Laboiserie’s Can-Am Maverick RXRS: chiptuning, unlocked ECU and bench test results

Lucien La Boiserie’s Maverick RXRS certainly didn’t go unnoticed at the center. Powered by a turbocharged 900 cm³ Rotax 3-cylinder engine and fitted with a 7-speed sequential gearbox, it is rated at 240 hp as standard. So far, nothing out of the ordinary on paper. Except that Lucien chose to fit the original wheels from his Rolls-Royce, with the wheelbase adapted accordingly. The result: an off-road buggy running on rims from a luxury saloon, with an overall diameter close to that of the original cross-country tires.

On the test bench, the Maverick X3 RXRS’s track width pushes the limits of standard dimensions. The set-up required some adjustment, but we were able to calibrate it in 6th gear (7-speed gearbox), which allowed us to reach 149 km/h before the rev limiter kicked in, at around 9,000 rpm.

Until recently, the engine ECUs on the new-generation Can-Am models could not be programmed. It was impossible to develop a map for them, even with the latest professional-grade equipment. This was the same situation we’d seen with certain recent BMWs, Audis, Porsches, Urus and even Fords.

This is no longer the case. Can-Am ECUs can now be programmed directly, without an intermediary, and the mapping is developed on a dynamometer just like for any other vehicle.

What applies to the Maverick X3 RXRS applies to the entire range: Maverick X3 RS, Outlander, Renegade, Commander and Ryker.
If you contacted a Shiftech centre a few months ago and were told that your Can-Am could not be modified, that information is now out of date.

The bench test took place in challenging hot conditions: 38 °C in the hall in the middle of the afternoon, with roof ventilation drawing in air that was already hot. Real-world conditions, robust results.

The parameters adjusted: turbo pressure and ignition timing, whilst remaining within the engine’s mechanical tolerances. The curve is clean, and the power-to-torque ratio remains perfectly balanced.

The 7-speed sequential gearbox presented no issues on the test bench: smooth shifting into neutral, and revving up without vibration. Lucien’s Maverick X3 RXRS is in excellent mechanical condition.

Beyond the figures, what Lucien will notice behind the wheel is, first and foremost, the torque’s responsiveness. The 30 Nm increase across the entire rev range means more responsive acceleration and a gearbox that no longer needs to be worked as hard to maintain speed on rough terrain. In 6th gear, with the rev limiter at 9,000 rpm, the Maverick was already reaching 149 km/h: with the remapped ECU, the upper rev range is better utilised and more readily available.

This is exactly how Lucien intends to use this vehicle: on the castle grounds, a few upcoming track sessions, and in conditions where instant torque makes all the difference.