[JohnL]

Has anyone heard of speedtuning chip company for BMW's They advertised in eBay that they are a chip tuner. HQ in Austria. They have a tuning garage in Md. just happens to be aboout 10 miles from my home. They do most BMW's that i see on their web site (WWW.speedtuningusa.com) including M5's. :M5launch:

 

[jimmyz2]

I recommend anything from Austria.Of course I am biased since I was born in Salzburg. :thumbsup:

 

[grp]

Thanks for the heads-up, I'll keep an eye on this thread.

I've recently contacted the Powerchip people (from recommendations on this board) to purchase their chip ($998 I think) but was referred to the Australian office since the US office can only deal with US based customers and I'm in Switzerland:crying:.

Had to pull the plug on that since the Australian $ price converted to Swiss Francs was 60% more that the US$ price converted ("market forces" I guess ).

Bottom line - I'm hunting for an alternative currently (although locally, I can get it done for a little more than Powerchip from Australia - about US$2100).

The speedtuning site doesn't give any information on installation to our car (is it through OBDII?, physical chip change like in my Porsche?) and frankly, seems almost *too* cheap at US$349 compared with the other options I've seen (although the power curves look good for the M5).

You said the HQ was in Austria, do you have a site reference? I couldn't find one ...

Regards,

Gary.

Has anyone heard of speedtuning chip company for BMW's They advertised in eBay that they are a chip tuner. HQ in Austria. They have a tuning garage in Md. just happens to be aboout 10 miles from my home. They do most BMW's that i see on their web site (WWW.speedtuningusa.com) including M5's. :M5launch:

 

[JohnL]

Thanks for the heads-up, I'll keep an eye on this thread.

I've recently contacted the Powerchip people (from recommendations on this board) to purchase their chip ($998 I think) but was referred to the Australian office since the US office can only deal with US based customers and I'm in Switzerland:crying:.

Had to pull the plug on that since the Australian $ price converted to Swiss Francs was 60% more that the US$ price converted ("market forces" I guess ).

Bottom line - I'm hunting for an alternative currently (although locally, I can get it done for a little more than Powerchip from Australia - about US$2100).

The speedtuning site doesn't give any information on installation to our car (is it through OBDII?, physical chip change like in my Porsche?) and frankly, seems almost *too* cheap at US$349 compared with the other options I've seen (although the power curves look good for the M5).

You said the HQ was in Austria, do you have a site reference? I couldn't find one ...

Regards,

Gary.

In my opinion, powerchip is way overpriced and is taking advantage of the market (and maybe, people with more money than senseouich ) When and if conforti comes out with a chip, it may force them to lower their price. I don't have the website for anything but the usa site. When I talk to them I'll ask about the austrian site. they program through the OBDII. swap out the old and swap in the new. I don't think $349 is cheap. That is the going price from conforti's programmable chip for the other bmw's including the e36 and e46 M3. So I think they are pricing themselves to that level. eBay has a lot of satisfied customers using speedtuning s/w but I'd like to see if there is another M% that has done it. Have you tried www.speedtuning. (austrian county abbrevation)?

 

[MIB]

In my opinion, powerchip is way overpriced and is taking advantage of the market (and maybe, people with more money than senseouich )

Tell me JohnL,

Is that your Opinion based on Just PRICE?

Obviously you have never actually experienced a Powerchip, as you would not hold that Opinion.

I have had no less than 10 Powerchips. They are actually the BEST bang per Buck on the market.

Going by your opinion, then a Hyundai is a Good Car and BMW are taking advantage of People With Money? Same WRONG Logic.

Do yourself a favour, Stop being a Tightwad, and experience the difference a Quality chip can make for your car.

Powerchip has been tested Numerous times by Numerous Respected members, and it passed all tests, Everytime.

How much more do you want for your money?

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but please Qualify that Opinion by saying that you have never actually had a Powerchip. Then your opinion can be weighed and measured accordingly. Just My Opinion. :byebye:

Regards MJ.

