Examining the F85 X5M: the air intake system

[m5james]

Based on the www.realoem.com pics posted above, the biggest difference between the E70 and F15 airbox is that entire airbox in pic 1...the tubes feeding the turbos in and out are the same.

While BMW has designed a good intake system for performance, they've also designed it to please housewives in that it'll muffle the sound of the BOV and turbos. After listening to MSR intake videos, I'd love that sound as well but the E70/F15 have those huge radiator supports that prevent even trying to adapt the F10 intake into an X5M. Also, the front of an F10 has plenty of room for their cone filters while the X5M would be a very tight fit. I'd love to see something designed much like MSR's intake, less pronounced width wise...instead I'd have to shoot straight forward and down the openings before the radiator.

I can't imagine it'd flow any less, but to even get the same amount of flow while gaining this sound :-D

[X5Jouster]

i only have the X5 50i F15 but the air boxs look almost identical!! only difference looking like the air filter?

how do i get my hands on the filter parts themselves?

i just wish there was a way to bring out the turbo and wastegate sounds...

i will purchase stock x5m filters off of anyone, or if anyone sells, or knows where to source part....please let me know

[Roundown]

Originally Posted by classyfast

Non dickhead question here: the market for this vehicle is so small, even smaller is the tuning market, why so much effort on the x5m?

Small but lucrative.

[m5james]

On the contrary, there's quite a bit of aftermarket for the F85 because it's a TU engine, so it's much closer mechanically and electronically to the F10 M5 vs the E70 X5. The more I try to do to my E70, the less I see support for it...everyone quotes tuning numbers based on the M5, the BMS piggyback add-ons aren't compatible with the E** series body ECU, which then rules out the their boost controller, JB4 and the ability to use the JB4 for datalogging or meth control.

Other than generic tunes that bump it to like 22psi vs M5's touching on 30psi, Pure Turbos seems to be the only way to get more boost/power above canned tuning (not sure who they use for tuning), M5 headers being direct bolt-ons is still TBD based on who you ask (I know the turbo to header flanges are different between the X5M & M5), so point being...the F85 is better for mods than the E70.