C8 Corvette ECU Reportedly ‘Un-hackable’ Due to New GM Tuning Systems

We give it a few months, max, before the C8 Corvette ECU is cracked by aftermarket tuners.

Word on the street is that when the C8 Chevrolet Corvette hits the streets later this year, it will be powered by an exclusive dual overhead cam V8 named the LT2. According to the folks from Muscle Car and Truck, the LT2 is expected to have an encrypted computer system that will be so intricate that aftermarket tuning efforts will be impossible. If the engineers can succeed in creating an encryption system to strong that no one can hack it, we could see a dramatic, negative impact on the aftermarket performance world going forward.

The Unhackable Computer

According to the initial report, the C8 Chevrolet Corvette will employ an intricate encryption system that is intended to keep anyone from tinkering with the engine parameters. GM has a similar system at work in the LT5 of the C7 ZR1 and while that system took the experts a few months to crack, it has been cracked and tuners are now adding monster power to the supercharged Corvette.

Other automakers have tried to create an encryption system that would prevent aftermarket tuning, but they have all failed. Tesla went so far as to claim that their entire car was unhackable, but even with Elon Musk’s resources, hackers quickly gained access to the system in the new Model 3. Essentially, all the computerized security measures have done is make it more expensive to tune modern vehicles, as the time put into cracking these systems leads to increases cost to the consumer when they buy an unlocked computer for tuning purposes.

Even though no other company has been able to create an unhackable vehicle computer system, it seems as though General Motors is trying to do so. If they are successful, and we don’t think that they will be, it will certainly make the new Corvette less interesting to those looking to build big power numbers, but it could also have a crippling impact on the automotive aftermarket. In creating a truly unhackable engine computer, GM’s engineers could effectively put an end to aftermarket engine modification and that is going to make owning a performance car a whole lot less fun.

Dark Ages of Tuning

Again, while we don’t believe that General Motors will be able to create a vehicle computer system that is impossible to access, let’s consider the possibility that they are successful. That would mean that the engine in the C8 Corvette cannot be significantly modified without ripping out the stock system and installing an elaborate, expensive stand-alone system. While that is fine for some people, the vast majority of people with lightly modified-and-tuned Corvettes aren’t interested in swapping to a stand-alone system. As a result, those owners won’t be able to tune their vehicle for upgrades like headers or aftermarket forced induction, and the inability to modify the car may send those prospective owners elsewhere.

Worse yet, if GM is successful in making the LT2 impossible to tune, it is only a matter of time before they employ that technology across other models. If it continues to be successful, GM may market that software to other automakers and over time, we could see a complete departure from the popular plug-and-play tuning systems. Should that happen, it will have a massive, negative impact on the future of performance cars.

Fortunately, we really don’t believe that this new system will prove to be any more than a headache for the tuning experts of the world and with some effort, the system will be cracked.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com