 

[grp]

MJ,

You should have qualified market with "US". If I could purchase the Powerchips at that price (I not so concerned about the size of the deposit since I know I'll get it back), I would; hey, I tried. Adding 60% to the price, then the additional shipping due to the extra distance (both ways) and then adding the additional time for the shipping to arrive (resulting in more time without the deposit money) versus purchasing directly from the US frankly didn't make sense to me (maybe it does for others). Specially considering it's the same car, software, cables, PC etc. etc. for the upgrade.

I'd be interested to hear what other European members have done in terms of chipping (?).

S'funny, I recently sold my Porsche turbo and actually tried 4 sets of chips over the last few years; all purchased from the US. Each set at a common price (I just paid a couple of bucks extra for the shipping and took care of any local duties as required by Swiss customs).

Regards,

Gary.

Tell me JohnL,

I have had no less than 10 Powerchips. They are actually the BEST bang per Buck on the market.

Regards MJ.

 

[MIB]

MJ,

If I could purchase the Powerchips at that price (I not so concerned about the size of the deposit since I know I'll get it back), I would; hey, I tried. Adding 60% to the price, then the additional shipping due to the extra distance (both ways) and then adding the additional time for the shipping to arrive (resulting in more time without the deposit money) versus purchasing directly from the US frankly didn't make sense to me (maybe it does for others). Specially considering it's the same car, software, cables, PC etc. etc. for the upgrade.


Regards,

Gary.

Hey Gary,

If I could get a Beast at USA Prices I would have 2 of them.

Still wrong logic. A beast in the states is $75K USD , In Australia they are $225K. So By your logic, we should never buy a Beast because they are so much cheaper in the states?

If you want to buy at States prices, Move to the states.

If you want the Best mods in the World, You have to pay for them. If you want to settle for the sake of a little coin, thats fine.

But don't critisize a Great product, because you have to pay more to get it than People in the US.

Every Mod I have I had to pay Double and even Trebble.

I am happy I did it, because I wanted the Best, no matter where in the world it was.

If you are happy with a cheap Chip, grab it. But there are lots of stories about cheap chips actually reducing Power instead of the huge increase claims.

I think its better to pay more for a Tried and Proven, trusted Product, than to save a little bit and pay heavily later.

There usually is a lot more that goes on than a price tag.

R & D and customer service and back up.

Or You can go for a No Name brand that advertises on Ebay. I think that says a lot in itself.

I don't think I would care to have my beast touched by anything on ebay. But thats just me.

Happy Beasting :M5launch:

 

[grp]

MIB,

It's a question of choice. I have the choice to import a beast from the US (or anywhere) and could do so (as you could), but then have to consider all the other associated costs (also as you would). In many cases you have import tax, modifications to required local regulations (homologation) etc. Not least (in your case and mine) is shipping a car ... Other "soft" factors include not being able to test or review the car before hand. So you chose to pay local prices - that's great and I'm glad your happy. Now, my only disappointment here is that despite my willingness to abide by all of the above concerning the upgrade, I cannot do so for reasons relating to their business model. If they contacted me tomorrow and said "Ok, the US price applies - my credit card info is on the wire in minutes" - done deal.

That's my only (sidebar) point in my mails earlier in the thread stating that I was looking into potential other chip suppliers. However, on further review of your email:

A statement like:
"If you want to buy at States prices, Move to the states."
is frankly offensive, myopic and, shall we say (to be polite), "ill-informed" in todays global market. Just because you got hammered on the price of your car and mods is not my fault but I understand your defence of trade barriers as a result.

Additionally, your other statement:
"But don't critisize a Great product"

shows that you haven't read my mails properly. I've stated that I've understood from this board that it's a great product, I want(ed) to buy it but since the only difference in the deal is the price (and the fact that an identical connection cable is shipped twice as far), I decided I would keep looking. It's also worth pointing out (from a recent thread I've read) that when a buyer uploads their current software map from the ECU, it get's sent to Australia for tuning and sending back even if you are in the US ....

To address the point on R&D and customer service (latter first): this is another customer "benefit" for me? Although I would communicate by (and prefer) email, I've got to call Australia at twice the rate of the US to get support (on my bill)? And that's customer focus, right? R&D is the same for US and Australia (same product, same everything...) - that doesn't wash either.

