Select Page

BMW Performance Parts

Many BMW cars in their stock form are built for performance. You can, however, also purchase special parts and upgrades from BMW to help improve your car’s acceleration, braking, and exhaust systems.

These parts are what we typically call “performance parts.” Below we will answer some important questions about these BMW performance parts.

What is BMW Performance Package?

BMW Performance packages are sets of parts and other products that can be applied to your car to boost many aspects of the drive performance. These are not mere cosmetic upgrades like go-faster stripes or a striking badge. These are genuine performance upgrades: suspension systems, air intake system, brake kits, and more; accessories that bring BMW vehicles up to a real competitive track standard.

Buying a kit like this can be done via the BMW dealership. This is where you will find the best and most trustworthy and compatible high-performance kit sets. They will come at a premium, however, and you may also subsequently need help to install them. You can also buy parts individually, like a new M Performance slip differential, electronic steering system, and much more.

Below is an example of one such package – the Track & Handling Package for the BMW M3 vehicle. The package includes the following items:

  • M Performance Exhaust
  • Carbon Fiber Exhaust Tips
  • M Performance Suspension
  • Rear Diffuser – Carbon
  • Left Black Kidney Grill
  • Right Black Kidney Grill
  • Left Black Side Grill
  • Right Black Side Grill
  • Front Lip (Matte Black)
  • Left, Right Carbon Front Attachment

You might then add to this package some new wheels and track tires, and possibly some additional exterior accessories or upgrades to interior systems like steering. Every package and each individual product is tailored to its own purpose.

Where Can I Buy Aftermarket BMW Parts?

Performance parts are not a monopoly of the BMW company. You can get BMW performance parts and many other replacement parts and custom items from other suppliers. These are often fellow BMW enthusiasts who have designed products to work most effectively with BMW Series vehicles.

To get official parts, you can visit shopbmwusa.com, but then you are constricted to only what BMW officially offers you. To get to the more exciting and unique aftermarket products, you have to broaden your horizons.

Websites like bimmerworld.com offer a great mix of aftermarket and official BMW parts, including suspension, brakes, exhaust, tuning gear, intakes, cooling, and even fluids. Whatever you need to make your BMW perform, platforms like this have it all. Another example of a quality third-party site includes urotuning.com.

Their inventory includes literally thousands of BMW parts geared towards performance and aesthetics.

Besides these, customers looking for aftermarket performance parts for whatever purpose will find a treasure trove of sites and platforms that offer BMW parts. This means you can shop around for the best price deal.

Some will always claim that OEM is best, but the BMW aftermarket is rich and varied, and there’s an equal chance of finding your perfect BMW 7 Series, 8 Series, or other BMW components that are of equal order to the OEM items.

What is BMW M Performance?

When you buy a car, you do so for a particular purpose. A family car is for school runs and commutes, for example. What about a performance car? BMW identifies its performance models by using a simple letter designation — M. These M cars are not separated by any complex designations – it’s either, for instance, and M3 or M4, or it isn’t.

Within the BMW M world, there are two lower rungs to the ladder which are essentially upgraded versions of the main series car, enhanced with M-like features. The highest of these is the M Performance package. The other is the M Sport package. Below are some key features of BMW M Performance

Includes the Detailed Series Designation

You can identify the M Performance according to its longer designation that starts with an M. For example, the M Sport Package 3 Series car will be called “340i,” whereas the M Performance Package car will be called “M340i.” It’s only when you get up to the pure M series that it becomes simply M3, M4, etc.

Built for Street Driving

M Performance models are the fastest and most powerful variants of the M products that BMW offers, but they are not entirely designed for the track. They are more of a car with ‘racing spirit’ than actual racing genes. The pure M models are the ones specifically with racetracks in mind.

Unique Features

The extent of the modifications made to the M models is one of the top reasons they are sold as separate entities rather than as higher versions of a regular 3 or 4 Series. They include wider tires with stronger traction, unique wheels, genuine sport seats with stronger lateral support, and massively upgraded brakes.

