EcuTek's Latest GT-R RaceROM Phase 5 Software

EcuTek’s range of software of the Nissan GT-R has expanded to include the latest RaceROM Phase 5, a highly sophisticated platform for the GT-R that cements the firm’s position as de facto leaders in the world of stock ECU tuning. The GT-R RaceROM Phase 5 promises to unleash a raft of new possibilities for owners of Nissan’s massively popular GT-R, with a truly amazing spread of inbuilt features and programme functions, including improved Custom Maps, advanced injector support, a brand new boost control function, FlexFuel strategy and more, and all achieved through clever use of the OEM ECU.

Improving upon the factory performance parameters of the GT-R without forcing owners to go down the standalone management route has long been an EcuTek speciality, but the firm’s new Phase 5 software really does beg the question as to why anyone would bother with any other ECU system. New and improved for 2015, Phase 5 is intended for those owners intent on pushing their cars to the very limit, hence why it’s been programmed to be so flexible. Key to this flexibility is EcuTek’s Custom Maps feature, which allows for unparalleled control over tuning strategies, boost control and fuel management, outputs for external hardware such as NOS, sophisticated traction and launch control, pin-point accurate measurement of everything from intake temperatures to wheels spin, and much, much more.

Injector spec is an often somewhat overlooked aspect of performance tuning, a massive oversight as precise fuel input and measurement is crucial to the success and longevity of any performance engine. EcuTek designed their latest GT-R software to support twelve individual injectors, a development that would traditionally have involved switching to a standalone system to achieve, or swapping for huge injectors that by their very nature promote inconsistent running at lower revs. GT-R RaceROM Phase 5 can facilitate the use of a twelve injector setup providing a suitable inlet manifold, wiring hardness and secondary injector driver module are in place, with the secondary bank of injectors pressed into service via a repurposed air solenoid and set to fire at low to medium engine loads. These innovations mean that a factory-fitted ECU can now offer all the benefits of an aftermarket one with none of the drawbacks, ideal for those keen to tune their cars but also retain everyday drivability.

EcuTek has completely re-written its much vaunted boost control strategy for GT-R RaceROM Phase 5, with the newly created software now able to offer a range of benefits and features, and all without compromising usability or the need to rely on custom maps. The re-written strategies open up a number of possibilities, including closed loop boost control for more useable, tractable boost lower down the rev range and a flatter boost curve. EcuTek designed it to be simple to use and easy to understand, it will work with any turbo setup and features a number of checks and balances to ensure reliability is maintained, with the boost target lowering temperature limit being a case in point. EcuTek’s RaceRom Boost Control feature is another standout aspect of this package, one which allows drivers to toggle boost settings at any time via the cruise control button, and a development that promises to be very popular amongst the GT-R tuning community. Boost target is also gear dependent, a feature which allows tuners to set peak boost figures that take the limits of the drivetrain and available traction into consideration, both important considerations for those seeking the ultimate in GT-R performance.

EcuTek is only too aware of the need to run Ethanol in many competition and fast road applications, hence why Phase 5 has been developed to accommodate this highly combustible and volatile fuel, one that’s traditionally required specialised mapping to run with any degree of reliability. FlexFuel calibration now comes hard coded into the Phase 5 software meaning that, with the simple addition of an Ethanol content sensor, effective Ethanol fuel maps can be designed and run with relative ease. 3D and 2D blend maps deliver accurate fuel, ignition and boost data, essential for determining when best to utilise Ethanol and in what quantity, and again, all via the stock ECU.

Phase 5’s slew of additional mapping parameters mean that it can be adapted to suit a staggering variety of applications, with enhanced traction and launch control being among the most hotly anticipated. Users are now able to use Custom Maps to accurately measure and toggle the slip target for a preset gear position, slip target adjustment via cruise control, how aggressive the traction control actually is in relation to revs, throttle, torque split, accelerator and steering position, and many others. It all combines to give users total control over how their individual setup performs and how their car handles power, traction and other forces associated with extensively tuned platforms.

The RaceROM Phase 5 software is the latest in a line of innovative mapping solutions from EcuTek and incorporates all the elements that made preceding setups so successful, plus many additional functions that make it an invaluable tool for tuners looking to bolster their GT-R tuning options. It’s also worth noting that RaceROM is already being used to great effect by a number of 8 second quarter mile Nissan GT-Rs across the globe, and all are looking to use the system to go even faster in the coming weeks and months. BETA testing of the software and its myriad capabilities by both Litchfield and Visconti has yielded impressive results and promoted overwhelmingly positive feedback, so it’s safe to assume that EcuTek’s position at the forefront of GT-R mapping is safe for the foreseeable future.

For more information on EcuTek, please click to www.ecutek.com