Modern cars are truly a fascinating amalgamation of mechanical and electronic technologies that are allowing automobiles perform feats that were thought to be the stuff of dreams half a century ago.
For example, the supercars of the 1970s, like the Lamborghini Countach, broke new ground when they boasted a power output of 325 bhp and offered a blistering acceleration of 0-60 mph in around 5.9 seconds.
Such has been the progress of technological and electronic advancement that the Honda’s 2023 Civic Type R, a compact family car given special treatment by the manufacturer, produces a whopping 315 bhp and races from zero to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds.
It is, therefore, a reality that today’s hot hatches and sports saloons produced by almost all manufacturers in various sizes, specifications and shapes will leave supercars of yesteryears in the dust quite easily.
Engine Remapping
But with all the advancement, the cars of today still do not perform at their maximum thanks to something called laws and regulations. You see, countries around the world want vehicles to be safe for use by drivers as well as for other road users like motorbikers, bicyclists and pedestrians, which is why they enforce various laws that restrict, among other things, a car’s ability to derive maximum power from the engine.
This limitation is put in place for several reasons, but is most significant for helping carmakers conform to various emissions control standards that are put in place across the world. This electronic limitation is also put in place to restrict the engine from producing maximum power and the car being able to go any faster, in effect making them safer for plying public roads.
This artificial limitation is often the bane of many motorists’ driving experience and most love to hate this feature. Thankfully, there is a way around it through a process called ECU remapping. During a remapping, the car’s engine control unit (ECU) is reprogrammed, or remapped, to bypass factory settings and free the engine from all kinds of limitations. This allows the engine to breathe easily and work at potential, unrestricted.
Although a remapping is what’s basically required to unleash the potential of your car, the real proof of the pudding lies in something that is called rolling road power run.
Rolling Road Power Run
A rolling road power run is a process that lets technicians and engineers gauge the real-time performance of the car by imitating road conditions in a controlled setting.
By testing the car on a rolling road dyno, engineers can tweak the ECU and fiddle with the engine’s intake, ignition and other parts to derive maximum efficiency and output from the engine.
To carry out the test, the vehicle is driven on a set of giant rollers. The rollers emulate the road conditions as the car is driven at various speeds and power bands.
Bear in mind that a rolling road power run is essential to see that all the power enhancements you have bankrolled work in tandem and provide aggregate gains in power and the way that power is put to the ground.
It is also a highly technical job that is best left for specialist workshops like Onyx Performance, which has years worth of experience in delivering solutions to car owners seeking true performance upgrades.
The team at Onyx Performance consists of seasoned mechanics and enthusiast youngsters who offer a wide array of services including custom engine remap, Stage 2 remapping/tuning or performance upgrading programme, and performance intercooler installation.
Car remapping will not come cheap, and could become a catastrophic expenditure in case you get it done by a company who doesn’t know what it is doing. Hollow promises just won’t work.
With years and years of trusted record of providing top services to customers, Onyx provides peerless services to each one of them. The team has performed hundreds of engine remapping services on all sorts of vehicles over the years, and its growing pool of loyal customers is a testament to the team’s technical superiority.