Hi Fred,
I agree with most of what you said. That intake and the advanced features of the Motec are not in the spirit of ST and in my interpretation of the rules, are not allowed. The intake above (although SWEET!) looks like it comes with a different intake manifold, which is illegal in ST.
The problem with the old ECU rule is that it favored some cars while
penalizing others. There is no factory ECU or upgrade for several cars. At the same time, other makes have factory performance ECU's or the stock ECU can be flashed for greater performance. The goal of the 2006 rule is to allow all cars with computers to benefit equally from the 'old' rule which only allowed chips.
I do not see a difference between chips, reflashes, and
these types of ECUs. For that matter, I don't see a difference between any of the above and the basic features of a big-buck ECU like the Motec. They all do the same thing: they alter rev limits, timing, and fuel curves.
I apologize if my earlier posts were misleading or misinterpreted. The original intent of the rule did not cover 'advanced' feature of ECUs like the Motec. Traction control, addition of injectors, etc., were not the original intent of the rule and are not allowed in ST anyway.
I've had a great off-line discussion with a club member who brought the advanced ECU features to my attention. The original rule, as it was proposed, included wording which stated that the intent of the rule was to allow adjustment of rev limits, timing, and fueling through the ECU.
With the above in mind, if an ECU allows the exact same modifications as a chip or reflash, then I believe the three should be treated the same. Either they are all allowed, or none are allowed at all. Truth be told, as a Miata driver, I would be better off if none were allowed. Miatas are lucky to pickup a few hp from a complete ECU swap. Meanwhile, other cars in ST4, ST3, ST2 can benefit greatly from any of the above. Here's a prime example:
$250 BMW chip.
That said, I think that chips, reflashes, and ECUs are totally acceptable for ST. If a competitor wants to spend $4000 on an ECU to get the same performance enhancement that another competitor can achieve with a $250 chip, then let 'em!