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| How To Get 1100HP In A Street Car - N54 - All The Power
Part of the beauty and draw enthusiasts feel towards BMWs is their versatility. The ability to enjoy these cars is almost endless, and please excuse the cliché, because BMW truly has a model for everyone. Beyond that, the ability to create something that embodies your idea of the perfect BMW has no limits. Anything from a clean, all-original, big 7-series to extreme show car M3 builds sporting the latest trendy wide body kits and mile-long parts receipts is possible with these cars. Our focus this week will be on the N54 found in the 1 and 3 series, which has the potential to be an absolute monster. So we’re going to tell you how to bring that underlying primal power out of your N54 here at Turner Motorsport.
Okay, so I know we said ‘1100hp street BMW’ in the title. I want to pause before we move on to talk specifically about what it takes to get there and provide some necessary information. The kits we will outline in this article are capable of withstanding up to 1100hp with certain options. Chances are, you won’t be going from a stock N54 to 1100hp in a weekend with bolt-ons. You need to lay the proper groundwork. This article will be that foundation and will certainly help you tremendously on your road to big power, but we wanted to offer some clarification in the spirit of transparency. Now, on with the build.
The N54 has been dubbed the European competitor to the RB26dett and the 2JZ-GTE for good reason. Similar construction is the obvious root connection, in that all three engines are straight six, twin-turbo, roughly 3-liter platforms. The high-horsepower potential has helped motivate tuners to continuously raise the bar in terms of overall output. However, for street driven cars, there really is a limit to where that search for power can be detrimental to enjoying the car. Thankfully, DOCRace seems to have found that ‘Goldilocks’ zone with their kits.
If you want to make reliable power north of 500hp at the tires, DOCRace is about the best way to achieve your goals. While it isn’t a short parts list by any means, breaking the 500hp mark in your N54 is probably much simpler than you originally thought. Now that the engine has been around long enough, long term testing, racing, and constant improvements have allowed companies like DOCRace to dial in a repeatable formula to reach some insane power figures.
The DOCRace kits to which I am referring are fairly all inclusive with regards to the big parts, but you’ll need more than just an out-of-the-box handful of parts to bolt on for your power goals. First, though, let’s look at the kit.
The big kicker with this DOCRace single turbo kit is that all the parts in the box are rated in excess of 1,000hp. While you might not be going straight for the big guns immediately, all the bones for insane power figures will be in your car when you get ready to make that jump. The Top Mount Single Precision Turbo Kit includes a T4 twin scroll manifold, two Tial MVS wastegates mounted well away from heat sources, a 2.5” aluminum charge pip, a 3” down pipe, and V-Band connectors to fit it all together. But that’s not all you’ll need.
Realistically, the kit with its smallest turbo option, the 5862 GEN2 CEA turbo is still more than you’d want without some supporting mods. So, let’s dive into some of the things you’ll want before you smash that add to cart button. | |
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| | Drivetrain
Let’s face it: yes, you can make stupid power from the N54 with essentially bolt-on modifications. You just need a lot of bolt-ons to help your BMW adjust to its beefier power plant. |
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| Mounts
To keep your engine from torquing over and deflecting a hearty percentage of your power away, Turner Motorsport Solid Engine and Transmission mounts are highly recommended. These will prevent any movement from those drivetrain components, but will add some NVH. A less aggressive option is the Turner N54 Polyurethane Engine Mount set. These are much stiffer than the factory mounts and as close as you can get to solid mounts without adding excessive NVH.
In the rear, you won’t want to leave your differential alone, either. It needs to ideally be swapped for an LSD to help put the power to both wheels. We have a detailed article for you to get a better understanding of what differential is best for you, which we encourage you to read at Turner Motorsport Keys To Performance. Additionally, upgraded differential mounts from Turner Motorsport will help keep it as stiff in its mounting location as the rest of your drivetrain. This further reduces power loss from deflection and improves the responsiveness of your drivetrain when you put down your right foot. | | | | |
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| Clutch/Flywheel
You’ll need a way to transmit all your power through to the wheels and the stock clutch sure won’t do it. Upgrading your clutch with a disc and pressure plate that can handle well above 500hp is a must, especially since you won’t want to do this job twice if you throw more power at the car down the road. The Turner Motorsport Performance Lightweight Flywheel is also a recommended mod at this stage since it will be accessible with the transmission out for the clutch replacement. The Performance Lightweight Flywheel kit from Turner Motorsport has clutch options that are suitable for big power, but you may want to speak with someone about what clutch will be exactly right for your build. For some information to get you started, check out our Keys to Performance article on clutches and flywheels. | | |
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| Engine
While the DOCRace kit is fairly inclusive, there are a few weak points notorious to the N54 for which we have developed solutions. Namely, oil and coolant system improvements will make sure your newfound power doesn’t go bang prematurely. | |
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| Coolant Expansion
The factory expansion tank is weak plastic and also sits right in the way of where the big single turbo will want to live. Turner Motorsport has developed an Aluminum Coolant Expansion Relocate Kit that maintains the factory fluid volume in a well built, tig-welded, baffled, aluminum tank for convenient installation of your turbo without sacrificing the factory functionality of your cooling system. This is a must should you want to go big turbo or just need a cleaner look to your engine bay. | |
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| Oil System
