The world of the VX-ROM – by Mr. Michizo Niikura

"We have translated the philosophy that Mr. Niikura, President and CEO of Mines-Wave embraces, regarding the VX-ROM, ECU purpose and how it affects the overall computer tuning of your cars."….. Performance Partners International LLC.

[Latest stock computer trend]

Most stock computer (ECU – Electronic Control Unit) has run on 32 bit compared to older generation ECUs’. Data processed by current ECUs has exponentially grown from years past. With much greater and more detailed functions like vehicle speed, rev, transmission, immobilizer, and other parts of the vehicle being controlled by the ECU, it is safe to say that the latest ECU is much more complex to tune and cannot be easily fooled by an add-on computer. Mines believes that the best and most efficient way to gain the greatest performance from your car is to tune your factory computer.

[Perfect tuning – in Mr. Niikura's (owner of Mines) style]

Over the years and model changes, hardware and software of the ECU has evolved into a highly sophisticated system that instantaneously manages the performance of a car. Current ECUs are totally different from the ECUs of the past and have become an integrated part of the car.

Mines does not believe that controlling an advanced ECU by utilizing a sub-unit or replacing it with a new unit which may have the capacity of only 1/20 -1/30 of the stock ECU will give you the perfect tuned vehicle. In the pursuit of the "perfect" performance car, Mines has reached the conclusion that tuning the main ECU is the best and most efficient way to achieve top performance from your car.

Replacement of a full computer (ECU) may work well under very restricted situations like a 1-day race without any change of temperature, atmospheric pressure, and weather or if you have the expertise and time to re-program your ECU computer as various situation changes. The reality is that the Mine's customer drives his/her car all year-round under various conditions. As Mine's thought about the daily drive of a tuned car that was made for street driving, they concluded that tuning the main computer is the way to reach "perfection".

Mines strives for the "perfectly tuned" GT-R, 350Z, Lancer, Impreza and several other models by modifying the stock main computers (ECU).

[Computer tuning – Mines’ goal and reality]

The total analysis and access to a stock ECU is virtually impossible. The only one who can do that is the manufacturer of the ECU. The attention is frequently focused toward how much data a tuner can analyze and rewrite to achieve greater power and performance. However, Mines philosophy is that this is not the whole story regarding computer tuning.

To Mines, computer tuning is creating beautiful music or painting the perfect picture. There are unlimited combinations of limiter settings, ignition timings, and all other functions an ECU controls. Mines’ intention for the computer tuning is to seek out the best combination of the controllable setting just like composing a symphony or a masterpiece painting. Mine's is to produce more power but they never forget that there are reasons for each limit set by the manufacturer. Many times ignoring those limits leads to significant decrease in durability of the engine or to a decline in drivability.

"Without negatively affecting the learning ability of a stock ECU and improving the driving pleasure"-- Mr. Niikura. That makes a good computer tuner.

Mines style is expressed in the all VX-ROM (reprogrammed ECU) they make. Just like the perfectly composed symphony by a talented musician, customers come back to the Mines VX-ROM when they purchase other car models and wish to enhance its performance.