HP Tuners Cracks the Code: Company Announces ECM in C8 Corvette Is Now Open to Tuners
GM’s ‘Global B’ controllers have been hack-proof for years, but the ECM found in the C8, and Cadillac CT5-V is now open to tuners.
The C8 Corvette has been a game changing sports car for GM. The mid-engine Corvette now has super car levels of performance. But many enthusiasts demand more performance than what the company offers. This typically means a software tune to extract every last ounce of performance from a car. However, GM has said from the outset that they did not want tuners to hack into their E99 Global B Engine Control Module (ECM). So, the automaker took steps to keep tuners locked out. And it worked for years. Until now. HP Tuners has announced recently that they have cracked the code. And now comprehensive diagnostics and custom calibration for cars using this ECM is available. Cars include the C8 Corvette as well as the Cadillac CT5-V and CT4-V Blackwing and non-Blackwing variants.
“This is only the start of all the GM Global B support that we plan to offer. This has been a long time coming, and another testament to our team’s ability to adapt and overcome challenges in the automotive aftermarket”, says Andrew Mernone, Chief Operating Officer at HP Tuners. Sounds like we are in for an exciting future, but we have been waiting for this long enough. So, what is available to us right now? Quite a lot actually. Let’s take a closer look.
E99 ECM
The retail price for the HP Tuners E99 ECM is $1,499. And this is a send-in service, meaning you have to send HP Tuners your original ECM and they will upgrade it and send it back to you. Once you get it back it will be unlocked and you can then have full access to calibrate, log, and scan via the OBDII port. However, to do this you will also need the HP Tuners MPVI3 OBDII interface with 8 universal credits which retails for $799.91. And for an additional $399.99 you can get the T93 TCM which will allow you to tune the GM 10L80 10-speed transmission. So, all-in you are looking at about $2,700. But once you have it you can now tune your car to as much as you like. This includes engine and transmission parameters including boost, camshaft timing, air/fuel ratio, injector timing, and more.
Vengeance Racing
LSX Magazine has reported that the folks at Vengeance Racing have been eagerly awaiting this ECM breakthrough for help tuning their C8 twin-turbo package. Their current base twin-turbo package is making about 650 horsepower with 62 mm turbos and factory electronics and fuel system. But with the new HP Tuners breakthrough the ability to use upgraded fuel systems and other components we should see horsepower numbers soar.
Just the Beginning
After years of waiting this is very exciting news. Now that the ECM can be fully accessed a whole new world is open to C8 Stingray owners. Power numbers are only going to increase from here and tuning just got a whole lot easier. Some folks have been waiting for this for quite some time. Place your order now and explore your Corvette or one of the other GM supported cars in a whole new way.
Images: HP Tuners; LSX Magazine
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