Jim C. and The Great White Shark

[Donn York <dyork@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Yo all:

	I have done an informal survey (+/- 2% sampling error) and determined that
a full 92% of Digest writers have installed the fameous Jim C. chip in
every BMW they have ever owned.  So I'm thinking, "Is it POSSIBLE they know
something I don't?"  I have always heard mixed reviews of aftermarket chips
for cars (really my understanding is only as it relates to Porsches).  I
have heard some good things about performance improvement but also heard
bad things about chipped cars being hard on engines and reducing the life
of a car.  Although I have never uttered this thought (I swear), I've heard
some non-Digested Porsche-types suggest that if you could increase
horsepower and gas mileage with no detrimental effects on engine wear and
the car, that the good folks at
fill-in-the-blank-fine-German-automotive-company would have put them in the
car to begin with.  I know imperically this is wrong because so many of you
better-informed Bimwads have chosen to sing hymns at the Jim C. alter.  Is
it possible that all Digesters are Jim C. employees plugging their
company's product under infomercial-like fake objectivity?  Of course not.
So without causing a flame war of mythic proportions, could someone please
explain in laymans terms what the pros and cons are of a performance chip?
Thanks.

In the minority, but listening,

Donn
'97 328i (no chip)
'89 911 (no chip)
'93 Camry (no chip, but could use some performance improvement)

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