BMW S58 First Mods: Intake, Downpipes and Charge Pipes (G80 M3, G82 M4, G87 M2)

The S58 in the G80 M3, G82 M4 and G87 M2 is the strongest six-cylinder BMW M has built, and it responds to the same first mods as the S55 before it: an intake, catless downpipes and metal charge pipes, tied together with a tune. This guide covers what each one does, which order to fit them in and which intake to pick.

What you are starting with

The S58 is a 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight six with a closed-deck block, a forged crank and an air-to-water intercooler mounted on top of the engine. Factory outputs run from 338 kW in the early G87 M2 up to 390 kW in the facelifted M3 and M4 Competition xDrive. BMW left plenty in reserve: a Stage 1 map on 98 is the biggest single gain on the car, and it costs the least. Everything below either lets that tune make more power or keeps it reliable once it does.

1. Catless downpipes: the biggest hardware gain

Each turbo feeds its own downpipe, and the factory pipes carry catalytic converters that sit right where the exhaust is hottest and fastest. Removing them lowers backpressure on the turbine side, so the turbos spool quicker and make the same boost with less heat. Our S58 catless downpipes are 3-inch mandrel-bent 304 stainless, full diameter almost end to end, and are good for around 22 to 27 hp and 28 to 33 lb-ft at the wheels once tuned. They need a tune to run without fault codes. Catless downpipes are for off-road and competition use only.

2. Charge pipes: the one people skip

The charge pipes carry boost from the turbos up to the intercooler. From the factory they are plastic, and plastic does not love heat cycles and extra boost. A split pipe mid-pull means an instant loss of power and, at best, a tow home. Our S58 charge pipe kit replaces them with TIG-welded aluminium. It will not add power on its own, but it is what lets the car hold the boost the tune asks for, every time. If you are tuning the car, fit them at the same time as the downpipes.

3. Intake: open or carbon

An intake on the S58 gives sharper throttle response, a louder induction note and a small gain once the tune is adjusted for it. We carry two:

• S58 Cold Air Intake Kit — an open, high-flow setup. The best value way to get the sound and response.
• S58 Carbon Cold Air Intake — a sealed carbon-fibre airbox that keeps hot engine-bay air out and saves weight. This is the one to have if the car sees track days or sits in Queensland traffic in January, where intake air temperature matters most.

4. The tune

None of the hardware above does much without software. A bootmod3 licence for the S58 gives you off-the-shelf maps for stock, Stage 1 and Stage 2 hardware, flashed over the OBD port from your phone or laptop. Start on the Stage 1 map if you are fitting parts over time, then move to Stage 2 once the downpipes are in.

The order we recommend

1. Tune on the stock hardware first. It is the cheapest power on the car.
2. Downpipes and charge pipes together, then step up to a Stage 2 map.
3. Intake last, or with the downpipes if you are doing it all in one go.

If you only care about sound, the S58 T51R sound ring housings add turbo noise with no retune and no change to boost. For more power after Stage 2, the Stage 2 hybrid turbos are the next step, and our upgrade turbo guide covers what they need around them.

Where EuroSpec fits

Every part in this guide is listed in our S58 category, with free shipping Australia-wide on orders over $250. EuroSpec downpipes and charge pipes carry a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects. Running an S55 instead? Our S55 first mods guide covers the F80, F82 and F87. Not sure what suits your car? Send us your chassis and what you use it for, and we will put the right parts together.