Mazda chiptuning. The engine is a 165 HP unit, the limits are in the software.

The PE-VPS 2.0 engine in the 120 HP version is mechanically identical to the one in the 165 HP version: same displacement, same construction, same internal components. Mazda differentiated the two versions purely through software, with a set of electronic limits in the ECU. Stage 1 removes these limits and recalibrates every map, without any hardware work.

It applies to the Mazda 3 BM/BN, Mazda 6 GJ/GL, CX-3, CX-5 KE/KF and MX-5 ND with the 120 HP 2.0 Skyactiv-G engine. The Stage 1 price is 1,599 RON, with the dyno measurement before and after included. The exact figures for your car are in the configurator.

Four limits working at the same time

The restriction is not a single one. Mazda put in several software limits that work at the same time:

• Electronic throttle restriction: the throttle is partly closed by the software at around 4,400-4,600 rpm and cuts power early.
• Artificial load and torque limits: the ECU limits engine load below its real capacity and restricts torque in the mid and upper ranges.
• Reduced rev limit: the limiter is at around 6,200 rpm, well below the mechanical potential.
• Conservative ignition and injection maps: ignition advance and air-fuel ratios are below optimum, with excessive safety margins.

With the ECU remap we remove all these limits and recalibrate every map for performance, with the original hardware.

What the dyno shows on a stock car

On the dyno, the 120 HP version produces more flywheel power than Mazda states, every time. Our repeated measurements show values between 130 and 140 HP, in some cases even above 145 HP, depending on the ECU variant (Denso or Mitsubishi) and the year of manufacture. The factory limits do not fully hold back the engine's potential, and the real mechanical margin is well above the commercial specification.

AMC Motorsport was the first company in Romania to offer Stage 1 for the Mazda Skyactiv-G, since 2017. Since then, more than 300 Skyactiv-G 120 HP cars have been through the workshop, each one measured individually on the dyno.

Results measured on the dyno

Three real runs on a Mazda Skyactiv-G 120 HP. Each chart compares stock power and torque with Stage 1, measured on the same Bapro dyno in Brasov. Number plates are hidden.

Stage 1 figures

The range of results reflects real differences between cars, not imprecise measurement. Four things decide the final figure: the ECU variant (Denso usually allows a more aggressive calibration than Mitsubishi), the fuel (on a direct-injection engine with 14:1 compression, the octane rating decides how far we can go with ignition advance; 98 octane petrol resists knock better), the gearbox (ratios and losses differ between manual and automatic, and so do the values at the wheels) and the factory parameters plus wear (different batches and markets, and a well-maintained car responds differently from one with advanced wear).

Technical specifications: Skyactiv-G 2.0 120 HP (Gen 3, BM/BN)

The fourth-generation Mazda Skyactiv-G, with the 24 V M Hybrid system, uses the same PE-VPS 2.0 block, but with a set of software restrictions on several levels: the torque model, the throttle, ignition advance and the mild hybrid strategy. The AMC Motorsport software handles each map separately and coordinates the combustion engine with the ISG.

It applies to the Mazda 3 BP (2019+), Mazda CX-30 and CX-5 Gen 2 facelift with the 122 HP 2.0 e-Skyactiv-G. The Stage 1 price is 1,799 RON, with the dyno measurement before and after included. The exact figures for your car are in the configurator.

Hardware practically identical to the 150 HP version, the difference is mostly software

The difference between the 122 HP and the 150 HP versions is mostly software, without being one hundred percent identical. The hardware base is practically the same: 2.0 direct-injection engine, high compression (around 13:1), Denso or Mitsubishi ECU, mild hybrid system. There are no major mechanical differences (pistons, camshafts, cylinder head), and the stated torque is very close (around 213 Nm). That is why the platform responds well to a remap.

The software restrictions: a complex set, not a single limit

Unlike a simple throttle restriction, on the 122 HP version Mazda applies several limits at the same time:

• Torque limit (the torque model): torque demand is cut mainly between 2,500 and 4,500 rpm and in the higher gears. The engine can produce more, but the ECU does not allow it.
• Throttle limit: on the 122 HP the opening is slower and more limited; on the 150 HP the map is more aggressive. How it feels in practice: the 122 is "lazy", the 150 "breathes better".
• Ignition advance limit: the 122 HP has conservative advance, the 150 HP has advance optimised for power. With the 122, Mazda prioritises safety and emissions.
• Load and airflow limit: the ECU limits the requested air mass, which indirectly reduces power. It is not a mechanical restriction on the intake, it is purely software.
• Usable rev range limit: above 4,000 rpm the 122 HP version "dies" earlier, while the 150 HP keeps pulling.
• Mild hybrid strategy and fuel consumption: the 150 HP version manages load more efficiently and activates the efficiency strategies through the ISG more often.

