When this E90 335xi rolled into the shop, we noticed an unusual little badge on the rear decklid – “BMW Performance Edition“. We’d never heard of it before ourselves, so we had to dig a bit deeper. A little googling reveals that this was indeed a legit add-on for last-run E90 335i and xi models in 2010-11, and added another 20hp and 20tq.
Called the ZMZ package, supposedly to recall the old ZHP package on the E46, you’d pay an extra $550 for the 20hp and a set of Gloss Black BMW Performance Kidney Grilles for E90.
Senior Mod Expert Elliott Goodman is no stranger to customers with discerning tastes and an affinity for scrutinizing the finer details, and this customer wanted to make sure that his car looked its best on its new set of wheels, and wanted to get the brake calipers painted a sporty bright red to give the wheels some visual contrast. However, the customer noted that the rotor hubs of his brakes were rusted over and rather unattractive to look at. In addition to painting the calipers, to ensure our customer was happy, we took it a step further and painted the rotor hubs a handsome shade of gloss black, which – combined as a package, creates a wonderful bespoke look.
In addition to the process of painting the calipers which took quite a while, this customer wanted to crank up the power as well. An Injen Intake for N55 is good for another 12hp/15tq at the wheels, looks great under the hood and significantly sharpens throttle response.
Injen’s intake system also includes a duct to ensure that fresh air from the front kidney grille inlets is getting to the filter to help keep intake air temperatures as low as possible, and being a Cali resident, it’s worth noting that this Injen Intake is CARB E/O pending, and with a little luck, it should be CARB approved (SMOG LEGAL) by the time you actually need to smog the car.
In addition to the power increase from the intake, we compounded those gains with another 50wtq / 33whp with a Cobb AccessPORT V3 for BMW N55, running Stage I mapping appropriate for this car’s mods. Once he makes further modifications, with an AccessPORT it’s as easy as plugging the AccessPORT back in and changing the map (you don’t need to uninstall the previous map, either, just select “Tune” and then select the map that’s appropriate for your hardware combination. Easy!)
Beyond the AccessPORT we also made some minor cosmetic modifications as well. This car had already been fitted with a set of Carbon Fiber Splitters for E90 LCI M-tech – as tends to happen with street driven cars, one of the splitters had been damaged, so we were able to install a new set to keep this E90 335xi looking its best.
The Carbon Fiber Splitters for E90 tie the carbon accents of the car together quite well, including the Carbon Fiber Mirror Covers for BMW E90 LCI, which add a subtle hint of aggression to the car’s aesthetic.
Don’t mind the painter’s tape, which will come off in a day or so after the adhesive helping keep the new splitter attached cures fully.
As we mentioned earlier, this car got a new set of BMW E90 335xi wheels too – VMR V710 wheels in Gunmetal, spec’d out at 18×8.5 ET35 / 18×9.5 ET33, wrapped in 215/40-18 and 245/35-18 front and rear for a great staggered fitment.
Combined with the gunmetal finish of the VMR V710 18in staggered wheels for BMW, the red painted calipers and gloss black rotor hubs really give the car a clean look.
At the end of the day with a little expert help from Sr. Mod Expert Elliott Goodman, this BMW Performance Edition 335xi looks and performs better than the day it rolled off the factory floor.
Interested in modding your BMW with a different look, or more horsepower? Take advantage of our wealth of auto modiciation knowhow and expertise, talk to our team of Mod Experts like Elliott, who can offer advice and options to help guide you through turning the car in your driveway into the car you dreamed it’d be – call us at 714-582-3330 (dial x8009 for Elliott) or email us at sales@modbargains.com or chat live at ModBargains.com
Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you next time.
Story & Photos Nick Gregson