BMW i8 Dyno Numbers and Tunes

FOLLOW UP Video with 0-60 times: • BMW i8 tuned SUB 4 sec...
UPDATE: Alex has decided to release this tune, as well as a tool to flash your BMW i8. Please visit www.yorkshiredpfcentre.com/bm... for pricing information and when you add this to your cart, use the Promo Code PATSGARAGE to save 50 British Pounds off the list price. When you pay with PayPal, it will convert British Pounds to your country's currency.
I had been contemplating whether or not to map my car with a new tune file. There are very few vendors who supply tunes for the BMW i8 and they are expensive. However, a good friend of mine in the UK, Alex Myers, has been tuning this BMW i8. He tunes other vehicles but started tuning his BMW i8 many months ago for a better driving experience. He makes minor map changes and sees how the car responds, while monitoring the engine numbers via OBDII to make sure the tunes are safe. Alex continually tunes his BMW i8, and has recently uploaded 20 new map files to test his BMW i8 since the recording of this video. So, the file we used for my BMW i8 has been revised since this video.
Kassel Performance is a local Euro vehicle mechanic shop, performance parts installer, fabricator and Dyno tuner. Jim, the owner, asked if I'd bring the BMW i8 up because Kassel never had a BMW i8 on the Dyno before. Jim wanted to get stock numbers, test his tune and install Alex's map file and get dyno numbers on that as well.
Kassel Performance is available at www.kasselperformance.com/ or / kasselperformance
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:37 Watch this first
5:13 Securing the i8 to the Dyno
6:45 Configuring Dyno Mode
9:19 Configuring the Dyno
10:28 Stock Dyno pulls
14:22 Tuned Dyno pulls
23:43 Battery drain issues
29:21 Dyno results explanation
34:48 First road test reaction
38:54 Farewell
I scheduled time to be there and my friends Soto and Evan from Thic Garage, and Geoff from Get Exhausted, both attended. Check out their Dyno videos:
Thic Garage Dyno video: • BMW i8 Dyno Run With P...
Get Exhausted Dyno video: • Dyno Day at Kassel Per...
I made a mistake upon arriving to Kassel. I wrongly assumed that the BMW i8 would produce Dyno numbers 15% below 357 HP and 420 ft-lbs of Torque factory supplied numbers, because I wrongly assumed those were numbers measured at the powerplant (at the crank), and there would be driveline loss. No! BMW uses at-the-wheel HP and Torque numbers as measured from the factory. Our initial dyno pulls were showing numbers close to that as stock. And, Jim from Kassel was very impressed. The car is very well tuned!
Kassel then tuned the BMW i8 based on their experience tuning other BMW 6 cylinder cars with valvetronic. They modified what they knew for the 3 cylinder in the BMW i8 and then made a few passes. The results are in the video.
Kassel then tuned the BMW i8 based on Alex Meyers map file he provided from the UK. During the test runs of Alex's tune, however, the BMW i8 had been heavily heat soaked and running low on battery. We actually ran completely out of battery and needed to "drive in Sport Mode" on the Dyno in order to get some battery charge, heat soaking the car even more. Both of these factors may have hurt Alex's performance numbers. To be fair, Kassel wants me to come visit again next month and do another Dyno pull, right off the road, stock and with Alex's tune in order to get a more fair comparison between Alex and stock.
This is likely the most comprehensive BMW i8 Dyno video on the Internet as of the time of this recording. There are other Dyno numbers out there and they may or may not compare to my numbers. I want this video to be a representation of the data we were able to obtain, and show video of what transpired during the entire process, to show exactly what I experienced in the process. It was a learning process for me, Kassel and Alex and we all learned something. My viewers also appreciate learning something as well. I hope this is helpful to understand just how good the BMW i8 is off the street and what power gains we can accomplish while tuning it.
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Since many folks have asked if they could send me money, I decided to make online payment available.
www.paypal.me/patsgarageonline
www.venmo.com/patsgarageonline
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Disclaimer: Pat's Garage Online assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Use this information at your own risk.
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End Screen Music:
Copyright free music from:
Song: Dreamer
Artist: Ikson
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[@PatsGarageOnline]

UPDATE: Alex has decided to release this tune, as well as a tool to flash your BMW i8. Please visit www.yorkshiredpfcentre.com/bmw-i8-tuning-tool for pricing information and when you add this to your cart, use the Promo Code PATSGARAGE to save 50 British Pounds off the list price. When you pay with PayPal, it will convert British Pounds to your country's currency.

[@Mr.J.T.]

After driving an I8 for 3 months, just love this car more and more. People around me are go crazy about this. Also the numbers of I8 in Thailand are not that much on the road.

[@flymrpate]

That was certainly worth the wait! Great technical info as always Pat, thanks for another excellent video :)

[@Evapors]

My favorite channel!! Popcorn ready!!🙏🏾🛸

[@ThicGarage]

Woohoo! Getting the coffee ready and will be watching momentarily.

[@der117eR]

Excited to see a 0-60 time !

[@PatsGarageOnline]

Sub 4 seconds on the Dragy app. Video soon!

[@toddaulner5393]

You know, i have seen quite a few videos and i was surprised it went as quick as it did, now it makes more sense. Props!

[@olalesio9260]

Great video Pat!

[@shifnieshizard5755]

Most awaited video.

[@ExhaustedOutdoors]

I'm learning way too much in these videos, I feel my knowledge of BMW's shenanigans growing 😂

[@daniepretorius6594]

Thanks a lot Pat. I am just dreaming of the I8 for now but I really love how open and practical you make these videos. I love to understand those details and find your videos to be a breath of fresh air. Can't wait to see a lot more, especially because it just happens to be about the I8.

[@PatsGarageOnline]

Thank you! I appreciate folks like you watching and commenting. I learned so much about this car and am glad we have KZbin to spread the knowledge. Forums sometimes just don't cut it.

[@grahamrobson9292]

Great episode thank you

[@KimmiM14x]

Finally! I'll watch this today 😁

[@DoctaM3]

Very comprehensive & informative Pat. This is probably the most definitive dyno video on the BMW i8. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@PatsGarageOnline]

Thank you! I'm also looking into getting the car to another shop with a hub dyno, where you take the wheels off the car and bolt the dyno to the hubs to eliminate tire friction and inconsistencies. This will also give us a clear view as to what the front motor and mid-engine are really doing to the torque curve on each individual axle. More to come!

[@Darius-bs3wg]

I8 is so valuable to me! Sweet machine! 😉

[@HorsePowerObsessed]

I absolutely love the feeling of getting a dyno tune!

[@PatsGarageOnline]

It definitely causes the heart rate to increase, that's for sure! This was my first time and what an experience.

[@ChasingTheApex]

Super descriptive vid, I love that you documented the whole video in one sitting, I look forward to your next video as well. This one, I'm going to have to finish at home tonight, I'm actually going to get an i8 owner to join me for a couple of beers Super interesting how varying the three tunes and the battery drain

[@PatsGarageOnline]

Glad you enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to hearing what your i8 owner friend thinks as well. The 0-60 numbers were quite exciting. I'm also going to test some 100 octane race gas because my tune will auto-adjust the timing for that. More to come!

[@xavirivera2032]

Another way to make power out of the stock turbo and all stock cooling sistem is porting the stock turbo, that way you keep the stock electric waste gate and everything, that engine should hold at least 600hp, plus that engine is running cool❄️

[@2boliviano]

Thanks Pat! Been waiting for this one

[@hussilveridico3002]

Great Car

[@toddaulner5393]

Just saw a liberty walk one in black and wow!

[@petercarey6883]

Didn' t make the Win, but I'm on the Podium. 😉 A 40 minute upload? Man, this is gonna be a two-potter of Chock full O'nuts. I'll be back.

[@yenoor406]

Pat......we all know it’s a BMW, please save my sanity and just call it an i8 like normal people do!! 👏🏼

[@PatsGarageOnline]

I think my anxiety is the reason why I keep calling it the BMW i8 about a thousand times in every video clip. 🤣 I'm actually an introvert and am camera shy so I overcompensate. I'll work on it, tho, because I certainly don't want to lose audience members over this. Lol!

[@Marylandspotter]

nice!!!

[@OverDriveOnline7921]

Interesting video here, things to remember are that electric motors are instant in torque delivery and while the i8’s tails off to stop overheating, it should be timed for the engine to catch up. BMW’s figures are also combined, with the electric motor giving 129 bourses and the engine an additional 230 stock, though as noted, this is at the drive, not at the wheels. I do wonder if the cooling of the front motor could have been improved with a traditional kidneydish grille providing direct airflow, but then how do you protect the motor and electronics from water ingress and debris, after all this isn’t the same as a traditional petrol system. This though for anyone interested in the i8 is a comprehensive video and will be among the best for a long time, if not the best for the subject

[@PatsGarageOnline]

Thanks for the comment and I appreciate the kind words. The BMW i8 front motor is set to produce full power for 5 seconds, maximum, before heating needs to be managed. The coolant circuit for the front motor is a "low temperature" circuit which passes through 3 radiators, and other components such as the electrical machine electronics, transmission oil cooler, water-to-air intercooler, etc. I wish there was room to modify and upgrade the cooling for the front motor, but it's going to require a lot of modification and fabrication. But, I'd love to see it. The horsepower rating for the BMW i8 is wheel horsepower, explained to me by the BMW i8 Ambassador. Using a Hub Dyno would give more accurate numbers as the wheels and my all season tires had an impact on the HP numbers. In his independent testing, he has seen that HP numbers are lower than BMW advertises but Torque numbers are higher. Getting 421 lbs-ft out of a 420 lbs-ft advertised number at the wheels was alarming. But, the Ambassador confirmed that the numbers are advertised as wheel numbers. I wish BMW would have clarified this. The technical training guide lead me in the very wrong direction: rotory.com/bmw/I8.pdf

[@ExhaustedOutdoors]

I woulda squeezed in the back seat to experience a pull it would be uncomfortable but worth it 😂

[@xXElvinzXx]

Great video Pat! Is it possible to upload your car with the tune the 2019’s have? That 2019’s are rated at 369/420.

[@PatsGarageOnline]

The 2019/2020 cars had increased battery power and the front electric motor was modified to give the extra HP because of extra battery power. So, I wouldn't be able to put that on my i8. Also, any tune I'm doing to the car is for the mid-engine. You can do this on any model year and get increased performance because it modifies the mid-engine tune.

[@iainjohnston4929]

Great Vid Pat. Always though the i8 had some serious pull. If you do 0-60 tests, I’m curious as to what the forced Emode would do, as that alone feels quick to me (at least up to 40mph). Thanks Iain

[@paulthorpe766]

Some stats sir. My 19 spyder with just electric 5.97 secs 0-50, 3.93 all 3 motors in sport 0-60. My 14 coupe 6.85 secs all electric 0-50 and 4.23 0-60 all 3 motors sport. The later car has more torque 0-5mph (it spins front wheels if you floor it in electric only momentarily, so you have to 3/4 throttle it first 10 yards - the 14 car doesn't spin wheels in electric at all)

[@PatsGarageOnline]

I measured the eDrive 0-60 at 9 seconds last night, but it's a 2015 model with the smaller battery, and I'm running wider all season tires which are heavier and have a higher rolling resistance than the stock Potenza's.

[@ExhaustedOutdoors]

Watch party!!! Got it pulled up on my TV and have a bag of popcorn in the microwave popping away

[@petercarey6883]

I'm back. Questions: 1. How did they get under the I8 to tie it down? 2. What temp did the I8 reach during these pulls? 3. When the camera was looking over the engine while making a pull, what is that knob on the left that was rotating? 4. From my simple mind I kept wondering how Kassel could over-write the factory tune. I'm a little surprised that BMW has allowed access to their tune. Can you educate me as to why they've allowed this and how long it's been accessible? 5. You mentioned about possibly getting a used engine down the road. Is the I8 engine, for all intent and purpose, just like any other "traditional" engine where boring and stroking it is something would pay some dividends? Looking forward to further uploads on how you're fairing with the new tune. Save the Wave.🙋🏼‍♂️🙋🏼‍♂️

