers in a couple months.
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AM3R shamefully returns
> Aaron M - MasoFiST
02/17/2016 at 19:36 |
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If you want very nicely priced, strong wheels look at Apex. They offer a plethora of fitments and make really good wheels. Really light too.
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Mazarin
> Christopher Winslow
02/17/2016 at 19:42 |
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That’s the thing - someone did the JCW Tunig kit + the NM, and on the low setting they’re getting 264HP on the dyno. TWO SIXTY FOUR.
http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/f56-hat…
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Aaron M - MasoFiST
> AM3R shamefully returns
02/17/2016 at 19:43 |
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I looked at the ARC-8, I liked the design, but there’s no 17" fitment for E82s. Their other designs don’t have 17" fitments *at all*. I get 18 may look better to some, but less sidewall and more weight is not what I’m going for. I’m still searching for stuff now, been looking at Enkeis, Koseis, TSWs, but no commitment yet.
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Mazarin
> Tikigod
02/17/2016 at 19:43 |
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Get it - someone added this to their JCW kit and is making 264 @ the wheels... Mercy...
http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/f56-hat…
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AM3R shamefully returns
> Aaron M - MasoFiST
02/17/2016 at 19:46 |
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Ah okay, be sure to post pictures of whatever you go with. I’m sure they’ll look good on the E82. I don’t want to go bigger than 18" on the E92 for that same reason. Need sidewall for daily driving.
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Aaron M - MasoFiST
> AM3R shamefully returns
02/17/2016 at 19:54 |
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I experimentally looked at 18" wheels and the number of options basically increases by 5x. The research continues...
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Christopher Winslow
> Mazarin
02/17/2016 at 19:55 |
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Very nice!
The World of Vee
> Mazarin
02/17/2016 at 20:04 |
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Holy Crap! I did the same mod last weekend on my new JCW! Haven’t really strung it out yet but the torque increase is instantaneously noticeable just in my little city jaunts to work.
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AM3R shamefully returns
> Aaron M - MasoFiST
02/17/2016 at 20:05 |
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For what it’s worth, the stock 18's on my coupe have held up fine on DC roads.. Swap out the runflats for actual tires and the ride improves immensely. IMO that makes more of a difference in ride quality than size..
JDIGGS
> Mazarin
02/17/2016 at 20:48 |
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Are you actually checking your mileage or just looking at the cars suggested read out? That would be pretty damn silly but still I have to ask.
Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
> Mazarin
02/17/2016 at 20:50 |
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I just had a '12 Cooper S for about a week. Yeah that power is sweet! But it had bald run flats on it so canyons weren't as fun as they could be. The power though is already nuts in a straight line so I could imagine 40 more being ludicrous. Sure makes my Miata feel slow. But surprisingly the Mini was so much quieter, even with the sport exhaust. Probably had to do with sound deadening I imagine.
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Aaron M - MasoFiST
> AM3R shamefully returns
02/17/2016 at 20:55 |
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I put on non-runflat winters, and it’s actually depressing how much better even winters are than the stock runflats.
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AM3R shamefully returns
> Aaron M - MasoFiST
02/17/2016 at 21:07 |
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It'll be like a whole new car when you get some nice summers on. I'll say this, the car handled very sharply on runflats due to the stiff sidewalls. Add an extra 1-2 psi and then you won't even notice the loss of stiffness in the sidewalls.
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Tikigod
> Mazarin
02/17/2016 at 23:47 |
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That settles it...ordering tomorrow...here I go thinking I'd make it to 5k miles before adding more mods
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Tikigod
> Christopher Winslow
02/17/2016 at 23:49 |
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Get both, I have the jcw kit and the exhaust note is amazing, nice noticeable bump in power too thanks to the tune.
elRobRex
> Mazarin
02/18/2016 at 00:33 |
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That’s my friend Pedro’s car - it is a beast. You can read more about it here http://www.motoringfun.com/category/clark…
CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist)
> Mazarin
02/18/2016 at 02:07 |
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As much as I love more HP in a FWD car, it also helps out with speeding tickets.
Nice Mini.
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Mazarin
> elRobRex
02/18/2016 at 09:34 |
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YES that’s the one.
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elRobRex
> Mazarin
02/18/2016 at 11:57 |
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I've got the JCW tuning kit and an NM Rear Sway Bar on mine. The NM Power Module is next on my to-do list, right after I get a job. Then some lowering springs, chassis braces, and a strut bar to stiffen the hell out of the car.
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elRobRex
> Mazarin
12/29/2016 at 13:31 |
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Update. I finally got around to installing (my second) NM power module. Didn’t install the first one because I got laid off shortly after buying it, before installing it, so I sold it forward.
Anyway, HOLY FUCK. The car is a beast now. It took about 2 miles for me to feel the difference, but once I did, WOW. I was on the freeway, I knew I was going fast - I expected 90. I looked down, I was doing a hair over 110!