All you need to know is that catch cans save lives. Preventing the recirculation of oil, gas, water, and debris from the PCV that routes back into the intake is critical. From the factory, all that pressure released from the crank case through the PCV takes with it a bunch of gunk you don’t want all over your intake valves. With the Turner Motorsport Baffled Aluminum Catch Can, you effectively filter the air without restricting flow before it is reintroduced through the intake. This means only clean air flows through, thus providing a preventative measure against carbon buildup and future mechanical issues. | |
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| Injectors/Fuel Delivery
The stock injectors feed enough fuel to your N54 for roughly 550hp. Any of you with an affinity for math can probably already tell that is fewer horsepower than the smallest turbo kit from DOCRace can produce. According to DOCRace, a Port Injection Kit is necessary to achieve the potential power figures their cars have put down on the dyno. Fuel-It! offers the perfect port injection kit designed to help deliver all the gasoline demanded by your upgraded engine and will give you the room to grow needed for down the road improvements. | | | |
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| Intercooler
Additionally, your N54 will need an upgraded intercooler to handle all the power and flow rate while keeping the charge air relatively cool. Remember, cold air is denser than warm air, and heat is the enemy of power. A beefy intercooler rated upwards of 1,000 horsepower will be required to hit the upper limits of what this kit can do. For more than 1,000hp, you’ll need something like the AD Engineering 1000hp dual core intercooler. If you are only looking to make figures considerably lower than that, you will still need a larger intercooler, which Turner Motorsport can provide. Burger Motorsport, Mishimoto, and Wagner Tuning have fantastic options to help handle the power. | |
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| Exhaust
With that 3” down pipe found in the DOCRace kit, you will also want to upgrade the rest of your exhaust system. The Supersprint options are beautifully constructed by hand and sound absolutely perfect. Turner Motorsport has all the exhaust options you need to decide on the right one for you, so don’t forget to free up your spent gas pathways with a performance exhaust to get the most from your other upgrades. | |
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Running Gear
Next, you’re going to need to address some of the parts in your BMW that will surely fall short of handling all that extra power. Namely, your brakes, tires, exhaust, management software, intake, intake manifold, and suspension. Easy, right? Look, we said this wasn’t going to be an afternoon job, but it’s also not something totally out of reach. So here’s what we suggest:
Set a performance goal. 500hp is still a respectable figure and won’t require an extensive modification list like 800-1,000hp builds. That said, you want to set yourself up with mods that will give you room to grow. We suggest you build your N54 car around a power figure, set your car up to handle it, and then throw the big ol’ turbo at it. |
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| Brakes/Wheels
If we’re ultimately going for that 1,000hp mark, stock brakes will be woefully inadequate when it comes to stopping your car. Turner Motorsport has several options for incredibly capable big brake upgrades between which you can choose.
M Performance, StopTech, Brembo, and Sparta are all excellent options to give your BMW the much-needed improvement to stopping power you’ll need. That said, you will also need wheels that clear those massive calipers. Grab some APEX wheels and a set of sticky tires to go along with the brakes to ensure your car can stop and handle with excessive horsepower. | | | |
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| Suspension
With even 500hp, you will be stressing the suspension on your BMW if it isn’t upgraded accordingly. Coilovers are an absolute must, in this case, as you want something with adjustable settings to dial everything in for proper cornering ability. Also, remember that your car will both accelerate and stop more aggressively than before, so your suspension will need to prevent those nose dives and squats in order to keep as much of your tire’s contact patch on the road as possible under hard driving. Don’t forget to check out our article on which coilovers are best for you and how to properly dial them in for your desired performance capabilities! | |
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| Software
Ideally, a dedicated performance tuning company should professionally tune your build. Either way, a system like Burger Motorsport’s JB4 is absolutely necessary to tie everything together neatly. Through software tuning, you can ensure all your parts are working together at maximum efficiency and that your parameters are all correct for what your car requires. This will be essential in the usability and longevity of your build and should be purchased along with any power adding modifications regardless of your ultimate horsepower goals. | |
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| Shifter
Okay, this really isn’t necessary, but it comes highly recommended by us at Turner Motorsport. Bang shifting through the gears is always fun, but effectively guarantees you will break something. Not only that, but the factory shift gates could always be more precise and the shift feel more engaging. Why not match your car’s driving feel to its actual capabilities? The Turner Motorsport Ultimate Short Shift Kit is a height and throw adjustable kit that mounts solidly to the transmission tunnel and offers extremely engaging and precise shifts to drastically improve your experience behind the wheel through the gears. Having driven several BMWs with this kit installed, I can attest to how solid it feels and how confidence inspiring it is when on the road with a big power car. This shifter will absolutely help you fully enjoy all that new power and give you the feedback you need to drive at the limit. | |
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| Tying it all together
Okay, your head is probably spinning from the parts list above. This is an exhaustive build, but one that will yield absolutely mind shredding power. If you want the quick and easy way to 1,000hp, you probably won’t find one. This all-inclusive list should be your map to reach that goal and do so safely. Remember, as you are increasing the capabilities of one system, so too must you improve supporting systems. As a great movie once said, “it’s about knowing how it all works together.” So don’t think of this as something to be done in an afternoon. Set goals, plan for your ultimate build, and take steps along the way to get there. You can find everything you need to know and all the parts for your build right here at Turner Motorsport, where we will be happy to help you make your N54-powered car everything you want it to be. |
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