An example of what I'm trying to get at: Several years ago, I wanted a set of decent pads for my Porsche (Metal Masters from Australia as it happens

), and couldn't get them in Switzerland. Therefore, I purchased them from the US. The pads cost US$38, the shipping an additional US$84 (weight). It was my choice - the pads were exactly what I wanted and the pads themselves were a good price. Sure, I could have bought a different brand locally - perhaps even paid less.

Enjoy the car - at US$225K (and other cars presumably pro-rata), even if I could afford it (I couldn't), I'd be driving an old VW Beetle or an Opel Corsa :7:

Cheers,

Gary.

Hey Gary,

If I could get a Beast at USA Prices I would have 2 of them.

Still wrong logic. A beast in the states is $75K USD , In Australia they are $225K. So By your logic, we should never buy a Beast because they are so much cheaper in the states?

If you want to buy at States prices, Move to the states.

If you want the Best mods in the World, You have to pay for them. If you want to settle for the sake of a little coin, thats fine.

But don't critisize a Great product, because you have to pay more to get it than People in the US.

Every Mod I have I had to pay Double and even Trebble.

I am happy I did it, because I wanted the Best, no matter where in the world it was.

If you are happy with a cheap Chip, grab it. But there are lots of stories about cheap chips actually reducing Power instead of the huge increase claims.

I think its better to pay more for a Tried and Proven, trusted Product, than to save a little bit and pay heavily later.

There usually is a lot more that goes on than a price tag.

R & D and customer service and back up.

Or You can go for a No Name brand that advertises on Ebay. I think that says a lot in itself.

I don't think I would care to have my beast touched by anything on ebay. But thats just me.

Happy Beasting :M5launch:

 

[JohnL]

Tell me JohnL,

Is that your Opinion based on Just PRICE?

Obviously you have never actually experienced a Powerchip, as you would not hold that Opinion.

I have had no less than 10 Powerchips. They are actually the BEST bang per Buck on the market.

Going by your opinion, then a Hyundai is a Good Car and BMW are taking advantage of People With Money? Same WRONG Logic.

Do yourself a favour, Stop being a Tightwad, and experience the difference a Quality chip can make for your car.

Powerchip has been tested Numerous times by Numerous Respected members, and it passed all tests, Everytime.

How much more do you want for your money?

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but please Qualify that Opinion by saying that you have never actually had a Powerchip. Then your opinion can be weighed and measured accordingly. Just My Opinion. :byebye:

Regards MJ.

Thanks for you opinion. I don't consider myself a tightwad, just not a fool to part with my money so easily. PowerChip may be good, I don't disagree. Many members of this board have it but they may have it because the choice is limited. But I (me, my opinion etc) wouldn't spend $1000 on it as the value per dollar doesn't make sense (in my opinion). I'd rather wait for a better deal from another performance s/w company then spend it foolishly. I have done my research on chips and I have bought them in the past (conforti and dinan). For the most part, performance software does little on OBDII cars and especially the M5 since the programming is already very good. For the most part, people buy the programming just to say "my car is chipped", but dollar for dollar it is (generally) not the best thing value wise to do with your car. It may make you feel better though and maybe that is what is you want. And if hyundai made an M5, I might consider it :1:

 

[MIB]

Enjoy your cheap chip. Be sure and report back how it goes.

My idea of Foolishly parting with your money is Buying YOUR so called General chip, that generally does nothing and has been proven so countless times, only to get dusted by a Powerchip car, and then come to the conclusion that you should have spent the bit extra the FIRST time.
But some people need to go through a learning curve.

Personally I can learn from other people mistakes. I don't need to make all of them myself.

The whole point of the conversation is , I agree 100% with your comment that MOST chips do relatively little. So don't get them.

Powerchip is not MOST chips. Its one of the very few that have been PROVEN to work.

But hey don't take my word for it. Get your Eccono-chip and line up against a stock car and see how you do, and be comforted that you didn't spend much and you saved a few hundred dollars.

If you want a really decent cheap mod, do the IATS.

Well and truely great bang per dollar. :M5launch: