When the new M3/M4 was released in late 2020, it didn't take long to see them hit the track. CSF's Engineers and Motorsports department was in attendance for some of the first track days that local R&D Partners & Premier Dealers Studio RSR and Art of Attack took their new G8Xs to.
While in stock form, the G8X's factory cooling system does a decent job keeping up with the cooling demands. While this was true of the car in factory spec, those results changed when the cars were modified and started pushing more power. CSF quickly observed issues with heat soak in the charge-air system. This overheating of the intercooling system causes a spike in Intake Air Temperatures (IATs). Subsequently, the ECU started pulling timing which decreases power output. In extreme cases this can also send the car into limp mode. This problem became even more prevalent as testing continued into the hot summer months.
CSF worked closely with race teams throughout North America such as Studio RSR, Art of Attack, and Velocity Performance as well as premier dealer Precision Sport Industries throughout the prototyping and development process. The feedback gathered from daily driving, track days, and competitive drag racing events has led to the best possible iteration of the Front Mount Heat Exchanger.
Design & Engineering
With well over 100 track hours worth of testing and thousands of miles on the road, you can be assured that the CSF's new High-Performance Front Mount Heat Exchanger has been thoroughly tested and vetted.
CSF vs OEM
The CSF Heat Exchanger features a 2-Row (vs OEM single row) Core that is 42mm thick with CSF's Exclusive B-Tube Technology. Increasing the size of the core and end tanks adds to the overall volume of the system which helps absorb more heat. The more efficient core not only helps dissipate more heat from the system, but also provides better airflow into the radiator that sits behind the heat exchanger. For vehicles equipped with the ZF8 Automatic Transmission, the heat exchanger core specifications were designed concurrently with CSF's Race-Spec Dual Core Transmission Oil Cooler (CSF #8221).
The two included Black Rock Guards offer full protection for the heat exchanger (above and below the crash bar), especially when paired with aftermarket "open face" race style grilles. These grilles are quite popular for performance and aesthetics, and keeping your heat exchanger safe from debris is very important.
How Charge-Air Cooling System Works
CSF's industry-leading reputation and deep knowledge of high-performance BMW cooling systems allowed its engineers to immediately identify the cooling weak spots on the S58 engine. The engine is very similar to the B58 in the A90 Supra and G-Series BMW 40i models. Both feature a liquid-to-air charge cooler manifold paired with a front mount heat exchanger (water radiator). The Heat Exchanger cools the fluid cycling through the charge cooler, dissipating heat from the system.
Because the charge cooler is built into the manifold, it's extremely expensive to replace with a high-performance unit. While CSF has developed a high-performance billet charge-air manifold for the S58 Motor (CSF #8233), the heat exchanger is still the most cost effective way to bring down charge-air temps. The Front Mount Heat Exchanger is responsible for removing heat from the chair-air cooling system and is now recommended as a critical bolt-on upgrade.
