The initial problem was that my Land Rover Discovery was down on power and this was quickly diagnosed as a faulty vacuum advance unit. While this could be replaced for a couple of hundred dollars it was brought to my attention that there was an alternative, which would also improve the general drivability of the vehicle. Basically the Unichip takes over the fuel and ignition management duties through electronic means to offer a flexible and tunable system of getting the right amount of fuel to the engine, at different load settings, as well as the optimum ignition timing. The appealing aspect of this to me is that you are really ensuring the best possible performance from the standard equipment without attempting to achieve something that the vehicle was never designed to do – the bonus being that fuel economy is also expected to improve.

The vehicle makes an initial run on the Dyno to establish a benchmark and this is recorded for the later comparison. The procedure for fitment to various models of vehicles differs slightly and this also affects the overall price. The Discovery required the installation of a replacement Bosch ignition unit, as the original is not suitable for the task. This is not necessary on some other vehicle makes. The Bosch unit uses the same mounting points as the original under the hood, while the ECU gets tucked up behind the kick panel on the driver's side. The end result is a very tidy fitment that you would be hard pressed to notice even with close inspection. A laptop computer is attached to the ECU prior to the second run on the dyno. The screen shows target values that are achieved by tuning the engine parameters while simultaneously watching the dyno output screen to obtain maximum output. The laptop shows the ignition timing and fuel figures as plus or minus settings compared to standard. Several of the values were regularly at a level that clearly indicated a sizable change from standard. Try plus nine degrees timing advance from standard in several positions! The maximum fuel available when setting the ECU is limited by the vehicles standard system.

Some other systems, like Motec, allow for greater levels of adjustment, although this also comes with a much high price tag. This would be overkill for my requirements and would perhaps be more suited to engine upgrades and the like.

After completing the ignition mapping a quick look at the new power curves revealed a significant improvement across the entire rev range, with peak increases of 21 percent. A separate dyno print out which indicates tractability also showed gains of a similar magnitude. Inspiring stuff indeed.

So what does it all mean? On-road, the performance gain is instantly noticeable with a more immediate response and less pedal pressure required on uphill grades. The urge off the mark when driving in traffic is much improved and makes commuting somewhat easier to live with. Even though I'm not generally a lead foot and tend more to a steady, smooth approach, I find the driving experience greatly enhanced since the fitment.

Fuel economy will take a little longer to evaluate, but in approximately 2000km of varied driving a saving of around five percent looks to be the mark. This equates to about 16.5 litres/100km from the 3.9-litre V8 Rover mill – Not bad.

There are several authorised Unichip agents who can provide further advice. This fitment was done by Graeme Cooper Automotive in Newtown, Sydney. I can recommend their professional attitude and well-equipped workshop. Even when hampered by a pushy photographer asking endless questions (thanks Ward).

The Unichip installation took the best part of a day. It is cheaper for other makes, which do not require the ignition unit and therefore takes less time for the installation.

I was a little unsure about spending the bucks on this product but was impressed by the opportunity to improve the vehicles overall performance and the fuel economy. I don't know of any other way to achieve both for the price. And if I eventually decide to update my vehicle later I can always take the ‘chip with me. Now, back to earning a living to pay for all this…