This is something I have noted in my S197 build thread, but I will reiterate it here again. The
worst things I've found when driving a 2011-14 GT with a "custom tune" is the horrible
NON-linear throttle mapping tricks used to "make the car feel fast". The thing I've seen more times than not was when the throttle pedal was barely touched the throttle lade went 100%. We had a Steeda tune on an SCT tuner with a cold air at the very beginning, and it was ridiculous.
Sure, it might "feel" faster, but the throttle sensitivity goes out the window. Its not hard to use your foot more aggressively, but when a 1/4 throttle pedal travel equals 100% Wide Open, you lose a lot of throttle CONTROL, in my view. We had them go back to the stock throttle map, but they couldn't understand why. It was still jacked up.
This was especially over-amplified when we were racing on a 265mm street compound tire with 430 whp in SCCA's STX class. We had 5 National level drivers attempt to drive the car at a test event one day. It was a 2nd gear typical autocross course and it was just wheel spin, spin, spin city. We finally broke down and had several drivers try this course again in
3rd gear instead of 2nd gear, and the car was 1 second quicker for everyone. All from the lack of throttle control with a "tuned throttle map" and the over-abundance of torque in 2nd gear. Once the torque was chopped off, the car was drivable again.
We went to our tuner and asked him to make a more linear throttle map, and ended up making it where it wouldn't go WOT until 7000 rpm. So at low RPMs it would only open the throttle 50%, and ramped up to 100% open at higher RPMs (when torque dropped off). It was our own ghetto form of traction control, by FORCING the throttle to NOT open all the way so damned fast. For slow speed corners (1st and 2nd gear) it was faster this way. Because even the stock throttle map is too "FAST".
With the power that even a mildly prepped Coyote 5.0 can make, and the skinny section width tires most people run, you want as MUCH throttle control as you can get.
Look at the in-car video above from 1:21 to 1:28, and again from 2:38 to 2:47 (same corner, next lap). That is a fairly slow, 3rd gear corner where I am DANCING on the throttle, counter steering constantly, hunting for rear grip. We have the throttle map slowed DOWN and more stock like than ever. Driving this set-up on street tires even much, much harder. Tip toe driving with more throttle, less, more more MORE, a little less.... then FULL throttle on corner exit, all while working the front wheels to keep it pointed in the right direction. That's using a 315mm Hoosier A6, on 12" wide rear wheels, with downforce plus good suspension, and only 420 whp. I couldn't do that with the ON/OFF throttle mapping we had from the Steeda mail order tune, not a chance.
I'm just NOT a fan of the ON/OFF switch throttle maps most tuners throw at these cars. Don't get tricked with a "sped up throttle map". That is a gimmick that isn't "faster", just less driveable.
That's just my opinion and experiences, but it is based on 4 years of racing a Coyote in both low speed (autocross) and higher speed (road course) competition, with about 100 competition events in these 5.0 cars. I hate ramped up and "tuned" throttle maps!