The M Performance package includes a lot of these upgrades but may lack some of the extras like carbon fiber additions.

What’s The Purpose of BMW Performance Parts?

A BMW is a car built to perform, whatever the series of vehicle you choose. That’s the truth and no kit is needed to prove that even more. What the performance parts do, however, is offer the chance to either enhance your vehicle for the track or purchase a pre-made car with racing spirit and racing genes in mind.

That’s where the M Series comes in, and they are built with those high-performance parts as standard.

6 Best BMW Performance Parts

BWW performance parts deliver unparalleled power on the race tracks. From the power-focused M models to the ultra-luxury 7 Series, BMW has brought about countless track-inspired performance machines and incorporated them with comfort and functionality for the daily ride.

There are a few noteworthy BMW performance parts that are particularly popular with the enthusiasts. Let’s see what they are.

6 Best BMW Performance Parts in a Glance

  1. BMW M Button
  2. BMW M Carbon Ceramic Brakes
  3. The BMW 7-speed M Double-Clutch Transmission (DCT)
  4. The BMW Water Injection System
  5. The BMW 8-Speed Steptronic Sport Automatic Transmission
  6. First in its Class M Servotronic with Electric Power Steering (EPS)

 

BMW Launch Control

#1 BMW Performance Part: BMW M Button

Technically speaking, the BMW M button is a memory function that stores and recalls certain sets of the BMW driving preferences. From the full throttle of the revving horsepower to the smooth sail of the aerodynamic controls, the M button can remember and recall your preferred drive settings. According to BMW, five major customizable functions can be coordinated by the M button.

The 5 Major Customizable Functions of the BMW M Button

  • Digital Motor Electronics (DME) System
  • Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and M Dynamic Mode as Part of DSC
  • Electronic Damper Control (EDC)
  • Servotronic Steering
  • M Double Clutch Transmission (DCT) with DriveLogic

See Our Complete Guide on the BMW M Button and its functions.

long beach blue m2

#2 BMW Performance Part: BMW M Carbon Ceramic Brakes

The new generation BMW M Carbon Ceramic Brakes provide braking power that is unmatched by any conventional brakes. These brakes are made for any weather conditions while being lightweight with significant strength endurance.

M Carbon Ceramic brakes are made from durable carbon compound ceramic materials to withstand extreme temperatures from the high-performance demands of the track. Also known as the BMW C/SiC (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Silicon Carbide) Brakes, the M Carbon Ceramic Brake discs are fabricated from carbon fibers. The brake calipers are painted in eye-catching gold adorned with the signature BMW M logo. The brake discs are manufactured by Brembo SGL Carbon Ceramic Brakes GmbH.

The M Carbon Ceramic Brakes are lighter and better in performance than the M Compound Brakes or the conventional brakes.

Comparing to the M Compound Brakes, the most significant advantage of the M Carbon Ceramic Brakes is their lightweight property. M Carbon Ceramic Brakes is 12.5 kg (about 27 pounds) lighter in rotating mass than the standard M Compound Brakes. The M Carbon Ceramic Brakes also offer more stability because the operational surface of the brake pads is significantly higher.

See Our Complete Guide on the BMW M Carbon Ceramic Brakes.

bmw m4 in town

#3 BMW Performance Part: The 7-Speed M Double-Clutch Transmission (DCT)

The 7-speed M DCT is the BMW transmission system that allows for fast gear change. It is capable of reaching 9,000 RPM without interference to the tractive forces like power and traction.

The 7-Speed M Double-Clutch Transmission (DCT) was first introduced on November 1st, 2008 by BMW M Gmbh. BMW was the world’s first car maker to propose the 7-Speed DCT gearbox for the M division. It ensures optimal gearshift, provides more dynamic acceleration and reduces fuel consumption.

Debuted first in the M3 Coupe, Sedan, and Convertible, the Performance Option 7-Speed Double-Clutch Transmission is currently priced at $2,900 and is available for the new M models like the M3 and M4.

