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Hi everyone,

I am a fellow enthusiast who somehow cannot find satisfaction with a 560hp car, lol. Even though I will never realize the full performance potential of this car, the power/weight ratio has me wanting more. This is my first BMW and I'm happy to discover that the s63tu engine is so reliable and so accepting of modifications, that it was a no-brainer that a flash was in store.

Enter Mission Performance (Alex and Kareem). Its a funny coincidence that they introduced themselves to this M5 community about the same time I picked up my 2014 M5 a few months ago. As a result, I didnt pay much attention to the "new" guys as I researched which tuner/flash to go with. Those who've been on this forum for at least a couple months will know that there are only a couple big name tunes that most go with, rightfully so for their service and reliability (based on member reviews). And I did call a few to inquire. But, after multiple messages and some phone calls, something drew me to Mission. Those who have spoken with Alex may be able to detect the passion behind his work and explanations. And because they tune other BMW models, my research branched out of the M5 forums, to the conclusion that Mission stands behind their work and can provide top shelf support.

Anyways, lets get to the good stuff. This is a stage 1 (or 1.5 I guess) tune because I'm still on stock downpipes. I have the following on my car:

Corsa mufflers
Stock DP
BMC filters/ charcoal filters removed.
AP air scoops.

From day 1 I told Alex that a simple flash will not do. I've had tuned cars in the past and wanted my flash to be dyno tuned specifically for my car with slightly more power than a typical stage 1, and to smooth out power delivery. I'm not sure how complex/sophisticated BMW ECUs have become, but I was set on my decision and willing to pay a little extra for it.

I arrived at their shop last Thursday and had the flash done. Immediate test drive impressions were just Holy Sh*t type of reaction. Those who had flashes know what I'm talking about. This car is really awake now!! Boost hits harder ~2.5 to 3k rpm and bye-bye traction in 3rd (ran out of road to test any higher). Alex recommended I change and gap my plugs to 0.022 since the ECUs are out anyways and I'm at 22k miles. Ok, sure, but spark plugs for the M5 are not in stock that day. Apparently 550 uses the same plugs as M5, without the M logo and $10 less/plug, so we go with that.

Everything is good and I leave to drive home. Get on the freeway and floor it and BAMM!! Drivetrain error light comes on and kicks me into limp mode; exhaust sounds different on passenger side. Imagine if I had shipped out my ECUs to flash and would have to troubleshoot this on my own. I get the car back to the shop and its immediately diagnosed as a misfire. This is when the support of your tuner makes all of the difference in the world. I expect a plan of action to correct issues without any finger pointing, and Mission did just that. They immediately take things apart again and test plugs and coils and we found out my #3 coil went bad. They replace it and everything is right in the world again, a couple of test runs and car runs smooth and I make it home (in traffic though).

At this point I havent dyno tuned yet and not sure what my power output is. Mission was having a dyno day that Saturday, however, I work Saturdays....dilemma. I'd have to figure out how to coordinate another dyno day, probably when my wife and kids have returned from their long summer trip (ie. not gonna happen). So I call my receptionist and tell her I wont be in Saturday and problem solved (priorities, right?).

I arrive on Saturday and am first up. I should also state that I run 3 gallons of E85/tank regularly. Alex flashes back to stock to get a baseline run in 4th gear with speed limiter. Result is about 550whp/500wtq avg over a few runs; typical numbers for stock. Stage 1 is flashed again and all future runs are done in 5th gear. Throughout the session the M5 was having traction and heat soaking issues. But a couple hours and 22 runs later we arrive at 678whp/645wtq and a smoother power delivery. I asked Alex to keep torque in check so my clutches dont fry, but I'm still having traction issues and have 305 pzeros en route; hopefully will help a little.

I hung around for a couple hours afterwards talking shop with the other attendees. There was a manual 535 tuned to 500wtq (stage 2)!! Mission's own shop 550 put down hp/tq numbers in the 500s on stock DPs too.

Anyways thanks for your attention and I hope others here can benefit from my experience. Apparently anyone can flash our cars, but find a tuner who can get into the flash tune itself and stand behind their work.