Last week we reported that the mid-engine 2020 Chevrolet Corvette would house a hardened ECU that might make it a tough cookie to crack for aftermarket companies.

GM President Mark Reuss himself has weighed in on the report. The exec told Muscle Cars & Trucks on Monday that the goal isn't to "cut anybody out" from the aftermarket crowd but "we have to pick and choose who are the good guys."

2020 Chevrolet Corvette prototype at Bowling Green Assembly plant

2020 Chevrolet Corvette prototype at Bowling Green Assembly plant

To be clear, never was there a chance of GM stuffing an unhackable ECU into the mid-engine Corvette. Instead, the car reportedly boasted a toughened ECU to bolster cybersecurity. In the process, it will make the eighth-generation Corvette difficult to work with when it comes to ECU tuning in the chase for more horsepower. While an individual may own a vehicle, current law states they still don't own any software present in a vehicle's computers. On paper, automakers can legally go after aftermarket companies for modifying copyrighted code.

Reuss' comment sparks somewhat of an emerging debate over who will be the "good guys" in the near future. It's easy to imagine GM working with big-name companies such as Lingenfelter or Hennessey Performance Engineering. For personal mechanics and smaller companies, things may get tougher yet.

2020 Chevrolet Corvette

2020 Chevrolet Corvette

The mid-engine 2020 Corvette's ECU, which may be part of GM's new electrical platform rolling out to nearly every vehicle the automaker sells through next decade, will reportedly feature a recovery mode. A failed attempt to tune the ECU may push the car into a recovery mode and could "brick" the sports car, according to rumors.

That brings us back to Reuss' words; the companies GM deems "good guys" will surely have the right tools to avoid any of these messes.

Chevrolet will unveil the new Corvette on July 18 in California.