[ssjwootton]

Hello all,

This is my first post on the forum, so apologies if I have posted in the wrong place. I am looking to buy a 230i G42 soon, as the M240i is a little too pricey for me, including insurance costs. I'm essentially after a quick(ish), small, RWD coupe, so the 230i ticks all the boxes.

During my research, I've seen that the 230i and 220i of this generation both share the same engine and are only separated by a factory tune. So, my thinking is, couldn't I just purchase a 220i, stage one tune it, and essentially have a 230i for the price of a 220i?

I've asked in other motoring forums I'm in, and no one is entirely sure, so I thought I'd make this account and ask the experts.

[Pentland]

Essentially yes. If the ECU is not locked you can remap, otherwise it’s a send away the ECU job = expensive.
Note you will have to declare the mod to your insurance (and noting your location, that’s like going to be expensive). Also, a remap will invalidate any associated warranty.

[Leonardocav]

220i and 230i have different engine code it's not just a tune, there are also hardware differences between the two, differrent turbo, pistons, even different compression ratio

[pw4]

There may be other spec differences besides the engine. In Australia, the 220i Msport comes with tiny front brakes, but the 230i Msport gets the large brakes off the M240i. Seats may have lesser specs on the 220i too.

[MPR]

ssjwootton the G series is not small and its heavy. If youre looking for something small and fun, maybe consider the prior gen F22 M240.