BMW has a tendency to understate its performance. Sure, the F80 M3 and F82 M4 make 425 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque on paper, but somehow the super twins manage to match or best their more powerful rivals in every competition.
So what happens when famed BMW tuner, Dinan, comes along and turns the already potent M4 into a 530 horsepower menace? Magic. The latest M coupe and sedan have given Dinan the ammunition it needed to up the ante: twin turbochargers.
Instead of being required to engineer a forced induction system to be layered onto a naturally aspirated motor, Dinan has been able to tune the M3/M4’s twin-turbo unit, in addition to upgrading key pieces of hardware, to deliver a whole lot more performance without diminishing the cars’ reliability.
Dinan has been tuning BMW vehicles for the past 36 years, upgrading cars in defined stages, without allowing any one part to become overstressed. Dinan has as a result been able to build balanced high performance machines. The tuning shop is so confident that it offers a BMW factory-matching 4-year/50,000-mile warranty. BMW is apparently equally confident in Dinan’s work, and lets buyers order Dinan parts for installation right in its showrooms.
The S1 tuning package centers around a “Dinantronics” unit, which uses almost every engine sensor to safely increase boost. The Stage 2 tune, combined with Dinan’s carbon fiber cold air intake and free flow exhaust system, nets 530 hp and 504 lb-ft. of torque, increases of 105 horses and 98 lb-ft. of twist over BMW’s reported output. Dinan is quick to note that it actually measures a stock M4 at 484 hp and 446 lb-ft. of torque, so while its tune is a considerable bump, it won’t be overwhelming.
Beyond power increases, Dinan’s exhaust system saves three pounds compared to the stock unit, unleashes the M4’s raspy inline six cylinder motor, and maintains the stock valves that allow drivers to adjust volume at the push of a button. A second set of valves is used to increase flow by 45 percent.
Then comes the M4’s handling, which may be superb from the factory, but has room for improvement. Dinan’s S1 kit includes a custom adjustable coilover kit, new lower control arms, and tubular adjustable sway bars. The springs alone add 50 percent more stiffness over stock while new bump stops reduce jarring.
Dinan’s S1 kit retails for $10,000 and should you desire even more performance, the tuner offers a set of Forgeline 20-inch wheels wrapped in Pirello P Zero Corsa tires. It may not be the most powerful set of performance upgrades available on the new M4, but if you plan to enjoy your super coupe for a long while, there’s something to be said for professionally engineered peace of mind.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.