Car manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to optimise their production costs while offering their customers top performance. This is where 'bonus engines' come in.

Bonus engines are engines that share the same basic architecture as the standard engines in a model range. The difference lies in the fact that the bonus engines have been deliberately limited in terms of power to meet the needs of each model in the range.

By limiting these engines, manufacturers can save on research and development, production and storage costs. They can also offer a variety of models at different prices using a single engine.

This is why we find ourselves on certain models with a gain that may seem impressive. Here are a few examples of flanged engines that we call 'bonus' engines:

• BMW 320e 204hp (2.0) engine identical to the 330e 292hp - Stage 1: +180hp +330Nm
• Porsche Panamera 2.9 V6 Turbo 330hp engine identical to the 2.9 Turbo 4S 440hp - Stage 1: +180hp +330Nm
• McLaren 540C 540hp (3.8T) identical engine for the range up to the 650S 650hp - Stage 1: +140hp +180Nm
• Mercedes Vito 114 CDI 136hp (2.1) identical engine throughout the range up to the 119 CDI 190hp - Stage 1: +129hp +220Nm
• VW Caddy 2.0 TDI 75hp engine identical throughout the range up to the 2.0 TDI 150 - Stage 1: +110hp +100Nm
• Mercedes E-Class 350d W213 286hp (2.9) engine identical to the 400d 340hp - Stage 1 +114hp +200Nm
• BMW 1 Series F20 114i 102hp (1.6) engine identical to 18i 170hp - Stage 1 +108hp +120Nm
• Mercedes C-Class 200 197hp (2.0 MHEV) engine identical to the 300 258hp - Stage 1: +83hp +100Nm

When you buy a vehicle, we recommend that you opt for the bridled version, for a number of economic reasons. First of all, the limited version is always cheaper to buy than the more powerful version. What's more, the vehicle registration document and insurance are less expensive. You can then go to a ShifTech centre to get the full power out of your engine!