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  1. Ultimate Cooling - 2012-2016 BMW F2X/F3X Intercooler R&D Part 2 - Design Plans

    Ultimate Cooling - 2012-2016 BMW F2X/F3X Intercooler R&D Part 2 - Design Plans

    When I last left off our engineer, Steve, was busy scanning and creating a 3D model of the F30 stock unit as a reference for our new design. There is an impressive amount of engineering that has gone into this intercooler project already, with more to come. One of the reasons for this attention to detail is because of the wide range of models that this new cooler is going to fit, as seen by our photo gallery. Another reason is because BMW has a pesky habit of living up to their moniker, "The Ultimate Driving Machine," they leave little room for error.

    Steve working the Faro Design ScanArm to create a 3D model of the stock intercooler unit.
    Steve working the Faro Design ScanArm to create a 3D model of the stock intercooler unit.
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  2. A New BMW F30 Performance Intake, Part 4: Final Install

    A New BMW F30 Performance Intake, Part 4: Final Install

    Interested in purchasing our F30 intake system? Check out our product page for more information!

    Mishimoto BMW F30 Performance Intake!

    With testing and data collection complete, we assembled our final prototype BMW F30 air intake to confirm that the full kit fits flawlessly prior to starting production. We have been pretty excited to see this unique kit come together. Check it out in its final form!

    Final Intake Images

    Our final prototype BMW F30 intake was cut from a sheet of metal using a waterjet. Once we had the template cut to our drawing and model specs, we bent each piece appropriately.

    First, the base of our airbox.

    Final prototype BMW F30 intake airbox base
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  3. A New BMW F30 Performance Intake, Part 3: Testing and Data Collection

    A New BMW F30 Performance Intake, Part 3: Testing and Data Collection

    Interested in purchasing our F30 intake system? Check out our product page for more information!

    Mishimoto BMW F30 Performance Intake!

    We already knew our BMW F30 intake system looked fantastic within the engine bay of the F30. With our final prototype design fully complete, it was time to see if our intake system would produce any improvements in both intake sound and power output.

    Dyno Runs

    We strapped our test vehicle to the Dynojet and began making pulls. This particular vehicle was equipped with a aftermarket tuning device, and we would be checking data both with and without this software as a means to compare the stock intake system to our prototype design.

    Test vehicle on dyno
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  4. A New BMW F30 Performance Intake, Part 2: Airbox Fabrication

    A New BMW F30 Performance Intake, Part 2: Airbox Fabrication

    Interested in purchasing our F30 intake system? Check out our product page for more information!

    Mishimoto BMW F30 Performance Intake!

    Time for an update on our F30 intake project! Check out the continued progression of our development below!

    Airbox Base Fabrication

    We left off last time with the completion of our intake pipe fabrication that leads to the airbox. Next on the list: assembling our airbox and refining the design to the appropriate shape we wanted to achieve.

    We started with the base of the box, which will be utilizing the factory air duct to acquire a cool stream of airflow.

    Airbox base cardboard template
    Airbox base cardboard template
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  5. A New BMW F30 Performance Intake, Part 1: Stock Intake and Initial Fabrication

    A New BMW F30 Performance Intake, Part 1: Stock Intake and Initial Fabrication

    Interested in purchasing our F30 intake system? Check out our product page for more information!

    Mishimoto BMW F30 Performance Intake!

    BMW F30 on dyno
    BMW F30 on dyno

    After wrapping up some loose ends with our E36 and E46 projects, it was time to turn our attention to one of the new offerings from BMW. The  4-cylinder turbo N20/N26 caught our eye as a very interesting new engine, and we decided to bring one into the shop for an initial look at the vehicle and to begin developing a few products for this chassis.

    Stock Intake System

    Before pulling out the welder and aluminum, we needed to evaluate the stock intake system to determine our game

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