The internet is awash with promises of easy horsepower and fuel efficiency gains from simple plug-in devices. Among these, the Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip Tuner has emerged, claiming to boost your car’s performance with minimal effort. But as seasoned automotive experts at carparteu.com, we’ve seen these claims before, and often, they lead to disappointment. Before you consider investing in this “performance chip,” it’s crucial to understand what’s really under the hood – or rather, inside this little gadget. Is the Thorton Tuner a legitimate upgrade for your car, or just another scam preying on car enthusiasts? Let’s dive deep into our analysis and reveal the truth.
Before we proceed, if you’re unfamiliar with the Nitro OBD2 scam, which has paved the way for countless similar products, we highly recommend reading this detailed investigation by quarkslab: https://blog.quarkslab.com/reverse-engineering-of-the-nitro-obd2.html. Understanding the Nitro OBD2 fraud is key to recognizing the pattern of deception in products like the Thorton Tuner. These devices, often marketed as performance enhancers, have flooded online marketplaces, capitalizing on the desire for affordable car tuning solutions. Our analysis of the Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip Tuner will show you why it’s vital to be skeptical of such “too good to be true” offers.
Numerous videos on YouTube also expose the reality behind the Nitro-OBD light flasher scam and its many variations. These visual investigations further solidify the evidence against these deceptive devices. Check out these videos for additional insights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgXwfBTKLGU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-l9ohTjvkw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdoIjt2mMEQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OIO1tJPEy8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1OmGDE1FLA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytwlDVaFbec.
Our focus here is a reverse engineering analysis of the “Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip Tuner.” We aim to determine if this product genuinely delivers on its promises or if it’s merely another iteration of the OBD performance chip scam.
Thorton Tuner: Familiar Red Flags and Dubious Claims
The Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip boasts a sleek black design, which might initially appear professional. However, for those familiar with the landscape of OBD2 tuner scams, this aesthetic similarity to previously exposed products raises immediate suspicion. Thorton Chip Tuning, the company behind this product, claims to be “a team of automotive enthusiasts based on Columbus, GA, founded in 2008,” with a mission to enhance high-performance vehicles.
Thorton Chip Tuning’s “About Us” page raises concerns about their tuning expertise.
However, a closer examination of the “shop” photo on their “About Us” page reveals a workshop focused on axles, gearboxes, and tires. There’s a noticeable absence of any equipment or activities typically associated with vehicle engine tuning or ECU remapping. This discrepancy casts doubt on their claims of being high-performance vehicle tuning experts.
The workshop photo on Thorton Chip Tuning’s website lacks evidence of engine tuning activities.
The product advertisement on thortonchiptuning.com showcases the Top Speed OBDII Cat product with a visually appealing presentation.
The Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat product photo from their website, highlighting its sleek design.
While the advertisement is slick, experienced eyes might recognize subtle hints of deception. Comparing the Thorton Tuner’s packaging with known scam products reveals striking similarities.
Packaging and Design: Déjà Vu of Deception
The packaging of the Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip bears an uncanny resemblance to the SuperOBD scam chip. From the box size and design to the layout of the installation instructions, the similarities are hard to ignore.
Comparing the packaging of SuperOBD scam chip and Thorton Performance Chip reveals identical design and instructions.
The chip itself further reinforces these concerns. A side-by-side comparison reveals that the Thorton chip is virtually identical in design to the Super OBD2 and Nitro OBD scam chips. The shape, lights, and button placement are all the same, with only minor cosmetic changes like color and branding.
The Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat chip is visually identical to previously exposed Super OBD and Nitro OBD scam chips.
Thorton’s website makes numerous bold claims about the “chip’s” capabilities. They assert that after about 125 miles of driving, the tuner adapts to your vehicle’s engine and driving habits, continuously remapping the ECU for optimal performance and fuel economy.
Thorton Chiptuning claims their chip “adjusts itself” to your driving habits for “optimal performance.”
They also promote themselves as “U.S. sellers,” attempting to build trust. However, as we will uncover, the product’s origin tells a different story.
Thorton Chiptuning emphasizes being “U.S. sellers,” despite evidence pointing to overseas manufacturing.
Further claims on their website become even more problematic. They state the chip is “universal” and compatible with all engine sizes and types within a vehicle make. Yet, they contradictorily ask customers to select the specific make, model, and engine during purchase. This inconsistency raises serious questions about whether the chip is truly custom-programmed or a generic, ineffective device.
Contradictory claims on Thorton’s website about the chip being “universal” yet requiring specific vehicle details.
The most outlandish claim is the promise of up to 40 horsepower gains from this OBD plug-in “chip.” Given its visual similarity to known scam modules, this claim is highly improbable. Legitimate horsepower increases of this magnitude typically require professional ECU tuning, dyno testing, and often, physical modifications to the engine.
Thorton Chiptuning boldly claims gains of up to 40HP from their OBD plug-in device, a highly dubious assertion.
Price Points and More Familiar Designs
The Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip is offered in three “levels” at varying price points on thortonchiptuning.com. Level 1 is priced at $29.95, Level 2 at $59.95, and Level 3 at $89.95. Intriguingly, all levels of the chip look identical, raising questions about any actual difference in performance.
Thorton Chiptuning offers different “levels” of their chip at varying prices, despite them appearing identical.
