BMW S63 Upgraded Performance Intake Guide
Dual cone intakes are one of our favorite bolt-on mods for twin turbo BMW engines. The factory air-boxes are restrictive on tuned S63's, leading to a reduction in air flow and sounds. Wake up your modded BMW S63tu M5 or M6 with upgraded dual cone intakes. In this guide, we will discuss the benefits to an upgraded intake and list a few great options for the S63.
S63 Dual Cone Intake (DCI) Performance
There are two ways in which upgraded intakes may provide better performance. First, the factory intake system is inefficient and restricts the flow of air. Second, the upgraded intake pulls in colder air. We're focused on the first point since slightly colder air intake does not have a huge impact on turbo engines. Yes, colder air does increase power. However, the intake air travels through incredibly hot turbochargers. The air is then cooled by the intercooler. As such, air a few degrees cooler is unlikely to have a significant impact on the intercoolers ability to cool the air.
Circling back to the first point - the S63 intake system is pretty efficient from the factory. However, tuned S63tu engines pick up well north of 100 horsepower. More power requires more air. Accordingly, the S63 factory intake begins falling short of the newfound air flow. Installing an upgraded intake enables the S63 to keep up with the air flow. A few benefits of S63tu dual cone intakes include:
- 5-15whp
- Similar torque improvements
- Excellent sounds
- Easier maintenance/cleaner engine bay
Power gains on a bone-stock S63 are likely minimal or non-existent. However, tune-only S63tu M5 and M6's may see gains in the 5-10whp ballpark. The biggest gains generally come north of 25psi. Meanwhile, highly modded S63tu engines may pick up as much as 15+whp. Anticipate torque gains to be roughly the same. Additionally, dual cone intakes remove the bulky air-box covers from the engine bay. In our opinion, it leads to a more spacious and cleaner engine bay.
S63 Dual Cone Intake Sounds
The intake sounds deserve their own section. Opting for open dual cone intakes frees up a lot of turbo and induction noise. S63 turbo and induction sounds become dramatic on the lower-end and mid-range while in boost. You'll actually hear just how much air the impressive 4.4L twin turbo engine is moving. We love it and believe it's a truly unique, awesome sound. It's certainly not a sound many cars make and it brings a smile to our faces every single time. Let's move onto some of our favorite performance intakes for the S63tu M5 and M6.
Best BMW S63 Dual Cone Intakes
Below we'll list a few of the popular, quality intake options on the market for the S63 engine. It's certainly not an exhaustive list and many great options are out there. We recommend opting for an open intake design (dual cone intake) as they will provide more sounds and better flow. However, some of the closed carbon fiber intakes sure are beautiful.
1) BMS Elite S63TU Dual Cone Intakes
Burger Motorsports, creators of the successful JB4 tunes, offers an excellent open dual cone intake for the S63tu M5 and M6. It's one of the best priced options on the market and is of excellent quality. This system retains the factory cold air ducting and heat shielding air box bottoms. However, the restrictive air-box tops are removed and the factory filters replaced with high-flow S&B cone filters. Expect to pick up around 10 wheel horsepower at 25+psi.
BMS S63 DCI Price: $429.00
Buy Here: BMS Elite S63TU Dual Cone Intakes
2) Eventuri Blue or Red Kevlar S63TU Intake Kit
This performance intake comes in at a totally different price point, but it sure looks amazing. As a closed intake design, its flow and sounds will be slightly limited compared to the BMS system above. However, it's hard to argue with the looks. They offer a red version which we will link to below, too. Additionally, if you are not a fan of the red or blue kevlar they have a complete carbon fiber option. These intakes should also pick up about 10whp around 25+psi.
Eventuri S63 Intake Price: $2,745.00
Buy Here: S63 Eventuri Blue Kevlar Intake Kit
*S63 Eventuri Red Kevlar Intake Kit
BMW S63TU Performance Intake Summary
The factory BMW S63tu M5 and M6 intake is efficient up to roughly 25psi on the stock turbos. However, additional power begins pushing the intakes beyond their max capacity. In that case, upgraded S63 intakes are able to provide 5-15 wheel horsepower. Expect torque gains in the same ballpark. Additionally, upgraded intakes free up a lot of turbo and induction sounds. We believe it's a unique, awesome sound that many others will enjoy.
Burger Motorsports offers a quality S63 open dual cone intake system at a great price point. If you want a basic intake system then look no further. Those looking for something fancier may be attracted to the Eventuri intake kits, but they come with a price tag to match the beautiful design. Regardless of your exact choice, upgraded S63tu intakes are an excellent mod to take your M5 or M6 to the next level.