Here's what running ethanol blends can do for a turbo'd performance car

[TiGeo]

I run e-blends in my Sportwagen to maintain the highest amount of timing advance I can/minimze any knock-retard. The aftermarket tune I run has aggressive timing advance and is finicky w/r to fuel quality. Winter blend fuels here in VA (93) seem to give me issues from time to time with WOT/hammering it. The tune sees excessive knock as more than -4 and will run richer and richer to counter it/cool off the cylinder(s). After the AFR gets too rich the fuel system can't deliver the quantity of fuel the ECU requires and it will cut power as a protection against running too lean. I have found that pushing the ethanol content up past 20% helps out immensely with winter blend fuels. In the summer, summer blend 93 E10 is sufficient but running more E is always helpful. At a point you can't add more ethanol as the fuel system can't deliver the higher volumes required but I've found basically E30 or under works. The tuner (Unitronic) shows E10-20 as the range for this tune and clearly they have a safety factor in there.

I was filled up on straight pump 93 on Sunday leaving a track event I did. I logged my car today and you can clearly see all 4 cylinders are reporting KR with max in the -4 range...much more and power cuts will happen under WOT. Green line is RPM and these are third gear pulls from ~2K to redline shift at ~7K (green line). Timing advance is the gently rising line (different colors in each I believe) that improved from 12 degrees at redline to 13.5 with the KR mostly eliminated....that's a power increase! KR is pointed out a the noisy lines at the top. I added a bit, logged, added a bit logged, etc. until I ended up at ~27%. I bet if I log tomorrow after 100 miles of driving it will be even better with KR zero'd and timing advance up to the near-max of 14.5 degrees. I tested the fuel by taking a sample from the tank. I run e-blends a lot and only note a slight decrease in mpgs but of course, with this car zero cares given about mpgs..hahahah

I love the corn juice. Cheap, works, readily avaiable here in central VA.

 

[A_Harman]

I recognize the garages at VIR. Do you in your heart believe you have gone through the Climbing Esses as fast as you can?
On my 6th track day at VIR, I finally ran up the Climbing Esses as fast as I thought I could, then told myself "Don't you EVER do that again".

 

[racer12306]

This doesn't surprise me. Alcohol has a higher octane rating. E100 is 100octane. Methanol is even higher yet. There's also a cooling effect that comes from using an alcohol fuel.

 

[TiGeo]

I recognize the garages at VIR. Do you in your heart believe you have gone through the Climbing Esses as fast as you can?
On my 6th track day at VIR, I finally ran up the Climbing Esses as fast as I thought I could, then told myself "Don't you EVER do that again".

No..haha..but close enough. It's a fun section for sure. Entry @ ~110 and dropping to ~100 for me and my car is just fine.

 

[Cujet]

Exactly. Ethanol is wonderful for boosted vehicles. My F-Type is 380HP on 93 octane and can be tuned to 450-475HP with 93-94. But as soon as the switch is made to E70 or better, 553HP, all with stock components! Stock fuel pumps, injectors, cats, etc.

 

[Revving2Redline]

I run e-blends in my Sportwagen to maintain the highest amount of timing advance I can/minimze any knock-retard. The aftermarket tune I run has aggressive timing advance and is finicky w/r to fuel quality. Winter blend fuels here in VA (93) seem to give me issues from time to time with WOT/hammering it. The tune sees excessive knock as more than -4 and will run richer and richer to counter it/cool off the cylinder(s). After the AFR gets too rich the fuel system can't deliver the quantity of fuel the ECU requires and it will cut power as a protection against running too lean. I have found that pushing the ethanol content up past 20% helps out immensely with winter blend fuels. In the summer, summer blend 93 E10 is sufficient but running more E is always helpful. At a point you can't add more ethanol as the fuel system can't deliver the higher volumes required but I've found basically E30 or under works. The tuner (Unitronic) shows E10-20 as the range for this tune and clearly they have a safety factor in there.

I was filled up on straight pump 93 on Sunday leaving a track event I did. I logged my car today and you can clearly see all 4 cylinders are reporting KR with max in the -4 range...much more and power cuts will happen under WOT. Green line is RPM and these are third gear pulls from ~2K to redline shift at ~7K (green line). Timing advance is the gently rising line (different colors in each I believe) that improved from 12 degrees at redline to 13.5 with the KR mostly eliminated....that's a power increase! KR is pointed out a the noisy lines at the top. I added a bit, logged, added a bit logged, etc. until I ended up at ~27%. I bet if I log tomorrow after 100 miles of driving it will be even better with KR zero'd and timing advance up to the near-max of 14.5 degrees. I tested the fuel by taking a sample from the tank. I run e-blends a lot and only note a slight decrease in mpgs but of course, with this car zero cares given about mpgs..hahahah

I love the corn juice. Cheap, works, readily avaiable here in central VA.

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Aren't they putting butane in the fuel?

 

[fitrucker]

Data goes with the theory. Ethanol burns slower but also cools the combustion chamber lowering the octane requirements. Knock retard is not necessary bad but you are losing power. Octane requirement is a lot higher than the gas we can get. You're basically tuning with fuel which I am a fan of. Finding good premium is an issue and people should be mad that they are not making higher octane cheaper.

Also pgmi injection motors are knock limited and direct injection motor is torque limited.

Nice car btw.