318i m10 or m40?

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Jabethell
E30 Zone Newbie
E30 Zone Newbie
Posts: 15
Joined: Fri May 23, 2014 11:00 pm

Mon Sep 01, 2014 2:40 am

Hi I have been looking at getting an e30, I am completely blank when it comes to bmw's hence why I'm asking for help. Basically which engines are easier to mod? M10 is 105bhp and m40 is 113bhp. I am aware that they aren't the fastest motors but insurance limits me to this. What cheapish mods can I do to each engines and what sort of bhp could I push too. I wouldn't b looking to put a bigger engine in so general info and recommendations on the m40 and m10 would be great as I'm stuck between them thanks
jmc330i
Engaged to the E30 Zone
Engaged to the E30 Zone
Posts: 6621
Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Somerset

Mon Sep 01, 2014 8:34 am

I don't know much about the M10, but I believe it can be tuned although to do so is quite expensive.
Not much can be done to the M40, other than a decent service and making sure it runs as BMW intended. You could fit a different chip to the ECU, but I don't know if you would feel any real world performance gains.
Both the M10 and M40 can be turbocharged but that won't be cheap to do reliably and your insurance premium will go up, as it will with any mods.

Have you considered the 318iS with the 1.8 16v M42 engine? 136bhp and pretty rev happy. And most insurance comanpies seem to class them the same as the 318i. I've fitted a 16v engine to my 318i and only had to pay the admin fee.
James
'91 325i Sport
'93 318i touring 16v
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