Worlds: Joel Newman Photos: Jamie Lipman - JD Newman

054-056 PBMW 1209 19/10/09 12:49 Page 54A-L TUNINGWith over 25 years’ experience dealing with European exotica,A-L Tuning has a breadth of services ranging from MoTs rightthrough to supercharger installation and race preparation.Worlds: Joel Newman Photos: Jamie Lipman54 PERFORMANCE BMW

054-056 PBMW 1209 19/10/09 12:49 Page 55As a BMW enthusiast you’llknow how important finding aBMW specialist you can trustis. Whether you have plans torestore, fix or modify yourmotor, there is one factor often overlooked;the company that deals with the physicalstuff under your bonnet.Like all cars BMWs have their ownquirks and irregularities. Whether that is aVanos issue on an E36, a torn sub framemount on a Z3 M Roadster or a dodgy oilfeed in an E30. Experience and knowledgeare vital for the enthusiast mechanic.Instead of spending hours attempting toidentify the source of a problem,professional specialists diagnose theproblem quickly, and that’s often becausethey have seen it all before.As lovers of the Bavarian marque wewant the mechanics who work on ourvehicles to be trained. We want them tounderstand how and why a particularmodel is susceptible to certain faults, andhow these faults can be solved in thefastest, cheapest and most effectivemanner. Though a specialist may chargeslightly more per hour than your localspanner monkey, with the speed of theirdiagnosis, the labour time required to fix it,and your peace of mind in knowing that theissue really has been sorted, it’s moneywell spent.In the UK there are just a handful ofexperienced, reliable and trustworthy BMWtuners, and it is our job to find out as manydetails as we can about these enterprisesand pass them on to you.We first discovered A-L Tuning quite awhile back. The company has had stands atall the BMW shows over the past few years,and has built and worked on everythingfrom Tim Shaw’s latest E46 M3, to my veryown E39 523i. Remember my 3.0-litre M54throttle body and manifold swap? Well itwas these guys who completed the workand, nearly a year later, I’m still impressedwith its performance!The company, which has a history ofdealing with some serious high-endmachinery including Porsches, Mercs andAudis, has always concentrated on thefinest European cars. In fact A-L Tuningis a serious player in the Germanautomotive tuning world, and the cruxof its business has always remained intuning and modifying our favourite blueand white roundel.So what does A-L Tuning actually do?Well, first off the firm covers the basics – itwill service, health check, MoT, and repairall of the standard faults and problemsfaced by every car owner in the land. And,as you’d expect, all A-L technicians haveindividual motor trade experience or havetrained and worked as qualified BMWtechnicians. On top of this, A-L is alsoresolute, using only the finest equipmentavailable – the same stuff you’d find at themain dealer. In addition it will only usegenuine BMW or uprated parts, all coveredby a warranty package. On the servicingand maintenance side, A-L has alreadycaused a stir thanks to its ability to rebuilddamaged engines and SMG gearboxes – atask some dealers are not even willing totake on!A-L Tuning is much more than a localgarage though. As the name suggests, theheart of the business lies in tuning, withperformance modifications the company’sspeciality. The core of this enterprise isimproving power reliably, but, as ownerMike explains: “Every owner is different.Some want mild power, others wild power.The customer is in charge, we just helpthem achieve what they set out to do.”So how does the firm help customersachieve this?For those looking for an economicalgateway to increased power, a customremap of the car’s standard ECU may besuitable. Others, who wish to push theenvelope further, may opt for a live remap –where the car is mapped by A-L’stechnicians on track under all loadconditions. This differs from a plug-andplaymap as it is specifically tailored toeach individual car, rather than a genericmap for specific engines. The results of itsGenesis Live Mapping, for example, arealways excellent, with improved torque andpower curves as well as enhanceddrivability. The company is also known forthe development of its very own software.DECEMBER 2009 55

054-056 PBMW 1209 20/10/09 10:37 Page 56A-L Tuning was behind Tim Shaw’sAA supercharged E46 M3A-L Tuning currently has two sites, one inBerkshire which undertakes mild tuning,body and service work, and the other inHertfordshire, which takes on the morecomplex and intricate conversions. An onsiteDASTEK dyno with air-cooled cell, BMWGt1 SSS coding equipment, and specialisttools gives the Hertfordshire branch theability to fettle and deal with all aspects ofengine development.As a UK technical centre for Brembo,Vorsteiner and StopTech, it’s clear that thefirm has impressed the right people. This isalso evident when it comes to A-L’s productinventory. Huge names includng the likesof GruppeM, Kelleners, Rogue Engineering,Ground Control, Eisenmann, and Bilstein,have all jumped on the board the A-L boat.So get yourself online, have a look at itssite, and check out what’s available foryour model.When all is said and done A-L Tuning isperhaps most famed for its experience withturbocharged and supercharged vehicles.It currently offers supercharger kits fromnames such as G-Power, VF Engineeringand ESS. With larger turbos, modified turbomaps, blow off and diverter valves, andmore powerful intercoolers, your wish isA-L’s command.The firm thrives on track and race carpreparation, fettling anything and everythingfrom suspension and geo settings, to fuelratios, boost pressures, hydraulic handbrakes,and cooling systems. Whether you have aproject car that needs adjusting or a basethat needs the full monty, A-L can help.A-L Tuning has not gone unnoticed, twoyears back it joined forces with anotherwell-respected BMW tuner; CA Automotive.That in itself tells you something verypositive, and these new tuning partnershave already begun to spread their wingsacross Europe, Asia and America, with A-LTuning already experiencing huge successin Japan as well as three furtherinternational dealers.Whatever you’re after, A-L Tuning has it.From live mapping, to CSL carbon inductionsystems for E46 M3s and ZM coupés, cams,pulleys, exhausts, full engine rebuilds andAlpha N management – A-L Tuning has theexperience and the desire to improve yourcar. And with a vested interest in growth,you can be sure A-L Tuning aims to please.An example of prices sees MoTs at just£30, while an E46 M3 service I and IIinspection comes in at £305 and £380respectively. With labour rates of £63 perhour (inc. VAT) A-L Tuning is verycompetitive, trustworthy and clued-up. Soif you’re not into taking chances with yourBMW, you no longer have to ●CONTACTA-L TuningTel: 0870 961 9997Web: www.a-ltuning.com56 PERFORMANCE BMW