There are three options for gear change with the 7-speed M DCT with DriveLogic. It allows the driver to shift manually or automatically:

  • Paddle Shifters on the steering wheel
  • The Shift Lever
  • Automatic Mode for dynamic comfort (when you are in Drive (D) mode)

See Our Complete Guide on the BMW 7-speed M Double-Clutch Transmission (DCT).

#4 BMW Performance Part: The BMW Water Injection System

In 2015, BMW M celebrated the 17th anniversary of being the “Official Car of MotoGP” with a specially assembled BMW M4 MotoGP Safety Car.

MotoGP is categorized as a class of Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix. It is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing.  The same Water Injection Technology that debuted with the M4 MotoGP Safety Car was adopted exclusively by the BMW M4 GTS engine system.

The Water Injection Technology is a configuration designed to maximize the performance of the M4 GTS further. It increased the efficiency and the lifespan of the combustion engine while minimized energy consumption.

This technology boosts both the output and the torque by lowering the overall combustion temperature as much as 45° F (about 7.2° C.) Thus, thermal stress on the TwinTurbo engine and its components can be significantly reduced.

The system works by injecting water mist into the plenums of the intake manifold and cools the combustion chamber as water vaporizes. The outcome translates into earlier injection timing, higher compression ratio, and improved fuel consumption.

The M4 GTS is currently for sale as a limited-edition model in the United States. Check out this exclusive, supercharged BMW M4 GTS.

BMW M4 GTS 500HP Wheels and Tires

#5 BMW Performance Part: The BMW 8-Speed Steptronic Sport Automatic Transmission

The 8-Speed Sport Automatic Steptronic Transmission with steering wheel paddle shifter and Launch Control is part of the BMW EfficientDynamics. The advantages of such transmission are the noticeable weight reduction, a wider ratio spread which increases efficiency, and the uncompromised comfort during shifting.

The 8-speed transmission is linked to the BMW 7 Series’ navigation to accomplish a navigation-data-based shift. Gear switch can be seamlessly carried out and adapted according to the current driving condition and route. The system is also equipped with the newly developed converter clutch, predictive drivetrain, and the energy-saving Auto Start and Stop function.

As always, optimal driving experience is delivered with enhanced fuel consumption and increased dynamic performance.

Here is everything you need to know about the new BMW 7 Series.

bmw g series interior

#6 BMW Performance Part: First in its Class M Servotronic with Electric Power Steering (EPS)

The Electric Power Steering is part of the BMW EfficientDynamics standard features. It adjusts the vehicle’s level of steering with the integrated Servotronic function in conjunction with the driving speed to correctly apply the ideal amount of steering control at all speeds.

Steering assistance applies to all three drive modes (“COMFORT,” “SPORTS,” and “SPORTS PLUS (+)”) under Adaptive M Suspension to suit individual driving preferences.

Benedikt Nussstein is responsible for the development of the first electrical servo-assisted steering system in the M class. He explained during his interview and discussed the significant improvement of the new steering system over the previously adopted hydraulic servo-assisted system:

“The new M Servotronic with Electro Power Steering (EPS) weighs about 3.5 kg (or 7.7 lbs) less than comparable systems with hydraulic servo-assisted steering, which is important when it comes to creating an optimum axle load distribution and in turn ensuring agile handling. The new steering saves approximately 0.3 liters of petrol per 100 km (or 62.1 miles) because the energy is only consumed when steering, while a hydraulic pump represents a constant drain on power. And by using EPS, it is also possible to install the latest driver assistance systems.”

You know BMW has got the top-of-the-line performance gears, but it also offers equally impressive technological innovations. Check out the Best in BMW Technology Package.

You Might Also Be Interested In…

Alpina
BMW Alpina
What is BMW Alpina?

What is BMW Alpina?

BMW Alpina Intro BMW is not without its rivals from its native Germany. Where the likes of Mercedes-Benz turn to their subsidiary Mercedes-AMG when they're looking for customized luxury models, BMW turns to Alpina. There are some who claim that you haven't truly...