California T and Portofino: ECU Tunes?

I have BMC air filters and aftermarket exhaust parts,and I am looking at ecu mods from VRTuned (Vivid Racing's brand),Fabspeed,and Novitec. The first two are ecu flashes and Novitec's N-Tronic is a piggyback box. Does anyone have actual experience with any of these on these cars?

 

1) Did you have to remove insulation from two factory wires and solder on two Novitec wires?
2) The Manettino is how you switch between stock and tuned. I can't get consistent answers as to whether tuned is available only in ESC OFF or in both SPORT and ESC OFF. What do you find?
3) With the two flash tunes you can have Stop/Start deactivated. I have been told that Novitec can't do this.
4) The frustrating thing about trying to evaluate these three products is the lack of independent feedback. I don't want to be the guinea pig for USA Portofinos.

 

1) Novitec's installation video for the California T shows the splicing. This is not in your instructions?
2) Novitec claims that the tune is switchable and that the manettino is used for switching. What do your instructions say about switching?
3) I am looking forward to reading about your experience with this box. From what I can tell,not a single customer Portofino in the USA has one.

 

Now I am really confused. VRTuned is Vivid Racing's tune. You send in your ecu and get it back quickly with their flash. Vivid Racing also sells Fabspeed's tune (you send in your ecu) and Novitec's piggyback system. I am not aware of a piggyback box made by VRTuned. What did you pay and did you send in your ecu or did you receive an add-on package that says Novitec somewhere?

 

I see what you did. VRTuned doesn't offer that item yet for the Portofino. I look forward for your review of that box.

 

So how about a review? How well did it work? Did it deliver the claimed power increases? I find the claims for the box to be hard to believe,whereas the claims for the ecu flash are reasonable.

 

I talked to Vivid Racing/VRTuned. The box you got is Version 1 which is discontinued and was for sale at$300 instead of $900. The horsepower claim on their website is incorrect and is the same as for the ecu flash. Version 2 is coming. Their box is like Novitec's but not switchable. Eventually they will have a box for the Portofino. That is the option that sounds the best to me.

 

Did you have a chance to drive with the box and evaluate it?

 

So it came down to four options: ECU flashes from Vivid Racing/VR Tuned and Fabspeed,and piggyback boxes from VR/VRT and Novitec. Finding objective and knowledgeable people was very hard,whether retail sellers or experienced customers. I finally went for VR/VRT's flash based on email exchanges with VR Tuned's Blake Hansen, who seemed much more knowledgeable than anyone else I dealt with.
1) Boxes: You can install one yourself,but it can't implement custom changes like deleting stop/start. The Novitec box can be switched between tuned and stock.
2) Flashes: You have to mail off your ECU,and a Ferrari dealer's flash update erases it (re-flashes from VR/VRT are free). But custom changes can be ordered like deleting top/start,a flash is better at adjusting to engine mods like my intake and exhaust changes and better at reducing turbo lag and improving shifting.

UNCHAINING THE BEAST Results after 120 miles: It runs like the proverbial violated simian. Throttle response and shifting are sharper,no check-engine light,no stop/start,and it reacts to major throttle openings like an angry Doberman jabbed with a sharp stick. I always knew that there was a real Ferrari lurking inside that chick car,and another 70 or so horsepower and torque definitely helps to bring it out into the open.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

The Portofino is lighter and stiffer than the T,and the only suspension is basically the HS from the T. If an HS is offered,I'll add its stiffer springs and bars. The car handles so well that I don't want to lower it 1.4" with Novitec springs. An HS option would probably lower the car little or not at all.

 

In the USA,your warranty can't be voided for mods. If you have a warranty issue,the car maker has to show that the mods caused the problem. It can be very different in other countries.

You lose the tune only if the dealer or other shop flashes your ECU with some sort of factory update. Simply having the car serviced doesn't do it. I tell the dealer to call me if some update is offered. It hasn't been an issue for me.