HP Tuners Crack C8 Corvette ZR1 ECM, Give It Nearly 1200 Wheel Horsepower

When the C8-generation Chevrolet Corvette arrived with General Motors’ new Global B electronics architecture, we were all told that the car’s engine control module was not going to be able to be tuned. And while it did take quite a while for the aftermarket to defeat GM’s new cybersecurity parameters, all sorts of shops will sell you power adding packages for the Stingray and E-Ray at this point. Now, thanks to the experts at HP Tuners, the track-focused Z06 and ZR1-specific ECU has also been cracked—and the results are impressive.

HP Tuners should be familiar to C8 fans, as the outfit was the first to crack the Global B E99 ECM setup found in the Stingray back in 2023. Their reprogrammed ECMs have become a mainstay in the modded Corvette scene ever since, with shops and turners working with the HP Tuner VCM Suite to find extra performance from the LT2 V-8. The flat-plane LT6 and LT7 engines found in the Z06 and ZR1 don’t utilize the same computer, however, instead coming equipped with the Global B E68 ECM. The differences between the two setup are rather dramatic—but to keep it simple, the E68 ECM requires a deeper understanding of airflow management, injection events with variable valve timing, direct injection and port injection, thermal loads, and engine protection parameters.

As explained by HP Tuners’s Matt Sanford on Facebook, the brand believes that customers can get around 15 percent more power out of the flat-plane engines without compromising safety. If you’re willing to push it past what’s advisable, a 25 percent gain across most of the powerband isn’t out of the question, but that will require a high quality race fuel and the removal of thermal and component protections.

I don’t think many customers will need to go that extreme, however, as the standard results speak for themselves. HP Tuners managed to pull 1180 hp and 1094 lb-ft at the rear wheels with the safe setup, which are massive improvements over the factory-fresh crank ratings of 1064 and 828 lb-ft. What’s even more impressive is the fact that the stock gearbox held up with no issues, and didn’t even require an upgraded clutch set like we see in the Stingrays. That is the benefit of starting with a ridiculously over-powered machine, I suppose. YouTuber and racer Garrett Mitchell, a.k.a. Cleetus McFarland, was the first person to receive the upgrades, with a dyno test featured in the clip below.

HP Tuners plans to sell this rebuilt ECM package for $1499. Customers will need to ship their ECM to HP Tuners, however, so it’s best to get your plans all squared away ahead of ordering. The tuning specialists also strongly recommend finding a reputable shop with experience in the high-performance world, as actually tuning this thing is much more complex than a typical Camaro, Mustang, or other Corvette.

Born and raised in Metro Detroit, associate editor Lucas Bell has spent his entire life surrounded by the automotive industry. He may daily drive an aging Mustang, but his Porsche 944 and NB Miata both take up most of his free time.