Cat OBD2 Performance Chip Scam: Unmasking the Thorton Top Speed Tuner

The internet is awash with promises of easy horsepower and improved fuel economy, often delivered through simple plug-in devices. Before you consider investing in a performance chip that connects to your car’s OBD2 port, especially if you’ve encountered names like Nitro OBD2 or Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip Tuner, it’s crucial to understand what you’re really buying. This article delves into the reality behind these “Cat Obd2” performance chips, revealing why many are scams and what’s truly inside the Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip Tuner.

To get a full grasp of the widespread nature of these scams, we highly recommend first reviewing the detailed reverse engineering analysis of the Nitro OBD2 performance chip scam conducted by quarkslab: https://blog.quarkslab.com/reverse-engineering-of-the-nitro-obd2.html. Their findings expose the core deception behind many OBD2 performance enhancers and set the stage for understanding the Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip Tuner.

The NitroOBD scam, originating from China, has proliferated online for years, spawning countless imitations with different branding. Unscrupulous sellers quickly realized they could market these simple devices as sophisticated “tuners” at inflated prices, flooding the market. Our analysis focuses on the Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip Tuner, uncovering its internal components and functionality. Understanding the Nitro OBD2 scam is essential to fully appreciate the nature of the Thorton product and others like it. Don’t just rely on our word; numerous articles and tests have conclusively demonstrated the Nitro OBD module as a scam.

Further evidence of the Nitro-OBD light flasher scam and its various versions can be found in numerous YouTube videos:

Reverse Engineering the Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip Tuner

This investigation involves reverse engineering and in-depth analysis of the “Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip Tuner.” Our goal is to determine if this device lives up to its performance claims or if it’s another iteration of the OBD2 performance chip scam.

The Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip boasts a visually appealing, glossy black design. However, its sleek appearance immediately raises concerns, as it bears a striking resemblance to other products we’ve previously identified as scams. Thorton Chip Tuning, the company behind this product, claims to be “a team of automotive enthusiasts based in Columbus, GA, founded in 2008 with a mission to work with high-performance vehicles.”

Alt text: Thorton Chip Tuning “About Us” page screenshot, showcasing their company description and claimed mission.

Examining the “shop” photo on their “About Us” page raises further doubts about their involvement in vehicle tuning. The image appears to depict workers focused on axles, gearboxes, and tires, with no visible activities related to engine tuning or performance modifications.

Alt text: Photo from Thorton Chip Tuning’s “About Us” page, seemingly showing a workshop environment focused on mechanical repairs rather than engine tuning, raising questions about their expertise.

The Thorton Tuning Chip product is advertised on their website, thortonchiptuning.com, as a high-performance solution.

Alt text: Thorton Chip Tuning website product image for the Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip, highlighting its sleek design and marketing presentation.

The advertisement is visually appealing, but as past experiences have shown, appearances can be deceptive. Even at first glance, subtle clues hint at the true nature of this product. A closer look at the packaging and presentation reveals striking similarities to previously exposed scam devices.

Packaging and Presentation: A Familiar Story

Comparing the packaging of the Thorton chip with known scam products like SuperOBD reveals alarming similarities.

Alt text: Side-by-side comparison of SuperOBD and Thorton Performance Chip boxes, illustrating near-identical packaging design and layout, suggesting a common origin.

The box design, size, and even the installation instructions on the bottom are nearly identical to the SuperOBD scam chip, with only minor alterations. This raises serious questions about the Thorton chip’s authenticity and independent development. What about the chip itself? Does it also mirror previous scams?

Alt text: Visual comparison of the Super OBD scam chip and the Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat chip, highlighting identical physical characteristics and design, despite different branding.

Indeed, the Thorton chip is virtually indistinguishable from the previously identified SUPER OBD2 / Nitro OBD Chip scam. The lights, button, and external design are the same; only the branding and color scheme have been changed. This further reinforces the suspicion that the Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip is not a unique product but rather a rebranded scam device.

Thorton’s Performance Claims: Too Good to Be True?

Thorton makes numerous claims about the performance enhancements offered by their “cat obd2” chip. Let’s examine some of these claims directly from their website.

Alt text: Screenshot of Thorton Chiptuning website claims part 1, focusing on “self-adjusting” and “ECU remapping” features for performance and fuel economy optimization.

