The rev limit does not change, just the way you reach it. First a few definitions:
Rev Limiter - A safety device that cuts fuel, ignition or both at a specified RPM to prevent an engine from continuing to rev beyond its mechanical safety limit.
Hard Rev Limiter - The most basic of rev limiters. The limiter does nothing until you hit the predefined engine speed at which point fuel and ignition are shut off. This can be very abrupt and hard on the power train as the engine cycles on and off at max RPM.
The very first rev limiters installed were all hard rev limiters.
Soft Rev Limiter - Because hitting a hard rev limiter can be uncomfortable for the driver and hard on the car, manufacturers created the 'soft' rev limiter. A soft rev limiter reduces power output by retarding ignition timing as the engine approaches its limit. This usually begins about 500 RPMs before the hard cut off point.
As the ignition timing is retarded and power drops off, the resulting feeling of power loss signals the driver that it's time to shift. If a driver ignores this, ignition timing is retarded further until the rev limit is reached, at which point the resulting cut off is much 'softer' because the engine is not being cycled on and off between full power and no power.
So, now that we know the difference between a Soft and Hard rev limiter, we can better understand what
Sport Chrono does. It does not change the cut off RPM, which remains at 7,300 RPM. It simply removes the 'Soft' cut off and allows the driver to have all available power from 6,800 - 7,300. A car without
Sport Chrono will lose power from 6,800 - 7,300 RPMs because the computer will retard its ignition timing.
No one has ever quantified the difference in horsepower in the 6,800 - 7,300 RPM range, but it is there by design. Anyone with
sport chrono can attest that the engine will rush to the hard cut off in Sport mode, where in normal mode you can really feel a flat spot. I've hit my rev limiter a few times, always in Sport mode, never in Normal mode.
Linear Mode
