PowerChip Group PCU upgrade

Gidday Mate, there's a good thread at Aussieexotics (link below), a mate of mine powerchiped his 360 recently. Included in the thread is a utube clip of before and after the Chip in the Dyno, hope this helps. If you can;t access it, let me know and I'll get you the information.

One thing to keep in mind though is it may result in additional clutch wear, so I was told - so I'm leaving my 360 standard at present.

http://aussieexotics.com/forum/ferrari/power-chip-is-it-worth-it-t6662.0.html

 

$2,450 for 20hp?

 

True!
Use the money to upgrade your radio, I mean your exhaust!!

 

Doug,

As someone who has been doing performance software for various vehicles for over 17 years now - here is my "professional opinion".

It is not intended as a jab or other negative aspersion... but..

If someone pays $2,400 for software - I'd suggest they are wasting their money.

There is nothing inherently "more expensive" about software for a Ferrari, than there is about software for a BMW.

Jim

 

Doug- On the dyno run, the results for the second run appear to be the result of shifting the "Y" axis (ie raising the 0 hp/torque point, so 0=20, 20=40, 360=380, etc), hence the 20 hp increase at idle. Very questionable results.

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

I think that upgrading the TCU for the Stradale is a better investment and improvement to the 360. It cost less than go for the "20 hp Power Chip".

My two cents.

 

Jim,

I know your software background, so I respect your knowledge. The higher price of software is related to different factors. Tuners who buy their own test vehicle spend far more money for a Ferrari than a BMW. The cost is also related to the number of cars tuned. The exotic car market is a smaller niche and the price also reflects that.

 

Ok my friend. You have two choices; 1- Buy the STradale module on eBay for $1,400.00 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250593187078) and 2- Use the great thread by Trev on how you can upgrade the module by yourself. Here are couples of threads that can help you but the first one is the most important one.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=239882&highlight=TCU
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=104503&highlight=TCU
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=273437&highlight=TCU
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=229513&highlight=TCU

Good luck and I hope this helps on what you want to achieve!!

 

No Tuner needs to buy a vehicle to test. That's a red herring.

These are the excuses that tuners are giving you all to bend you over.

These same excuses used to exist in the BMW market - until this guy came on scene back
in 1990 - then suddenly BMW software became more realistically priced.

(You might even be talking to that guy)

The reality is that some customers feel they are getting something better by "paying more".

Jim

 

If someone can find me a lead on a working Stradale TCU - and a working "Normal" TCU.

I think we might be able to make something wonderful happen for the people here at FChat.

It would have been easier if Trev still had the files, but unfortunately he does not.

 

You should contact Gobble!

 

Some buy their own cars. Overall, the primary factors are target group and sales volume. Does it make sense to charge a Honda owner $2k for software? No, that group wont be able to afford it(as a general rule). Does a tuner make any money by selling Ferrari software for $300 with 30 customers per year? Not a chance.

When the cost of the testbed increases, so does the price of the product. When the cost for messing up is higher, the cost of the product also increases.

 

We'll agree to disagree here.

I've been doing this for 17 years - I might know this subject a bit better than most

If tuners buy cars, it's because they can and they can write them off.

(Let's call that: "Advantageous use of Tax Law and Regulation")

As to your example.. if there are 30 sales per year, you can easily sell the software for less
than $1000. That's $30,000 the first year - and it DOES NOT cost $30,000 to custom tune
ANY VEHICLE MADE.

However, as I have said above - some "marketeers" have grasped the idea that by
asking a premium price they can create a premium "value" in some customers eyes.

I fixed this in the BMW market.

I guess I'll go one better in the Ferrari market.

 

I have been taking apart, rebuilding and doing mods to cars for almost 36 years (I suspect longer than some of you have been alive), and for the most part Jim is right. I have found that many tuners claims are just that claims, and some ECU tuning does little more than make the throttle more sensitive (sort of like the sport mode in some cars), and it makes your butt meter think the car is faster when it is not. Also keep in mind 20 HP is not going to do much for you at lower speeds, it is TQ that gives you that off the line shove. Now if someone had a way to get 50ft lbs of TQ for that amount, that would be a real deal.

 

Jim, if you are getting into the Ferrari market let me know. I am definitely interested in hearing what you are going to have to offer at a better price than the others out there. I know you did wonders in the BMW community throughout the years and I even had a couple of your software upgrades in different cars.