Nathan & EcoTune: Precision, Power and Caribbean Tuning Legacy

For Nathan, tuning engines has never been just a business to his eyes. To him it’s a lifelong pursuit. His journey began at 15, spending countless hours in a Trinidad garage alongside his father and a well‑known local mechanic. Together, they experimented with ported heads, camshaft re‑profiling, and carburettor setups, laying the foundation for a career defined by curiosity and mechanical mastery.

Three decades later, Nathan got his first European car, a 2007 Skoda Octavia 1.6 MPI. After losing a race against a Nissan Navara so badly, Nathan swore to never lose again. That desire became the catalyst for Ecotune. Determined to push past the limitations of stock performance, he invested his savings in a tuning tool. The results were immediate: sharper throttle response, improved fuel economy, and enough extra horsepower to leave rivals behind. Nathan later got his revenge on the Navara wining the race by 3 car lengths. That success led to a partnership with Protune UK, a respected name in VAG (Volkswagen Auto Group), Mercedes, and BMW tuning, and the launch of Ecotune 14 years ago.

Ecotune quickly distinguished itself as the first company in Trinidad and Tobago to offer custom ECU tuning for stock European cars. Nathan expanded his expertise beyond passenger vehicles, applying tuning solutions to pickups, diesels, heavy machinery, and even boats. His mission has remained consistent: help European platforms extract their full potential while supporting them with OEM and aftermarket parts.

Nathan views tuning as a science. Each car requires a systematic approach, beginning with its maintenance history. He insists on a clean slate, customers are expected to have no oil or coolant leaks, recently refreshed spark plugs and coil packs, fuel filters within applicable time frame, and fault‑free. His philosophy to tuning is simple: Maintenance and history of each car. “I need to know it to tailor a systematic custom tune or make recommendations where applicable from hands on experience” Nathan says.

Over the years, Nathan has tuned some of the Caribbean’s most impressive builds. His MK7 Golf R now produces 540hp, a BMW M5 F10 reaches 630hp, and a BMW M3 Competition delivers 536hp. Porsche Cayennes, Mercedes CLA45s, and countless Audis have also passed through his hands, each transformed with his precision.

One of Nathan’s hallmarks is achieving both improved fuel economy and increased horsepower — a combination many assume to be contradictory. He explains it with an analogy, “If a skinny man

-struggles to curl a 25lb dumbbell, then builds muscle over time, that same weight becomes easy. The engine works the same way. More low down torque in the rev range means less throttle application to achieve any given speed compared to stock. Of course, if you push harder, it will burn more fuel but efficiency improves under normal driving.”

Ecotune’s next chapter is expansion. Nathan plans to extend services across the Caribbean, offering training and support to garages and individuals who want to provide tuning under the Ecotune banner. His reach already includes St. Lucia, where he has tuned M5s, 750is, Audi TTs, S3s, Toyota Blades, Lexus IS models, and more.

For Nathan, tuning is more than numbers on a dyno. It’s about unlocking potential, proving possibilities, and building a community of enthusiasts who understand that science, when applied with passion, can transform machines into something extraordinary — while still supporting customer builds with advice and a tune solution.

To see more of Nathan's work click the link to go to his instagram: @Ecotune_Trinidad