[@PatsGarageOnline]

Thanks Peter! They laid on the floor to tie it down. I have no idea what the temps were during the dyno pulls because I'd have to remotely connect to the car via OBDII (there is no gauge). The knob you see on the engine cover is actually a rubber "clip" which attaches to both the cover and the engine. I made a carbon fiber "cap" for that. Due to there being no pressure between that rubber piece and the engine/cover, it freely spins, but rest assured, it still retains the cover in place along with the other 3 rubber "clips" on the cover. The BMW has an encrypted ECU but they're fairly easy to decrypt compared to late model Corvettes. I believe they started this particular process in the mid-2000's but recently made it harder to decrypt. The 2015 is in the middle of those two. It took about 1 hour to upload a brand new tune with the encryption and minor changes took only minutes because the initial decryption process was complete. The i8 engine likely doesn't have much room for boring because it's so small, and stroking is a possibility if someone made custom rods, but I'm not sure if that would negatively affect compression ratios. I don't know enough about the engine to say for sure. I'm hoping to get 0-60 times with a device called the Dragy. It is a GPS that talks to an app via Bluetooth in order to gather true numbers like that and quarter mile times. My stock 0-60 best time was 4.3 seconds. I'll see what it does now.

[@petercarey6883]

Thanks Pat. Well, when all is said and done, I guess none of you guys will ever be lost for jobs. You all are better than any Dick Tracey de-coder ring and the government I'm sure is always on the lookout for just a few good men. Enjoy this incredible day in your 'new' incredible I8!

[@PatsGarageOnline]

Thank you good sir!

[@brucepeterson3246]

I see that the i8 engine uses direct injection. Does this car use a catch can between the crankcase ventilator and the intake to keep the intake clean since you don't have fuel to wash the ports and intake valves?

[@PatsGarageOnline]

There are ports in the intake manifold that are designed to catch oil vapors and direct them back into the head. One port for low PSI and one port for boosted. I don't know how well they work because you have to drop the engine to get the intake off to examine the valves

[@GTRWendy]

Wow so bmw understated the horsepower for the i8. So at crank it's a lot closer to 400hp?

[@PatsGarageOnline]

According to Edo, the drivetrain loss they've calculated is 12%. So, stock measurements at the powerplants, combined, should equal 380HP 471ft-lbs if I got my math correct.

[@michaelbrown567]

So pat did you cut out all the issues with Alex’s tune I have been trying to get this thing to work for days

[@PatsGarageOnline]

Please contact Alex's business if you are having issues. His tune did me well. I no longer have my i8.

[@HuntsChris]

I was thinking you could cool the charge air to the engine but the I8 already does this in a limited way, could you mist spray the charge air inter cooler for extra evaporative cooling of the charge air? Could you switch to waterless coolant? One day maybe so,ex one will design a Peltier cooling system to manage heat and recover power at the same time. bmwi.bimmerpost.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1066902&d=1406510130

[@PatsGarageOnline]

I believe Edo Motorsport is doing something different to keep the temps cool on the intercooler of his i8 pro car. He's tried a lot of stuff to see exactly what would give the best performance, but I'm not going to get too invasive on my car. But, anything is possible for sure.

[@GTRWendy]

Does the tune void the warranty?

[@PatsGarageOnline]

Not unless the tune breaks a covered part. For example, if the LED lighting stops working inside the car, they can't blame an ECU tune, but if the piston suddenly gets a hole in it, well...

[@edwardspaccarelli5944]

Open up that exhaust and maybe a high flow air filter?

[@PatsGarageOnline]

Yep! I got a K&N in here for testing, but I would need a high-flow cat to get this thing to truly spool better. I reached out to two fabricators to see if I could get a high-flow cat made but they didn't respond. No one seems to care about the i8.

[@NoReverse77]

Bmw shoots power numbers low on all of their cars.

[@MsMrglenn]

My Ford F 150 has 30” HP and it don’t cost 150,000 bucks and made of plastic haha ugly car!!

[@MsMrglenn]

300 HP

[@lambokiller99]

You want a cookie?

[@toddaulner5393]

I disagree.