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HorsepowerFreak, I really think you need to do a lot of market research on this one. Judging from some of the posters on this forum and what I've seen on the road...most people buy a Bimmer for 'status'...sure performance is also a consideration, but how much into performance can U.S. BMW owners be if most of them opt for the automatic?
Sure there are lots of BMW's sold and market share is huge...that tells me that people are already happy with the car's performance. There are a lot of things to consider when adding a turbo to a car not designed to be turboed. Does the car really need that much power? Will it upset the balance of the car? Will the car's drivetrain be able to handle the added power?
Not only that, but I'm guessing most people lease a Bimmer...these people would most likely not even consider a turbo. Considering how expensive the car is, and the possibility that the warranty could be voided would also scare away the minority of people that buy the car straight out.
Also, people have to think about the possibility that if you get into an accident and the insurance company discovers that you turboed the car...they will not give you ANY money. If you were honest enough to pay the extra insurance for the turbo...your premiums would increase by a lot.
I currently drive a 2002 Honda Civic Si...a truly underpowered car. If any car ever produced needed to be turboed...it would be the Si. But I was on the forums 2 years ago when Turbo kits started coming out and there were only a small number of people that did it. Most people opted to keep the motor naturally aspirated.
Believe me, being a performance oriented guy...it would be a dream to have 300-400 HP at the rear wheels of a BMW...but guys like me and the people that have posted on this thread are rare. To be honest...I think the people that have posted on this thread that said they would get it...only half would really consider it.
Just letting you know of my doubts...I would hate to see you spend a lot of money on R&D and not get it back in return. I think you need to read through this forum a little more and you'll start to see what I see.
I think you should take a poll, you can do that on this forum...and ask people if they would honestly spend $$$ on a turbo kit and install. Let them know about the possibilities of voided warranties and the insurance company not paying up. This would be interesting to see.
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