In the past two decades, automotive manufacturers have made great strides in the technology they offer in their vehicles to maximize performance, from direct injection and processors in ECUs that can make adjustments in milliseconds to maximize horsepower and torque, to electronically controlled shock absorbers that can adjust their compression and rebound instantly to adapt to any track surface, and dual-clutch transmissions that can launch harder and shift quicker than we can with our own hands and feet, even though we like to tell ourselves that we can do better. But that same tech that makes us win races in a vehicle that can double as a daily driver comes with a hefty drawback for those of us who like to modify our cars in pursuit of more performance; Tuning. Like tuning your LT2-powered C8 Corvette to run on E85 Ethanol.

Flex fuel tuning lets you tells the ECU exactly how much ethanol is in the fuel in your gas tank at that very moment.

The ability to use proper tuning software to adjust things like timing and fuel enrichment is all but mandatory these days when modifying a modern performance car. Without that ability, swapping out your exhaust manifolds for long tube headers and high-flow exhaust, installing a camshaft optimized for your engine build, or even adding some forced induction like a supercharger kit or turbos either comes with very limited gains or sometimes pointless altogether, because the factory ECU isn’t designed to adapt to those changes. The computer modules in modern cars have become so advanced that the aftermarket’s ability to “crack the code” and get inside has become a real challenge.

This one of the many flex fuel kits that DSX Tuning offers with a Ethanol Content Sensor, fittings and wiring adapter.

GM calls its latest and greatest system “Global B” and it offers plenty of benefits and advantages over its previous digital setups. GM started using their Global B architecture in 2020 on the C8 Corvette and by 2023 most GM models use it, so our ability to get inside isn’t just a question; it’s mandatory for the future of tuning modern-day performance cars and trucks. HP Tuners is leading the industry in modern EFI tuning and programing, and it wasn’t until late 2023 when they finally pried their way inside. Three years of consistent hard work for the team of talented mad scientists at HP Tuners to get inside that Pandora’s Box helps us understand the complexity of the mountain they had to climb.

DSX Tuning doesn’t just do Corvettes. They also do Camaros and trucks and SUVs with the LS or LT platform.

Dave Steck at DSX Tuning in Affton, Missouri has been one of the few brave ones at the forefront of this new world of performance cars and trucks, and saying he’s been staying on top of this platform would be an understatement. Dave has been tuning since 2007 and his experience and expertise have helped him grow DSX Tuning into a business that not only pushes the boundaries of the new LT platform, but also manufactures its own performance parts. The latest development from him and his team is flexfuel tuning for the Global B platform via HP Tuners, which allows a customer to wire in a simple content analyzer sensor in the fuel system to tell the ECU if the tank is full of pure gasoline, E85 Ethanol, or anywhere between and adjust fueling and timing on the fly. This allows you to seamlessly switch between gasoline and ethanol at each fill-up without having to monitor your fuel content yourself or reflash your tune.

The benefits of E85 cannot be understated for both naturally aspirated and boosted applications. On a stock 6.2-liter LT you can see a gain of 20-plus horsepower at the tire and, even more so with modified and/or boosted builds. To be able to harness this benefit for the C8 Corvette platform is a big step in the right direction for those who want to make big power at the dragstrip, local autocross, or road course.