[bruce.augenstein@comcast.]

Originally Posted by chicagobimmerboy

I know that sounds pretty out there but just take a look at this:
http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/att...8&d=1202422625

not only that but they got 550 on an M5. I wonder what kind of strain that will put on the engine though...

The days when you could get significant power gains (via a chip change) on a normally aspirated motor have been over since the old six-cylinder M5s from the early 90's.

Note that the E46 M3 claimed aftermarket chip gains were either non-existent or in the single digits, and believe me, BMW hasn't suddenly gotten stupid about this.

I believe you're going to be able to get reasonable power increases on these cars through intake and exhaust changes, primarily because the California drive-by noise standards are so tight for OEMs that the aftermarket can move into this area and make some money. However, the power increases will be all at the top of the rev range. Useful on track, but not so much on the street.

On the plus side, the additional aural stimulation will tend to give even the most discerning of us (seat of the pants wise) a fair bit more of that "Wow, what power!" feeling, and that's worth something.

Bruce