Supercharged e46 330i

Supercharger Goals
We now have driven over 1000 miles on our e46 330i project car since the installation of the VF supercharger kit. This vehicle is my wife's daily driver so it was important that this project would not jeopardize drivability or reliability. The rule was, unless you "nail the pedal to the metal" this car had to act like a stock 330i. Meaning, it had to have a smooth idle, no excessive exhaust or engine noise, and it could radically shift the power band. This doesn't mean we didn't want a power increase, we most definitely did, but we didn't want to see the power shift completely to the top end leaving the bottom end yearning for more. It needed to be an increase equally across the power band. It was also very important for me to have a product that was well engineered using components that had been well established in the industry.

So why did we select the VF-Engineering Supercharger Kit?
All supercharger kits on the market have four areas that need close consideration. The first item of importance in my opinion is the brand of blower included in the kit. Since I have owned various brands of vehicles that have incorporated the Vortech Supercharger unit, I felt very confident that there would be few issues with the actual blower. Vortech has been building this ultra reliable gear driven S-Trim design since the early 90's while some other brands use an internal belt drive that is prone to failure. The Vortech unit also uses the engine oil supply as a source of lubrication. This eliminates the need for an additional pump and oil cooler. The Vortech blower has experienced unbelievable success in a broad range of streetcar and racetrack applications. With proper installation and a good clean oil supply, failures due to Vortech blower are not that common.

The second item is the importance of the engineered components and quality of the hardware kit. This includes all the bits and pieces, tubing, machined brackets, oil lines, etc. that make up the mounting kit for your specific vehicle. This is where VF-Engineering really shines. Their attention to detail in my opinion is at an OE level. Each component is engineered to exceed their load demand. The CNC mounting bracket that attaches the blower to the engine is very ridged, capable of handling all stresses and vibrations. The plumbing that directs the air charge to the engine is rotational molded plastic. This gives the kit a very OE and finished appearance. Fasteners are all high-grade steel for added reliability.

The third item is the software. Once you have selected the finest blower and mount it securely to the engine, software is the big player. Mapping the proper fuel and timing curves to maximize performance, while still retaining reliability and drivability is not an easy task. This is why VF-Engineering has subcontracted GIAC to do a proprietary software programs for each and every model in their supercharger program. This process may take days or weeks of repeated dyno runs as well as many cold start cycles before they are ready to deliver a final product.

The fourth and final item is the installation. Although the kit is very complete and the instructions are very direct, we do recommend you have this product installed by a professional. Having the proper selection of tools, a car lift, and the knowledge to complete the project does make a difference in the outcome of the project and the timeframe required. For more information on installation fees and the time involved you may contact one of our sales reps.

Final Thoughts
Although this is not an inexpensive performance modification, it is definitely the single most impressive engine upgrade that you can do to your Bimmer. The drivability is similar to that of a stock car with acceleration that is unbelievable. Other than a very slight supercharger rotation noise at idle, there is no indication that the vehicle is nothing more than a stock 330i. This is one of those upgrades you can have on your vehicle and feel very comfortable to hand any person the key without any special instructions.