Even the dial logos used to differentiate the chip levels bear a striking resemblance to those used by another known scam product, the Chipyourcar Thunderbolt chip. The MPG and horsepower values on these dials are exactly the same as the Chipyourcar scam, suggesting a common origin or blatant copying.
The dial designs for Thorton Chip levels are suspiciously similar to those of the Chipyourcar scam, with identical MPG and HP values.
These accumulating red flags strongly suggest that the Thorton Top Speed OBDII CAT Performance Chip is likely another iteration of previously exposed OBD2 tuner scams. To confirm our suspicions, we conducted an internal analysis of the device.
Inside the Thorton Tuner: Identical to Nitro OBD2 Scams
Upon disassembling the Thorton Top Speed OBDII CAT Performance Chip, the internal components immediately appeared strikingly familiar. The circuit board layout and component arrangement strongly resembled those of previously analyzed scam modules.
The exterior of the Thorton Performance Chip, appearing sleek but generic.
Internal view of the disassembled Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip, revealing a simplistic circuit board.
A detailed comparison of the circuit board with that of a SuperOBD NitroOBD scam chip confirmed our suspicions. The components are virtually identical, merely rearranged with minor LED color changes.
Side-by-side comparison of the circuit boards of SuperOBD NitroOBD scam chip and Thorton Top Speed OBDII CAT Performance Chip, showing identical components and layout.
Both modules utilize the PIC16F59 microprocessor, which has insufficient memory capacity to store genuine vehicle maps necessary for real ECU remapping. This reinforces the conclusion that the Thorton chip is not capable of delivering on its performance enhancement promises. Further investigation revealed the likely source of these modules: Aliexpress, a Chinese online marketplace.
Listing on Aliexpress showing an identical OBDII CAT scam chip available for bulk purchase at a very low price.
The Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat chip, identical to the listing on Aliexpress priced at around $4.32 per unit, uses the same product photo on the Thorton Chip Tuning website. The Aliexpress listing even directly compares the “Top Speed OBDII Chip” to the original NitroOBD yellow scam chip, openly admitting their shared nature.
Aliexpress listing directly comparing the Thorton Top Speed OBDII Chip to the NitroOBD scam chip, acknowledging their similarity.
The Aliexpress supplier further claims that the Top Speed OBDII chip is equivalent to older Nitro OBD and ECO OBD modules and works on both gasoline and diesel vehicles. This “one-size-fits-all” claim is a hallmark of these scam devices, reinforcing their ineffectiveness as genuine performance tuners.
Aliexpress listing claiming universal compatibility for the Thorton chip across gasoline and diesel vehicles, typical of scam OBD devices.
Performance Test: Predictably No Gains
To empirically verify our analysis, we tested the Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip in a vehicle. After driving for the recommended 125 miles, we observed absolutely no discernible difference in fuel economy, performance, or vehicle behavior. As expected, there were no performance gains, confirming that the Thorton chip is ineffective as a performance enhancer. Genuine horsepower increases are usually noticeable to drivers without specialized equipment, especially gains of 40HP as claimed by Thorton.
To further solidify our conclusion, we conducted a blink test, comparing the LED blink patterns of the Thorton chip and a known Nitro OBD scam module when connected to a 12V power supply.
Blink test comparing the LED patterns of SuperOBD scam chip and Thorton Performance Chip, showing identical blink rates.
Blink Test Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9atyTLr5KU
Both the Thorton chip and the Nitro OBD scam module exhibited identical blink rates and patterns. This confirms that they share the same programming and are essentially the same fraudulent product with cosmetic variations. The blinking lights are designed to create a false impression of communication with the vehicle’s computer, deceiving consumers into believing the device is actually working.
Conclusion: Steer Clear of This “Cat-astrophe”
Our comprehensive analysis, including reverse engineering, component comparison, and performance testing, definitively concludes that the Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip is yet another iteration of the NitroOBD light flasher scam. It offers no actual performance benefits and relies on deceptive marketing tactics to mislead consumers. Avoid wasting your money on this product; you’d be better off spending it on a bag of potato chips!
UPDATE: Thorton’s Scam Spreads to Superchargers
It appears the individuals behind the Thorton Performance Chip scam are expanding their operation. They have launched another website, thortonsuperchargers.com, featuring identical logos, graphics, and website design. While this new site claims a Tacoma, Washington address (a UPS store), the original site listed a Georgia address. Thortonsuperchargers.com promotes air supercharger turbines and other accessories alongside the same Thorton performance chip.
Thorton Superchargers website openly advertises the “NITRO PERFORMANCE CHIP,” revealing its connection to the NitroOBD scam.
Interestingly, this new website openly refers to their performance chip as the “NITRO PERFORMANCE CHIP,” revealing its direct connection to the original NitroOBD scam. They also contradict their “custom programmed” claims by admitting it’s an “inexpensive, universal solution.” Thortonsuperchargers.com has already received a “D” rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) with customer complaints regarding refunds and product quality.
Thorton Superchargers BBB rating showing a “D” grade and customer complaints.
A comparison of the “About Us” pages of both websites highlights their identical layout, design, and likely shared ownership.
Comparison of “About Us” pages from Thorton Performance Chip and Thorton Superchargers websites, showcasing identical design and content structure.
Be warned: both Thorton websites are connected and represent scams that should be avoided. If, after all this evidence, you’re still tempted to purchase this product, we can only offer this reaction:
