The Dirty Side To Tuning

I'm writing this after having a funny experience earlier this week (Monday).

A couple of weeks ago me and a business associate went to see a renown BMW tuner in Morgan Hill after being told by my customers that inter coolers and other accessories we're now available for the X6 50i.

When we got to their facility we asked the gentleman behind the front desk what was available for the X6 50i and his reply was, nothing at the moment but they we're working on some stuff. For those of you who have been to this company you will know there's a glass window which separates the front desk area and the workshop.

During the conversation I noticed a metallic black X6 50i which had stock gun metal coloured wheels and Texas plates, while looking at this car the gentleman from behind the desk said that this car had been brought to their facility from Texas.

The VP and the sales manager of this company came out from a separate office while I was talking to the gentleman behind the desk and said "Singh Autosport" and I replied "yes". I then introduced myself and Goshan from ESP. We talked about ECU tuning and they said they still didn't have anything for the X6 50i or X5M/X6M.

We started talking about horse power gains and I told them I stand behind my product, I also mentioned we get 32hp from a E60 M5 while everyone else gets 5-10hp. The M5 and M6 have been tested time and time again.

We've had a lot of their customers come to us in the past, they've always complained that this company has very little knowledge of whats new with regards to ECU tuning.

After showing us a new intake for the 135i BMW which is due to be released soon and another conversation about how they weren't able to programme the new 135i/335i/535i BMW's, we left. Before I left I said if they needed help with tuning we could tune the cars for them, this is something we never do but I said it as a kind gesture.

2 weeks later I got a call on Monday morning (03.15.10) around 10am from a gentleman who said he had a X6 50i and he wanted to get it programmed. The call was from a 408 number. I told him I was actually in town and said to come to the Fremont office.

We were working on a 2010 Audi S4 in the back of the shop and this Indian guy walked in. He introduced himself and said he called regarding the X6 50i. We went out for a test drive in my X6 50i and then returned to the back of my shop, his car was parked at the front.

I asked if we could see his car and he agreed, when I looked at his car I noticed it was the X6 50i which I saw at the workshop in Morgan Hill... exact car with the Texas plates. I then got suspicious because a lot of tuners who have no knowledge of tuning always try to steal other tuners files so I asked the gentleman if that car was at the facility in Morgan Hill... he ignored the question so I said "this car is from that tuner in Morgan Hill" and he said yes it was. He then told me the car had been there for 4 months and the tuner in Morgan Hill wasn't able to tune it.

The fact that he lied to me I started to talk crap about the company in Morgan Hill and he got really defensive. We went on a short test drive and when we returned we went to the back of my shop. I asked him if I could test drive his car and he agreed. Once I jumped in the drivers seat I noticed a picture of a young white girl next to a pair of brown shades, she looked between 3-5 years old (I don't have any kids so I wouldn't know her exact age). As my suspicion grew more and more I asked this Indian guy if he was married and he replied no, I then asked if he had kids and he had realized I've seen the picture of the young white girl to which he replied "you know how it is" and I replied "no I don't know, tell me". He continued with his lies and at this point my mind switched off.

When we pulled to the back of my shop I asked if he was from that company in Morgan Hill and he didn't reply... , I then asked if I could look around his car and he got defensive again and said "NO" to which I told him to leave and go back to where he just came from.

We found this funny to see how a company which most people recognize in North America with BMW tuning could behave this way.