With the ECU remap we handle each of these maps: we remove the torque limits, recalibrate ignition advance, optimise throttle opening, recalculate airflow and coordinate everything with the M Hybrid system.

What M Hybrid adds to the calibration

The 24 V M Hybrid system adds a layer of complexity. The ISG (Integrated Starter Generator) does more than start the engine and recover energy: it provides extra torque when pulling away and under gentle acceleration, and the ECU manages the combustion engine and the ISG at the same time.

• ISG replaces the conventional alternator and starter motor. It recovers energy under deceleration, stores it in the 24 V Li-ion battery (600 kJ) and assists the engine when starting and accelerating.
• Smoother gear changes: the ECU adjusts engine speed through the ISG during gear changes, for smoother behaviour with the manual gearbox.
• Coordination during calibration: the ISG torque maps must be matched to the new combustion calibration, otherwise the mild hybrid assistance at low load can be affected. An experienced calibrator integrates both systems.

AMC Motorsport has been calibrating the e-Skyactiv-G since 2023. The experience on Gen 3 (120 HP), more than 300 cars, was the basis for our approach to the Gen 4 M Hybrid system. Every project is measured individually on the dyno.

Note: anti-tuning protection on chassis numbers above 400,000

Mazda has introduced a new protection on cars with a production number above 400,000. On these cars, reading and writing the ECU is blocked: no OBD or bench method available today gets past it.

We are working on a solution, but because of the technical complexity we do not have a timeframe. If you have a Mazda 3 Gen 4 from this range, write to us: we will let you know when a measured solution becomes available.

How to check the chassis number: the VIN is on the driver's door sill, on the windscreen (bottom left corner) or in the car's documents. Characters 10-17 of the VIN are the production number.

Results measured on the dyno

Three real runs on a Mazda e-Skyactiv-G 122 HP. Each chart compares stock power and torque with Stage 1, measured on the same Bapro dyno in Brasov. Number plates are hidden.

Stage 1 figures

The complexity of the M Hybrid system affects the range of results. Four things decide the final figure: ISG integration (the calibration must take into account the interaction between the combustion engine and the ISG, especially for low-load torque, where the ISG contributes actively; a calibrator without M Hybrid experience can disable or unbalance the electric assistance), the ECU variant (Denso or Mitsubishi, with different parameters; the code is on the ECU label: Mitsubishi starts with PAH9 or PAJ8, Denso with PAJ1 or PAJ9), the fuel (the 13.0:1 compression ratio, compared with 14.0:1 on Gen 3, gives a slightly larger margin, but the recommendation remains 95 minimum, 98 optimal) and the maturity of the platform (the fourth generation is more recent, OBD access for calibration is still maturing, and results differ by year of manufacture and ECU software version).

Every project is measured on the dyno. The stock and Stage 1 comparison chart, with the real flywheel values, remains the final document of every job. The M Hybrid system is functionally checked after calibration.

Technical specifications: e-Skyactiv-G 2.0 122 HP (Gen 4, BP)

1. Initial diagnostics. Full ECU scan: we check that there are no active or stored faults before any work; on M Hybrid, also the condition of the system and of the 24 V battery.
2. Dyno run in stock configuration. We measure the real power and torque at the flywheel. The chart becomes the baseline.
3. Saving the original software. We read and keep the original ECU file. Returning to the OEM software is quick and free through the diagnostic port.
4. Writing the calibrated software. We load the calibration via OBD. The factory limits are gone and the maps are recalibrated; on the e-Skyactiv-G, the ISG is coordinated with the new calibration.
5. Dyno run after calibration. We measure the real gain and check how the engine behaves (and how M Hybrid works, where applicable). The stock and Stage 1 chart confirms the result.

On average, the remap takes around 1.5 hours, with the two dyno runs, the initial diagnostics and the software writing.