We look at 9 of the best mods and upgrades for your N54 engine and discuss the best mods for your money and highlight those which don't make much of a difference to your power.

The N54 is a stand out engine, an engineering marvel so let's look at the best mods and upgrades and detail what you need to take your N54 to the 400 to 900hp power figures.

The N54B30 received many awards during its production period from 2006 to 2016. Few other engines can handle significant output increases with standard internals. The 335i with the N54 is an extremely capable car but other models had the N54 fitted with good results.

It's no wonder that Alpina selected this block for some of their extremely limited edition versions. It is considered as one of the finest project engines available by many, capable of producing up to 700hp on factory internals.

The engine, which uses two tiny turbos, does not feel like a turbocharged engine and instead gives the sense of a very big capacity high torque engine.

The engines range in power from 302hp to an amazing 402hp, due to variations in cam profile and engine mapping, demonstrating how adaptable this engine block is.

A turbocharged extremely smooth straight 6 which was in production between 2006 to 2016 and used BMW's direct injection and came with double-VANOS.

The N54's capacity was 3 liters. The block and head were made of aluminum, as opposed to the magnesium metal used in the N53's block and head. The N54 was built on the BMW M54 engine, which was constructed of the same material. The engine's valve system was DOHC with VVT.

Induction kits & and Sports Exhausts - Note that on their own these mods won't ADD much HP (around 20hp) in most N54 stock applications, but when fitted they should allow you to lift power after other upgrades by lessening the restrictive flow.

Turbo mods - Upgrades to turbochargers is the most dramatic method to increase your intakes air supply, which permits you to combust more fuel and make more power. Typically one of the most costly mods but provides the best gains.

Flywheel lightening - a reduced weight flywheel will improve the engines rev changes, this is more of a track focused N54 mod but we've heard people singing the praises of this upgrade on the N54.

Mild sports profile camshafts also known in some areas as "Fast road cams" are worth considering even though the N54 comes with double Vanos - greater valve lift and duration adjustments are the aim here, but we strongly suggest they be fitted by someone qualified to set them up properly, they are not a bolt in upgrade as you need to check clearances and adjust timing. I note that both Shrick & Cat cams offer some good off the shelf cam solutions for the N54 for those seeking extra power (mainly a top end bump) if you know of any others let me know in the comments below.

Mapping - A tuned DME or Remapped N54 offers the most advantage compared to cost, aftermarket ECUs, plug in tuning modules, and inline Tuning boxes are all alternatives.

Head work - The goals of porting and flowing the head are to get air flowing into the engine while removing flow restrictions and turbulence. - the N54 setup is pretty good but there are a few specialists out there for those seeking extra power.

It was one of BMW's first ventures into a commercial turbo application, and it looked a lot like the N53 design but on steroids.

https://www.torquecars.com/bmw/n54b30...

Videos referenced in this one.
Porting the Head    • How Porting, Polishing & Valve Jobs I...  
Exhaust mods    • When "Performance Exhausts" Lose Powe...  
Intake Upgrades    • Performance Air Induction Kits & Inta...  
BMW History & Tuning    • Best BMW Tuning Mods [Beginners Guide]  

Legal Notice: Unless we have inspected your car we can only provide generic theory. All information is provided without warranty, please check any recommendations made with a mechanic locally to verify it would be legal in your area or region and that it would be suitable for your car and your needs.