For two hundred dollars, the Neuspeed P-chip is probably the most affordable chip for the 30V on the market. When I was able to buy a gift certificate for the P-chip for 100 dollars at the A4 event at Sears Point this spring (from a raffle winner :)) I was unable to pass up the deal.

I took the car in early June to Neuspeed in Camarillo to have the chip installed. It took about thirty minutes, and I drove the car away unsure of what to expect. The only thing I had been told was that the rev limiter on the tiptronic program had been removed, as had the 138-mph speed governor. More aggressive fuel mapping and gearing was supposed to improve my acceleration while providing around a 7-10 hp increase.

I drove back to UCLA, where I live, driving on the 101 freeway, which is fairly straight, but provides a long, straight uphill run on which to test the torque of the car, as well as winding roads in the Sepulveda Pass with which to test the gearing.

My impression driving away was that I felt a slight increase in bottom end torque, around 2500-3500. When I initially bought the car, there was a flat spot in this area. However, with the help of a K&N filter and A!AvantGarde exhaust, as well as the P-Chip, this flat spot is gone. There is smooth, constant increase in torque all the way through to 4000 rpm, where power increases rapidly to 6500.

However, I had the P-Chip installed long after the K&N filter and the exhaust; the flat spot had been gone long before the P-Chip was installed. What they promised was there, however; there is no longer an automatic shift at 6500. It is completely up to the driver when the shift will be made, and thus caution should be exercised when driving a P-Chipped car in tiptronic mode.

I have been unable to test the overall speed governor's existence, however; I am headed up north in a few weeks and will see if I can break 140 on the 5 freeway.

Overall, I would say that 200 dollars (the price may be reduced by this time) is the best deal in performance chips for the 2.8 30V. However, you get what you pay for; 200 is cheap, but it doesn't buy much. You get exactly what Neuspeed promises, but nothing much beyond that.