Who We Are
With deep roots in the automotive aftermarket, Hypertech is a technology-driven company, dedicated to enhancing the performance of cars, trucks and off-road vehicles. Founded in 1985 by Mark Heffington, the company got its start by engineering and manufacturing onboard computer reprograming devices. During this time, auto manufacturers were in the early stages of fuel injection and computerized engine management. It was truly a turning point in the automotive industry and sent a shockwave through the aftermarket, as there were no immediate high-performance products available for these seemingly high-tech machines of the 1980’s.
Instead of old routine of bolting on aftermarket induction and exhaust systems, Heffington believed he could increase horsepower by altering the car’s computer-controlled fuel delivery and spark advance. The tuning advancements could complement other aftermarket bolt-on modifications, creating even more horsepower. The idea blossomed quickly, and Hypertech hit the ground running. Heffington said, “The reason I started Hypertech was for people just like me…people who like to drive a high-performance street car every day of their life”. That statement summed up the modern culture of the automotive world, welcoming a new era of modified vehicles that could still be driven on a daily basis.
Hypertech was the first to offer a device that could modify a vehicle’s factory-programmed Electronic Control Module (ECM). This product was known as a Power Chip and it recalibrated the original ECM in order to provide more horsepower and torque, and even increase fuel economy. The engineers in Detroit were leaving plenty of room on the table for performance gains, and Hypertech led the charge to squeeze every ounce of power out of each application, while keeping it safe and legal for use on the street. It was a revolutionary product line that put Hypertech on the map, and the Tennessee-based company hasn’t slowed down since.
Although its initial focus was American high-performance cars such as the Buick Grand National, Chevrolet Corvette and many others, the company would expand its reach to the import market, as well as the truck market. Now, with more than 35 years under its belt, Hypertech is expanding its reach once again with a brand-new line of products for the Powersports market, including tuning devices and other accessories for Side by Side and UTV applications.
Hypertech’s current offerings include a wide variety of tuning devices, all of which feature plug-and-play simplicity, backed up by thousands of dyno pulls and months of research and development. Each device, no matter its model name or function, is specially developed by a team of engineers. One of those engineers by the name of John Lambert began working at Hypertech in 2002 and is now the General Manager of the company. Lambert’s intense focus on product engineering allows him to contribute heavily to new product development. His enthusiasm for the marketplace and for the product offering is unmatched in the industry.
Another long-time Hypertech employee that climbed the ladder to the executive team is Amy Faulk, a lifelong car enthusiast and drag racer. She earned the NHRA title of “The Winningest Woman in Racing”, as she has racked up numerous event wins, national championships and other accolades in the highly competitive world of NHRA drag racing. Faulk is now the CEO at Hypertech, overseeing operations. She has served on many boards and held many positions in the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), and was inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame in 2002, along with winning SEMA’s Person of the Year award in 1996.
The executive team of Lambert and Faulk have a long history at Hypertech and helped usher the company into a new era with a recent ownership change. With the passing of Mark Heffington, the company changed hands and is now owned by Jay and Lori Ramsey, an enthusiastic couple that is ready to take Hypertech to the next level. The Ramsey’s are seeking new avenues for growth by upgrading existing product lines and debuting fresh lines to reach new customers.
While the Ramsey’s had been involved with a technology-driven company for many years, this would be their first step into the automotive aftermarket world. They are passionate and they’ve already begun breathing fresh life into this iconic brand. Their focus is to enhance the staple product lines, such as the Max Energy series, which is a full-spectrum tuning programmer, available for numerous applications. It has multiple settings for 87-, 89- and 93-octane fuel, various transmission improvements and many other functions to improve drivability. The newest product in the Max Energy series is the Spectrum Power Programmer, an updated tuning device with a 4.3-inch daylight readable color display.
The Max Energy Spectrum Power Programmer offers multiple horsepower settings in a 50-state-street-legal package. With this system, you can dial in your tune with the touch of a button. Huge gains can be achieved, especially in today’s factory-turbocharged applications such as the Ford EcoBoost platform. Along with performance enhancements, you can also change when your vehicle’s cooling fans turn on, alter the rpm limit, the speed limiter, fuel management systems (cylinder deactivation), adjust shift points, shift firmness and much more. The device truly covers the full spectrum of tuning capabilities.
Along with adding horsepower, torque, better drivability, and fuel economy, many of Hypertech’s products can solve common problems that occur when modifying a vehicle. Hypertech’s Speedometer Calibrator can easily correct your factory speedometer and odometer after you install larger tires or change to a different gear ratio. In a matter of minutes, you can plug in your tire size and gear ratio, and the Speedometer Calibrator will calculate the correct speed and send that message to your speedometer and odometer. The device can accommodate tires up to 54 inches in diameter and most readily available gear ratios. It is internet updatable, and it can also read and clear diagnostic trouble codes, which always comes in handy, whether your vehicle is stock or modified.
Other specialty items include the React Throttle Optimizer, a specific device to enhance throttle response on drive-by-wire applications. The React Throttle Optimizer has three versions: Performance, Towing and Off-Road. All three versions have five settings, ranging from economy to all out performance. The Off-Road version even features a “crawl” mode for crucial situations when a slight bounce of the throttle could get you in major trouble on the trail. It slows down the actuation of the throttle to help improve your driving abilities with precise control. While this device doesn’t increase horsepower, it does provide a seat-of-the-pants difference in throttle response, which certainly enhances the fun factor of many modern cars and trucks.
In addition to full size off-road trucks and SUV’s, Hypertech offers Powersports products for Side-by-Side vehicles. This marketplace is explosive, and the competition is fierce. Hypertech jumped in full force with a Max Energy Spectrum Power Programmer for 2015 to current Polaris RZR 1000 and Turbo models, gaining 42.1 horsepower over stock on the turbo model. In addition to big power gains, the device provides adjustable WOT fuel tunes, throttle response, rev limit, idle speed, top speed limiter, cooling fan operation, speedometer correction and much more. Another key element of the Max Energy Spectrum Power Programmer is the diagnostic function, which allows you to view and clear codes.
Along with the Max Energy Spectrum Power Programmer for Polaris RZR, Hypertech has introduced additional products for Side-by-Side applications. With items such as Tire Repair Kits, Recovery Kits, 4-Point Safety Harnesses, Shifters and suspension parts, the new line of Hypertech Powersports products gives enthusiasts a one-stop shop for upgrades. This is a new venture for this technology-driven company, but you can trust that each item is designed and manufactured with the highest quality and tested thoroughly before the products are brought to market. When it comes to product development, the staff at Hypertech turns over every stone to uncover horsepower and then tests the products in real-world conditions.
With such a passionate team behind them, the new owners of Hypertech are excited to reach new customers and broaden the scope of this iconic company. A big step in the process involved moving to a new facility, while still remaining in the Memphis area. New products and new markets are part of the long-term business plan that Jay and Lori Ramsey are implementing, and they are taking Hypertech to new heights, while building upon the foundation that Mark Heffington built so many years ago.