Anyone tried one of these

[John Thompson]

Hi,

I'm sorely tempted to part with £450 to raise my BHP from 306 to 383 (claimed) plus huge increase in torque, but before I do, I'd really love it if someone can vouch for or poo poo them. They do offer a money back guarantee if you're not satisfied.
Look forward to you're wisdom obi wan


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RaceChip...m=322316526376&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

 

[Sean d]

I guess the only way to truly tell is to dyno the car before and after, if it hasn't worked then get your money back, personally I am skeptical about such power claims.

 

[Redline]

383bhp is a big jump. Several add-on tuning boxes claim 360+
Unlikely to get near either of those without some fettling I would have thought.
Buy one off eBay? Not sure I would do that. Would rather buy one from someone I can talk to or shout at if needed.

 

[andyglym]

Not sure if your engine is normally aspirated or turbo charged? Normally aspirated I would suggest the claim is a tad over the top, you'd normally see circa 10% ish increase when doing this sort of thing. Turbo charged engines however are a different story all together. I'd take it somewhere to get it 'chipped' personally.

 

[Redline]

Not sure if your engine is normally aspirated or turbo charged? Normally aspirated I would suggest the claim is a tad over the top, you'd normally see circa 10% ish increase when doing this sort of thing. Turbo charged engines however are a different story all together. I'd take it somewhere to get it 'chipped' personally.

Single turbo on 35i I think Andy. Twin turbo on the 35is. I presume its a twin scroll turbo.
The twin scroll turbo will give a smoother power delivery that gets you there without that punch at 3k revs you get from a single turbo.

The 35is also sits 10mm lower than the 35i - not a lot, but when your'e adding 25% more power it may make a difference towards the limits.

As you said, you can get huge increases of power from turbo cars - but, I suspect there are other changes needed to actually get that increase like bigger intercooler etc. As well as adding all that power to make it go, I'd wonder about making it stop more quickly by adding some brake upgrades too.

 

[andyglym]

Single turbo on 35i I think Andy. Twin turbo on the 35is. I presume its a twin scroll turbo.
The twin scroll turbo will give a smoother power delivery that gets you there without that punch at 3k revs you get from a single turbo.

The 35is also sits 10mm lower than the 35i - not a lot, but when your'e adding 25% more power it may make a difference towards the limits.

As you said, you can get huge increases of power from turbo cars - but, I suspect there are other changes needed to actually get that increase like bigger intercooler etc. As well as adding all that power to make it go, I'd wonder about making it stop more quickly by adding some brake upgrades too.

More so on modern engines Ian, complicated pieces of engineering. Any significant increase in power should always be preceded by the 'stopping department' first.

 

[petecossie]

I'd need to know someone in this country who has purchased and been satisfied with this piece of kit before I would part with any money. It just sounds to good to be true.
I'd also be asking a few questions, like can you give me details of any purchasers in UK so you can check out their claims? Can you name any rolling road/tuning outlet in UK who have tested and proved these figures. If they cannot, walk away and save your money.
If you have rolling road/tuning outlet nearby ask them what they think.
I think a company like Evolve maybe a better bet, they might not be cheap but they are based in UK so you have a chance of getting some personal service.
As already mentioned a big increase in power needs to matched by increase in stopping power. Also modifications, what about insurance?

 

[John Thompson]

I guess the only way to truly tell is to dyno the car before and after, if it hasn't worked then get your money back, personally I am skeptical about such power claims.

Single turbo on 35i I think Andy. Twin turbo on the 35is. I presume its a twin scroll turbo.
The twin scroll turbo will give a smoother power delivery that gets you there without that punch at 3k revs you get from a single turbo.

The 35is also sits 10mm lower than the 35i - not a lot, but when your'e adding 25% more power it may make a difference towards the limits.

As you said, you can get huge increases of power from turbo cars - but, I suspect there are other changes needed to actually get that increase like bigger intercooler etc. As well as adding all that power to make it go, I'd wonder about making it stop more quickly by adding some brake upgrades too.

Hi,
The 35i does have twin turbochargers
J

 

[John Thompson]

Hi,
The 35i does have twin turbochargers but the 35is has 340 bhp as opposed to 306 on the 35i
J

There is no turbo lag whatsoever, none. I had a 300zx twin turbo running 501 bhp dyno'd and they don't feel much different.
Racechip is a reputable company and the fact they sell on ebay does not mean they are not a quality product, plus aren't there stringent laws about false representation and false claims? plus they are a German company so I guess they are very familiar with bmw's. I know one of the ways they up the power is up the boost, a big plus for me would be the fact it is instantly reversible

 

[John Thompson]

I guess the only way to truly tell is to dyno the car before and after, if it hasn't worked then get your money back, personally I am skeptical about such power claims.

Sean that is such an incredible colour!! I love it! is it a bmw colour? or is it the colour of the amg sls?

 

[John Thompson]

Single turbo on 35i I think Andy. Twin turbo on the 35is. I presume its a twin scroll turbo.
The twin scroll turbo will give a smoother power delivery that gets you there without that punch at 3k revs you get from a single turbo.

The 35is also sits 10mm lower than the 35i - not a lot, but when your'e adding 25% more power it may make a difference towards the limits.

As you said, you can get huge increases of power from turbo cars - but, I suspect there are other changes needed to actually get that increase like bigger intercooler etc. As well as adding all that power to make it go, I'd wonder about making it stop more quickly by adding some brake upgrades too.

The 35i and 35is both have uprated brakes, bigger dia rotors and 6 pot calipers, and I would of course inform my insurance which I'd need to do whichever road I go down. It must be almost the same as having it remapped as that is essentially whats happening, and you are also able to fine tune it.
If the claims were accurate I would prefer the racechip box as you can remove it in minutes if you find it's not for you, and, you could then sell it on to recoup a chunk of the initial outlay, so, in conclusion, if they do work the there are pro's and cons on all methods.

 

[Sean d]

Sean that is such an incredible colour!! I love it! is it a bmw colour? or is it the colour of the amg sls?

Its Java green, BMW use it but its actually an Audi colour, Its not my car, I only used it as an avatar as it is a colour that is in contention for my current project.