BMW Performance Tuning

In the world of performance there are many ways to make your car faster - and also slower in the process. There are plenty of internet tuners ready to sell you the latest and greatest that's on sale this week, but not all of it might perform well in your car, or with other components already installed. At Schneller we only recommend modifications that really deliver.

Today's cars are complicated and tuning within the realm of emissions, diagnostic systems and sophisticated injection management all the while not illuminating a check engine light, or other warning, can be tricky, and sometimes impossible. Unless you're building a race car, we will tune to keep your car emissions legal and running properly. Warning lights, rejection stickers and contributing to climate change are not what tuning is all about.

In general, we seek to tune cars with the following performance objectives:

  • Increase Intake airflow without drawing in hot air through intake tuning
  • Optimize fuel and ignition timing using performance engine management software
  • Maximize exhaust flow by employing headers & high flow exhaust systems
  • Put more power to the ground through better final drive gearing.
  • Alter Spring & shock rates to improve handling through suspension tuning
  • Increase braking capacity to match horsepower by installing high performance braking systems

What we might recommend depends largely on the car's intended use is (Street only, street/track, all out race car etc), the model and year of your car, and your performance goals in light of your budget. We strive to achieve a balance in these areas and each situation is different. Give us a call and ask for a performance consultation with Mike Morris.

Performance Driving

BMWs today are delivered from the factory with a performance envelop that most drivers don’t have the ability to exceed. Is it still possible to crash a BMW? - of course, they are after all bound by the laws of physics. What we’re talking about here is that most people wouldn’t be able to maximize the lap time potential of a stock BMW on a closed circuit road course. They simply haven’t been taught the skills to safely maximize the performance of their car.

Let's face it, the driver's education we received back in High School was minimalist, focusing primarily on the rules of the road – which apparently most drivers have forgotten. We learned little about the physics of driving, car control and self-preservation. Lack of skill is one of the primary causes behind teen auto accidents, and the white knuckle driving during snowstorms here in the North East. When we exceed the performance envelope of our vehicle due to factors such as slippery conditions or too much speed, how do we regain control and avoid an accident? Drivers can't be expected to react properly when things go wrong if they’ve never been taught, or haven’t practiced the skills of car control and accident avoidance. Additionally, many of us like to think we are better drivers than we really are. Like anything, when it comes to driving, there’s always more to be learned and our skills can always be improved.

So where can we obtain these skills? Fortunately, the BMW Car Club of America (BMW CCA) offers Driver Education Programs that focus on the physics of driving, car control and accident avoidance. Moreover, drivers can practice these skills in the company of a trained instructor.

Drivers under the age of 18 and those interested in developing car control skills can attend either a driver skill or Street Survival School. There, drivers will learn and practice threshold braking, object avoidance and skid pad maneuvers. Car control skills are developed by allowing the driver to experience a vehicle that is near and sometimes beyond the edge of its performance limit (usually tire grip). Skid pad exercises are particularly good at developing skills necessary to bring a sliding vehicle back under control, a very useful skill to posses on our winter roads. To learn more about, or to enroll your newly licensed driver in the Street Survival Program follow this link http://streetsurvival.org/

If you’re a licensed driver over the age of 18 and would like to improve your driving skills while having a lot of fun in the process, check out a High Performance Driving School sponsored by either the BMW Car Club of America (BMW CCA) or the Sports Car Driving Association of America (SCDA). Students begin the day with a classroom discussion involving such topics as vehicle dynamics, the physics behind driving, as well as how to properly approach, enter and exit a turn, among other topics. Then it's out to a closed circuit road course with you and your instructor to practice what you've learned. Over time, the BMW CCA program advances drivers through a number of experience levels, ranging from novice to advanced. Students can eventually become High Performance Driving Instructors themselves, or even a licensed Race Car Driver if desired. Check it out & be prepared to have a great time:

Our
Service Area

Schneller has tuned and tweaked cars from as far away as Canada, California, Washington State, Texas, The U.S. Virgin Islands and St. Martin. However most of our customers are from New England, traveling from southern New Hampshire, the Massachusetts North Shore, and the communities of:

Boston, Newburyport, Newbury, Salisbury, Amesbury, West Newbury, Byfield, Plum Island, Rowley, Boxford, Hamilton, South Hamilton, Essex,Ipswich, Gloucester Georgetown, Beverly, Andover, North Andover, Groveland, Hampton, NH, Hampton Falls, Rye, NH, Portsmouth NH