Discussion
Having specced the M3, I asked the dealer if BMW offer a de-limit like Merc do with their AMGs. He asked around and informed me it was not an option. As far as I am aware, all it requires is a few keys to be pressed when they plug a laptop into the car. Is this correct?
Will I have to go to someone such as DMS and pay a small fortune to have this done of do you think a friendly word with a BMW tech would work? I just don't see why the limit is imposed on the cars at all and it is especially annoying seeing as I am only one hour away from a straight, virtually empty (in the small hours) piece of Germany's finest.
Pete
PS. What do you think would be the to speed of an E92. I was having a discussion with my brother and I think it will nudge 300kph given enough room. Yes, I know it is childish and immature but what is the point of owning a fast car and not trying to varify, where legal, its top speed
Will I have to go to someone such as DMS and pay a small fortune to have this done of do you think a friendly word with a BMW tech would work? I just don't see why the limit is imposed on the cars at all and it is especially annoying seeing as I am only one hour away from a straight, virtually empty (in the small hours) piece of Germany's finest.
Pete
PS. What do you think would be the to speed of an E92. I was having a discussion with my brother and I think it will nudge 300kph given enough room. Yes, I know it is childish and immature but what is the point of owning a fast car and not trying to varify, where legal, its top speed
Edited by krallicious on Tuesday 12th May 15:39
krallicious said:
Phantom56 said:
UK BMW mechanics don't have the knowledge or training to play with limiters (Elf & Safety!). Buy yourself an ELM 327 USB code reader for £15 off eBay. Plug it into your OBD2 port via a laptop & have fun....
Phantom
CheersPhantom
56 Squadron were Tornado F3's at RAF Coningsby. They are now Eurofighters, flown by very young men (20-26) with very fast brains who you could not possibly compete with. I trained them.
Edited by Phantom56 on Tuesday 12th May 16:34
Call my cynical, but the idea of spending, what, £50k+ on an M3, then using some pirate software to try to reconfigure the onboard software seems a little...daft. God knows what you're getting with something like Bitlord. Fine for dodgy film rips if that's your thing, but to work on a brand new car? No thanks.
At vmax my limited one would hit a laser verified 160mph time after time. I was hitting the limiter aaaaaaaages before the timing beams 
Especially annoying when the tuned and delimited 335d was hitting 167mph! I'll check when I get home but I'm sure my m3 brochure mentioned a drivers pack with the limiter upped to 175mph iirc?
Especially annoying when the tuned and delimited 335d was hitting 167mph! I'll check when I get home but I'm sure my m3 brochure mentioned a drivers pack with the limiter upped to 175mph iirc?
ian in lancs said:
I regularly hit the limiter on the Autobahn on a recent trip to the ring. I also got close on the straight but it wasn't quite long enough or flat to reach it.
I'd also like it removed on principle. Porsche don't have it and I can make my own decisions. I hate the nanny state.
+1 - I'm happy for DMS to have a go at it though - 445bhp hmmm...power... and improved low down torque!! all for £850 +vat - I'll start saving now!!!I'd also like it removed on principle. Porsche don't have it and I can make my own decisions. I hate the nanny state.
This from the 'M3Post' forum sounds sensible:
"My limiter on a US-spec 2009 M3 E90 cuts in at 261km/h, or around 163mph, according to two stand alone GPS units on a flat stretch of the autobahn 555 between Cologne and Bonn. On a slight downhill, on a stretch near Spangdahlem, and only for a brief time, the limiter let the speed go to 265km/h, or around 165mph (again on standalone GPS units).
The limiter is very soft...you can bury your foot in the gas pedal and it feels like smooth like you've run into an aerodynamic limit (which of course you haven't since the engine clearly has more power left to deliver, as well as gearing etc). I would also add that my GPS recorded speeds were with a fairly heavily loaded car (full trunk, full gas tank of 94 octane equivalent, and a single passenger).
If you buy a European-spec M3 you can select the M-Driver's Package that bumps the limiter to 280km/h, or around 175mph, and gets you a BMW M driving school outing (all for around 1700 euros, or $2295 at today's rate). The only other modification made to the car is that the rear lip spoiler is somehow attached more permanently to the car. But there are no other modification to the engine/car if you select this package (ie no gearing changes), so an unrestricted US-spec M3, with no additional power or mods, should at least be able to hit 280km/h plus (as I understand it the US and European spec cars are power-equivalent, differences being mainly in the manner in which HP is measured).
