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They may look standard, but these Evolve tuned diesels can punch well above their weight Words: Luke Wood Photography: Matt Richardson
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orty horsepower and 60lb ft of torque. Two vital statistics that are missing from every new 120d, 320d, 520d and 123d in the country, but which can be yours for the price of a BMW Performance carbon fibre rear diffuser and the mileage to Luton. This is how much power BMW has reigned in from its range of 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo and twin-turbo diesel derivatives, and when you consider what a sizeable chunk of extra go this is, plus how simple it is to extract, it makes you wonder just why we’ve all been so dramatically short-changed. There is of course a reason for this supposed shortfall, and that is the clear cut hierarchy within the BMW range. With many models sharing what is essentially the same engine, it is only really the electronics that separate a 525 from a 530, or a 118 from a 120 and while this may seem like a cheap and cheerful way of going about things, it does have a very useful side effect in that it leaves the door wide open for tuners to exploit the potential. Tuners that are clever enough to crack the
increasingly sophisticated hardware that is, because while re-mapping an ECU is nothing new, BMW is making it significantly more complicated for the aftermarket to unravel its technology. It is possible – there are some very clever people out there – but in most cases it involves physically removing the ECU, which is often a time consuming and occasionally damaging exercise. This is where the trip to Luton comes in, because while some firms are still battling to get to grips with BMW’s latest electronic jiggery-pokery, emerging specialist Evolve is already way ahead of the game. Armed with a state-of-the-art Dyno Dynamics rolling road and a top secret software package, it has not only cracked the current crop of EDC17 engine management as found in the 177bhp 320d and 204bhp 123d engines, but it is the first company in the UK to do so without having to so much as look at the ECU. Its upgrade, which boosts the 320d to 215bhp and the 123d to 244bhp, is a quick and painless exercise that is carried out via the OBD port, which in turn means the process is entirely ‘dealer
network friendly’. By that I mean it is has no adverse effect on the car’s performance and that it will not start to flash up problems on the dashboard, so you can enjoy all the extra power without having to worry about invalidating your BMW warranty. The price of this extra performance is just £499 including VAT for the single turbo engine, and £549 for the twin-turbo, which when you look at the cost of aftermarket parts such as exhausts or induction systems, is an absolute bargain. It is also a very neat way of upgrading to the next model in the BMW food chain without paying the premium for the badge, and for added peace of mind the re-map is also guaranteed for as long as your car is covered under the manufacturer warranty. I know what you’re thinking, because I was thinking the same thing on my way up to Evolve after being invited to test both its fettled 320d and 123d, and that’s that it all sounds far too good to be true. Power gains are one thing, but retaining driveability is another. Turn the wick up on the boost and you’ll see an impressive set of figures on the dyno readout but
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Evolve’s re-map takes the 123d to 244bhp @ 4500rpm and 360lb ft @ 2100rpm, and the 320d to 215bhp @ 3800rpm with 342lb ft @ 2250rpm
it’s no good if it all ends up being delivered in one big thump at 3000rpm. Evolve’s re-map though, is so convincing and feels so natural that if you had never driven a 320d or 123d before, then you’d be forgiven for thinking that this is how they’re supposed to feel as standard. The reason for this is that the map has been designed to not just produce more power at peak revs, but to increase output throughout the whole range. In the case of this 320d, which since being breathed upon by Evolve has been lapped hard around the Nordschliefe without missing a beat, the best way of describing the transformation is to liken it to a 325d. There’s a few more bhp and marginally less torque than the bigger engined six-cylinder machine, but the way the 320d picks itself up from just under 2000rpm is truly remarkable. There’s no hesitation, no suggestion that the car is struggling to understand the new instructions for boost, fuel and air, just a feeling of urgency and a willingness to respond that seems totally out of character for a humble 2.0-litre diesel. And the other thing that
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impresses is how easily the engine is willing to rev, although even this pales into insignificance in comparison to the 123d, a car that has already earned itself a place at the top of most motoring journalists’ ‘best diesel ever’ list. The baby Coupé is a hugely capable machine, frugal yet fast thanks to its forced induced four-pot, it’s as entertaining as it is practical, almost to the point where you have to ask yourself why you’d ever bother to ask more of it. Well, after sampling Evolve’s 123d demonstrator I can think of several good reasons, although I’ll start with the main one because this is likely to have the most impact. It makes it feel as fast as a 135i. Armed with 244hp and 360lb ft and unleashed on a test route that wound through the twists and turns of the Bedfordshire countryside, it didn’t take long to realise that Evolve has lifted the 123d into another dimension. It’s the torque that really starts to count here because there’s a lot of it and it’s on tap from just 2000rpm, all of which means that it doesn’t really matter what gear you’re in when you
squeeze on the throttle. Stuck behind a queue of three cars and a tractor? Not a problem, just open the taps and let the brace of blowers do their thing. As with the 320d, it’s the smoothness and revable nature that impresses the most, characteristics that really encourage you to push for more speed, hunt for the apex of the next corner and just revel in the drama of it all. It’s easily as quick as a 135i once on the move and it makes it almost as compelling a driver’s car as well. I say almost, because while it has the pace of its petrol powered stablemate, it still can’t quite match it for grace. The diesel clatter is muted, disguised by the new lease of life, but there’s no way it’ll make the hairs on the back of your neck stand to attention in the way that a proper petrol, especially a howling straight-six, ever will. If you can dial the noise out of the equation however, then the 123d seems to be holding all the cards. Not only has the Evolve remap made it much faster and even more enjoyable to peddle along, but it has had no detrimental effect on the other major factor that makes a diesel so attractive. Despite the
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Tuned 123d is absolutely sensational and feels every bit as fast as the 135i once on the move. Evolve also offer a tuned 135i however, with a mighty 384bhp!
The Evolve remap made it much faster and even more enjoyable to peddle along
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extra performance, fuel economy remains the same and if driven normally, actually improves slightly. It’s a win-win situation. Take your 123d to Evolve and in the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee and flick through a newspaper they’ll hand your car back looking exactly the same but with more power and almost the same torque as a 330d Coupé. If you’re a 320d or 123 owner and you’re reading this feeling smug, then yes you probably should be, although a word of warning before you start baiting all your friends and colleagues that have forked out for a more expensive car, because it’s not just fourcylinder diesels that Evolve has been developing. It also offers similar upgrades for a whole host of other applications, including the 3.0-litre twin-turbo diesel and petrol engines, which is very good news indeed for 335d and 335i owners because the gains to be had here are absolutely sensational. The 335d, which is handicapped slightly by a limiter in its auto gearbox, can be reprogrammed to produce a tyre-shredding 330bhp and 501lb ft of torque, while the 335i, which is only fractions off the straight line figures of the E90 M3, can be tweaked to offer a mighty 384bhp and 420lb ft of twist. The prospect of this much power in a 135i almost doesn’t bear thinking about, especially when you take into account these are only the Stage 1 upgrades. Even so, there’s no denying that the improvements Evolve has made to the more humble powerplants in the model range have transformed what are already extremely capable cars. Subtle, effective and above all very affordable, I’m not sure who to credit most; Evolve for its code cracking ingenuity, or BMW for holding back the power in the first place ●
THANKS Evolve: www.evolveyourcar.com Tel: 0870 0850 111 It may only be a humble four-cylinder, single-turbo unit, but thanks to Evolve’s hot re-map it makes almost as much grunt as the six-cylinder 325d
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