Lucas Bell 
It is no secret at this point that tuning a C8 Corvette remains an unfinished task, as we’ve warned over a year ago. GM’s Global B electronics architecture has effectively locked aftermarket companies out of the ECU in the name of cybersecurity. However, the folks over at Extreme Turbo Systems haven’t let this minor inconvenience get in the way of their team running the first nine-second ¼ mile in a twin-turbo C8 Corvette. We suppose if there was a record for quickest car with a locked ECU, this would be it. But we’re not sure anybody wants an award like that.
We first reported on Extreme Turbo Systems’ twin-turbo kit prototype back in June, when they were able to lay down an impressive 736 wheel-horsepower with the car. While that figure is impressive, ETS relied on some piggyback computers to accomplish this task. This meant that the car wasn’t properly tuned to make that power for the street, and that made itself clear when dealing with the fuel parameters and the gearbox controls. That hasn’t changed in the months since, but Extreme Turbo Systems has found another way to get more power out of their twin-turbo C8 Corvette.
The same pair of Precision turbos are fitted to the C8, but the car now features a set of Mahle pistons, a set of Raybestos prototype clutches, as well as upgraded valve train components from Ferrara. These parts help the Corvette to run bigger boost without the need for tapping into the ECU, with the need for extra fuel being taken care of by an aftermarket direct port methanol injection system. The upgraded LT2 V8 can be seen laying down an mighty 1,021 wheel-horsepower and 916 lb-ft of torque on the dyno while running 20 psi.
The end result of these tweaks are pretty staggering on the drag strip. The Extreme Turbo Systems twin-turbo C8 Corvette was able to run the 1/4 mile in an official time of 9.95 at 144mph. That makes this car the quickest C8 Corvette in the world right now, but don’t expect a kit to come up for sale quite yet. Extreme Turbo Systems likely won’t roll this kit out until they can get into the ECU and actually tune the car.