I tried to order the M Driver package for the US-spec car and could not (and this was an order directly put in with BMW Munich). Probably would not have been worth it, other than the novelty value. By and large I find that being able to sustain these speeds is as much dependent on one's willingness to tolerate stopping for gas every 100-150 miles or so (and for most people, fueling up at a 1.30 euro/liter hit). I'd rather have the option to have a larger fuel tank capacity, say 90 liters...."
Another guy claimed a gps 282 km/h in a 'stock M3'.
Personally, I have not the slightest interest in going over 160 mph. A tyre shredded at an indicated 150 at Bruntingthorpe in my E46 M3 and I was quite happy not to be going faster.
I guess the M driver package is only available in Germany.
"My limiter on a US-spec 2009 M3 E90 cuts in at 261km/h, or around 163mph, according to two stand alone GPS units on a flat stretch of the autobahn 555 between Cologne and Bonn. On a slight downhill, on a stretch near Spangdahlem, and only for a brief time, the limiter let the speed go to 265km/h, or around 165mph (again on standalone GPS units).
The limiter is very soft...you can bury your foot in the gas pedal and it feels like smooth like you've run into an aerodynamic limit (which of course you haven't since the engine clearly has more power left to deliver, as well as gearing etc). I would also add that my GPS recorded speeds were with a fairly heavily loaded car (full trunk, full gas tank of 94 octane equivalent, and a single passenger).
If you buy a European-spec M3 you can select the M-Driver's Package that bumps the limiter to 280km/h, or around 175mph, and gets you a BMW M driving school outing (all for around 1700 euros, or $2295 at today's rate). The only other modification made to the car is that the rear lip spoiler is somehow attached more permanently to the car. But there are no other modification to the engine/car if you select this package (ie no gearing changes), so an unrestricted US-spec M3, with no additional power or mods, should at least be able to hit 280km/h plus (as I understand it the US and European spec cars are power-equivalent, differences being mainly in the manner in which HP is measured).
I tried to order the M Driver package for the US-spec car and could not (and this was an order directly put in with BMW Munich). Probably would not have been worth it, other than the novelty value. By and large I find that being able to sustain these speeds is as much dependent on one's willingness to tolerate stopping for gas every 100-150 miles or so (and for most people, fueling up at a 1.30 euro/liter hit). I'd rather have the option to have a larger fuel tank capacity, say 90 liters...."
Another guy claimed a gps 282 km/h in a 'stock M3'.
Personally, I have not the slightest interest in going over 160 mph. A tyre shredded at an indicated 150 at Bruntingthorpe in my E46 M3 and I was quite happy not to be going faster.
I guess the M driver package is only available in Germany.
Phantom56 said:
It's a little known fact that on an ///M car the 155 limit is only operative when in 6th gear. You can hit nearly 170 in 5th.... But don't change up at that speed!!
On a e92 M3 the rev limiter in 5th stops play at around 156mph roughly.Which ///M car can hit 170mph in 5th?!
Phantom56 said:
It's a little known fact that on an ///M car the 155 limit is only operative when in 6th gear. You can hit nearly 170 in 5th.... But don't change up at that speed!!
urban myth - I tested my Z4M on an autobahn couldn't break a GPS reading 160, actually 159, in 5th or 6th gear. However, the speedo reads about 5% fast - 168 indicated. Hence, in my view, the source of the myth. BMW wouldn't flout their own gentleman's agreement, risk litigation should someone try it on or offer, with conditions, to remove it.
Schermerhorn said:
Ask yourself this; how often are you going to do 155mph, let alone 175mph?
In other words you'll hardly ever have the opportunity max the car.
Sch, I do a lot of late night/early morning trips/hoons around Germany. The A5 is on my doorstep. If the limiter was removed I would most likely, conditions prevailing, Vmax the car at every oppertunity.In other words you'll hardly ever have the opportunity max the car.
Thanks for the input guys. I will call DMS and see what they have to say as well as contact my dealer to talk about the driver's package.
Pete
ian in lancs said:
Vixpy1 said:
Delimit should be no more than a oner
is that an estimate or a quote? When should I bring my car down?!Not sure how much Simon at Emaps charges for it.
Gassing Station | M Power | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff