One year after the C8 Corvette Stingray entered production (don't forget the hiccups caused by a UAW strike and the global health crisis), we seem to be watching a different kind of drag race. The official lane is occupied by GM engineers completing the development of the beefier C8 Z06, which should be introduced later this year. Then there's the aftermarket lane, with multiple developers working to find a solution for the tough-nut-to-crack that is the factory ECU of the Stingray's new LT2 V8, so all those forced-induction kits can be put to proper use.
Installing a turbocharger or a supercharger on the mid-engined Corvette's 6.2L V8 is the easy bit when compared to the ECU work required to integrate the hardware.
The C8 features the E99 Engine Control Unit that was introduced on the C7 ZR1, but this is paired with GM's new Global B electrical architecture. The latter shares a lot of its software with the company's upcoming EVs, allowing increased cyber security and over-the-air upgrades.
As such, modules like the ECU require bits of GM code to be reprogrammed, which is why tuners are still struggling with the matter. Besides, working directly on the factory ECU means the unit must be bricked. This means aftermarket specialists have to develop their own hardware before introducing custom software to help the V8 go down the forced induction route.
GM is likely to open the gate by releasing an ECU kit at a certain point, especially once the LT2 becomes available as a crate engine.
Meanwhile, certain aftermarket specialists have come up with their own hardware and software that allows the C8 to fully integrate power adders, with Texas-based Peitz Performance being one of them.
And we can see the company's goodies on the 'Vette we have here, a machine you might be familiar with thanks to its 2020 adventures.
This is the car of actress and YouTuber Emelia Hartford, whose TT journey, which involved installing a pair of Precision 62/66 ball bearing turbos, led to a cracked piston, while a subsequent track attack led to a fire (one of the turbo oil lines leaked onto the hot exhaust).
However, with the motor having been rebuilt, more upgrades were in store. As such, while a Peitz Performance control unit deals with the boost, the rear trunk now accommodates a custom fuel cell used for auxiliary fuel injection system feeding the engine with methanol. This part of the stunt is managed by a Holley Dominator Electronic Fuel Injection kit, standalone ECU (this sits behind the passenger seat), port injection, and all. An intake manifold from the same specialist was also installed, along with Texas Speed valve springs, while the nitrous kit of the machine is being used to cool the heat exchanger to keep intake air temperature in check. Oh, and let's not forget the thermal wrapping applied to many of the components.
Of course, the Tremec TR-9080 dual-clutch transmission also needed some help in order to keep up with the extra torque, which is why it received Dodson Motorsport clutches.
After all the work, Emelia went for a quick run on the road with live testing of the Holley EFI, which you'll find in the first clip below (a nice soundcheck is delivered at the 9:10 point, while more than one police vehicle encounter took place during the stunt - 8:26 timestamp). However, if you're willing to enjoy the first startup of the upgraded motor, along with more details on the goodies it received, make sure also to check out the second video.
All we have to do now is wait for the first dyno run on the new setup, which is teased in the Instagram post at the bottom of the story (that may be an intermediate boost setting).
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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