Under Your Spell
If you want to mod your GT350 right away, HP Tuners is ready with tuning
By Steve Turner
Photos courtesy of Ford Motor Company and HP Tuners
The TriCor PCM in the 2015 Mustang definitely took more time for the aftermarket to get a handle on than the Copperhead PCM in the 2011-2014 Mustang. However, now that tuners are familiar with the architecture, there’s good news for those chomping at the bit to mod their new Shelby GT350s. That’s right, HP Tuners has now added support for the 2016 Shelby GT350 in its VCM Suite software.
“Cars can be tuned immediately and there is full scanning support as well,†Eric Brooks, Ford engineer at HP Tuners, explained. “It wasn’t particularly difficult (to crack the Shelby code), the hard work was done back when we started supporting the new PCM that is used in the 2015+ Mustang.â€
We previously reported that the company had cracked the code for that initial group of rare 2015 GT350s, but most regular folks—the crew that are apt to mod their cars—are waiting for the first batch of 2016 Shelbys to hit the dealer lots. If your plan is to drive it right from the dealer and start bolting on parts, HP Tuners is there for you.
“Ours is full-blown tuning software with full control of the PCM,†Eric added. “If someone needs functionality we don’t have mapped out, we can map out the parameters to give our users access.â€
In addition to its constantly growing library of capabilities, the HP Tuners software allows you to tune numerous vehicles with the same software. So if you happen to have a fleet of GT350s to play with, you simply purchase credits to unlock a license for each Vehicle Identification Number you are calibrating. For more on the HP Tuners software, you can flash back to our story on tuning the last-generation Coyote with the VCM suite.