Some of their initial claims are typical of similar products marketed online: “After driving about 125 total road miles, our tuning chip will adjust itself to your vehicle’s engine, your driving habits and continues to remap the ECU for optimal performance and fuel consumption as you continue to drive.” This promise of automatic adaptation and ECU remapping sounds impressive, but lacks technical specifics.

Alt text: Thorton Chiptuning website claims part 2, highlighting “U.S. sellers” claim, designed to build trust but potentially misleading regarding product origin.

They assert being “U.S. sellers” to instill trust. However, as we’ll uncover, the product’s origin is far from the USA, further undermining their credibility.

Alt text: Thorton Chiptuning website claims part 3, detailing contradictory statements about universal compatibility versus vehicle-specific selection during purchase.

Here, inconsistencies begin to emerge. They claim universality: “The Thorton Performance Chip will fit all engine sizes and types for your make of vehicle.” Yet, they also instruct: “Be sure to select the correct Make, Model and engine of your vehicle when purchasing.” This contradiction raises red flags. If it’s a truly custom-programmed chip, why the universal claim? If universal, why the need for specific vehicle details during ordering?

Alt text: Thorton Chiptuning website claims part 4, boldly stating “up to 40HP gains” from their OBD2 plug-in chip, a highly improbable claim for such a device.

The most dubious claim is the promise of “40HP gains” from a simple OBD plug-in “chip” that visually resembles known scam modules. Such significant horsepower increases from a device of this nature are highly improbable, especially considering its design and price point.

Cost and “Levels” of Performance: More Red Flags

The Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip is offered in three “levels” with varying prices on thortonchiptuning.com.

Alt text: Thorton Chiptuning’s pricing structure for Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip levels 1, 2, and 3, showing different price points for seemingly identical hardware.

Intriguingly, all “levels” of the chip look identical, yet are priced differently: Level 1 at $29.95, Level 2 at $59.95, and Level 3 at $89.95. The dial logos representing different chip “levels” bear a striking resemblance to those of another previously reviewed scam, the Chipyourcar Thunderbolt chip.

Alt text: Comparison of Chipyourcar and Thorton Chip “level” dials, highlighting the almost identical MPG and horsepower values despite different branding, strongly suggesting a shared deceptive marketing strategy.

The dial designs are subtly different in color and shape, but the claimed MPG and horsepower values are precisely the same. The probability of these values being identical by chance is extremely low. This strongly suggests either Thorton is a new scam operation by the creators of Chip Your Car, or they are remarkably skilled copycats. Evidence gathered so far points towards a common origin with previously analyzed scam products. To truly understand the nature of the Thorton Top Speed OBD CAT Performance Chip, we need to examine its internal components.

Internal Analysis: Unveiling the Truth

We ordered a Thorton Top Speed OBDII CAT Performance Chip and disassembled its plastic casing. Upon opening it, the internal design immediately appeared strikingly familiar to previously examined scam modules.

Alt text: External view of the Thorton Performance Chip Top Speed OBDII Cat, showcasing its glossy black plastic shell prior to disassembly.

Alt text: Internal components of the disassembled Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip, revealing a simple circuit board with minimal electronic components.

A closer comparison with known scam modules confirmed our suspicion: the circuit board is yet another NitroOBD clone, with rearranged components and altered LED colors.

Alt text: Circuit board comparison between SUPERobd NitroOBS scam chip and Thorton Top Speed OBDII CAT Performance Chip, demonstrating identical components and layout variations.

All components are identical on both modules, merely repositioned with some LED color changes. It utilizes the same, familiar microprocessor, the PIC16F59, which lacks the memory capacity to store genuine vehicle maps required for real ECU tuning. The striking similarity between these parts points to a shared origin – China.

Alt text: Aliexpress listing for OBDIICAT scam chip, revealing its Chinese origin and low wholesale price, identical to the Thorton chip design.

As shown in the Aliexpress listing, the module is indeed sourced from China, available for approximately $4.32 per unit. Astonishingly, the Thorton chip tuning website uses the EXACT SAME product photo from this Aliexpress supplier! They directly lifted images from a wholesale supplier and used them for their retail marketing. Further down the Aliexpress page, the listing even compares the Thorton Top Speed OBDII Chip to the original NitroOBD Yellow scam chip!

Alt text: Aliexpress comparison image showing Thorton Top Speed OBDII Chip alongside NitroOBD, confirming their shared design and functionality as scam devices.

The Chinese supplier openly acknowledges that this is the same product as NitroOBD. The Aliexpress page further illustrates comparisons:

Alt text: Aliexpress comparison chart claiming Thorton Top Speed OBDII chip is equivalent to Nitro OBD and ECO OBD, and compatible with both gasoline and diesel vehicles, highlighting its universal scam nature.

The supplier claims the Top Speed OBDII chip is equivalent to older NITRO obd and ECO obd modules (which are internally identical) and works on both gasoline and diesel vehicles. This reinforces the conclusion that it’s a universal, one-size-fits-all device – a hallmark of a scam.

These findings definitively demonstrate that the Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip is not as advertised. Our initial suspicions were correct: it’s another iteration of light-flashing scams, repackaged with a new case and LED colors.

Real-World Testing and Blink Test Confirmation

To validate our analysis, we installed the Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip in a vehicle and drove for the recommended 125 miles. We observed absolutely no change in fuel economy, performance, or any other vehicle behavior. There were no noticeable gains, as anticipated. Most drivers can easily perceive a 10HP increase without specialized equipment. Thorton’s claim of up to 40HP gains is simply unsubstantiated.

To further confirm the identical programming to known Nitro OBD scams, we performed a blink test, connecting both the Thorton and Nitro OBD modules to a 12V power supply on a bench and observing their LED blink patterns.

Alt text: Bench test comparison of SuperOBD scam chip and Thorton Performance Chip LED blinking patterns, visually confirming identical blink rates and programming.

Blink Test Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9atyTLr5KU

Both the Nitro OBD tuning scam (left) and the Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip (right) exhibited EXACTLY the same blink rate. Identical programming, blinking intervals, and scam – only the LED colors differ.

As previously observed with other NitroOBD scams, the blink patterns can vary depending on OBD port pin activity. This is designed to deceive consumers into believing the device is communicating with the vehicle. One mode simulates rapid blinking for perceived activity, while another, slower blink pattern mimics a low power or standby mode (despite lacking true sleep functionality). Both the Thorton chip and NitroOBD scam exhibited both “sleep” and fake “activity” patterns, further confirming their identical nature and deceptive programming. The blink test definitively demonstrates that the Thorton Chip and NitroOBD scam share the same microprocessor, circuit board, and programming.

Conclusion: The Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip is a Scam

Our comprehensive research and testing unequivocally conclude that the Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip is merely another iteration of light-blinking scam devices, similar to NitroOBD. Our initial assessments were accurate. Avoid wasting your money on this product; you’d be better off buying potato chips!

Update: Thorton Superchargers – The Scam Continues

It appears the individuals behind the Thorton Performance Chip are perpetuating their scam through a new website: thortonsuperchargers.com. This site uses identical logos and graphics and claims a Tacoma, Washington address (a UPS store), while the previous site listed a Georgia address. The layout, images, and design are virtually identical to the original Thorton website, but this new site also promotes an air supercharger turbine and other questionable accessories. Given the presence of the same Thorton performance chip on this new website, it’s highly likely their other products are of equally dubious quality. Notably, they openly refer to their performance chip as the “NITRO PERFORMANCE CHIP” – the same name as the original NitroOBD scam. They also admit it’s “an inexpensive, universal solution,” contradicting any claims of custom programming. This new website has already received a “D” rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

Alt text: Thorton Superchargers website page openly promoting the “NITRO PERFORMANCE CHIP” as a performance enhancer, despite its proven scam nature.

Alt text: Thorton Superchargers BBB rating and customer complaint screenshot, highlighting issues with refunds and product quality, reinforcing scam warnings.

Customer complaints on the BBB indicate issues with refunds and product defects. A comparison of the “About Us” pages of both websites further reveals their connection and shared deceptive practices.

Alt text: Side-by-side comparison of “About Us” pages from Thorton Performance Chip and Thorton Superchargers websites, demonstrating identical design, content structure, and scam indicators.

Be aware – these two websites are related and both represent scams that should be avoided.

If, after reviewing all this evidence, you are STILL considering purchasing this product, we can only express our bewilderment.