Is the Thorton Top Speed OBD2 Cat Performance Chip a Scam? An In-Depth Review

The internet is awash with promises of easy horsepower and improved fuel economy from plug-in OBD2 performance chips. Among these, the Thorton Top Speed Obd2 Cat Performance Chip has emerged, claiming to boost your vehicle’s performance with a simple OBD2 port connection. But does this chip deliver on its bold promises, or is it just another scam preying on car enthusiasts? As experts at cardiagnosticnearme.com, specializing in automotive diagnostics and repair, we decided to delve deep into the Thorton Top Speed OBD2 Cat to uncover the truth.

Before we proceed, it’s crucial to acknowledge the extensive research already conducted on similar products. The renowned quarkslab’s reverse engineering of the Nitro OBD2 performance chip, a known scam, provides a vital backdrop for our analysis. You can explore their findings here: https://blog.quarkslab.com/reverse-engineering-of-the-nitro-obd2.html. This NitroOBD saga, originating from China, has spawned countless imitations, flooding online marketplaces with deceptive devices marketed as performance tuners. Unscrupulous sellers have capitalized on this trend, selling these essentially decorative light blinkers at inflated prices.

Our investigation focuses on the Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip Tuner, aiming to dissect its claims and reveal its true nature. To fully grasp the context, we strongly recommend reading the quarkslab article. Numerous independent tests and articles have already debunked the Nitro OBD module as a scam, and we encourage you to not just take our word for it.

Furthermore, a plethora of YouTube videos visually demonstrate the Nitro-OBD light flasher scam and its various iterations. These videos serve as compelling evidence of the deceptive nature of these devices:

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 analysis, through reverse engineering, seeks to definitively answer whether the “Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip Tuner” lives up to its advertised performance enhancements or is simply another elaborate scam.

The Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip boasts a visually appealing, glossy black design. However, its aesthetics immediately trigger a sense of déjà vu. Have we encountered similar-looking products before? Regrettably, yes. Thorton Chip Tuning, the company behind this product, self-proclaims to be “a team of automotive enthusiasts based on Columbus, GA. Founded in 2008 our mission is to work with high performance vehicles in any way we can.”:

Thorton Chip Tuning About Us Page showcasing generic workers in a shop, casting doubt on their tuning expertise

Examining the photo on their ‘About Us’ page more closely does little to inspire confidence in their tuning expertise. The workers depicted appear to be engaged in tasks related to axles, gearboxes, and tires – conspicuously absent are any activities associated with ‘vehicle tuning’:

Thorton Chip Tuning About Us Shop Photo depicting axle and gearbox work, not engine tuning

Here is the Thorton Tuning Chip product as advertised on their official website, thortonchiptuning.com:

Thorton Chip Tuning Website Top Speed OBDII Cat Product Photo, a sleek but potentially deceptive advertisement

The advertisement is undeniably slick. However, as past experiences have taught us, appearances can be deceiving. Often, crucial clues are hidden in plain sight. Even without delving further, a comparison reveals striking similarities.

CASE / PACKAGING: A Familiar Look

SuperOBD Box and Install Instructions vs Thorton Performance Chip Top Speed OBDII CAT showcasing near-identical packaging and instructions

The packaging of the Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip bears an uncanny resemblance to the notorious SuperOBD scam chip. The box dimensions, cover size, and even the installation instructions printed on the bottom are almost indistinguishable, with only minor alterations. But what about the chip itself?

Comparison of Super OBD Scam Chip vs Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat highlighting identical chip designs with color and logo variations

The Thorton chip mirrors the previously exposed SUPER OBD2 / Nitro OBD Chip scam in its physical design. The lights, button, and overall exterior are identical – only the branding and color scheme have been modified.

Website Claims: Echoes of Deception

What performance enhancements does Thorton promise for this ‘chip’? They make numerous claims, presented in website screenshots:

Thorton Chiptuning Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip Website Claims 1, outlining generic tuning claims

Initially, their claims appear somewhat typical for similar products advertised 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.”

Thorton Chiptuning Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip Website Claims 2, asserting US seller status with questionable origin

They assert being “U.S. sellers.” While this might be geographically true, the product’s manufacturing origin is far from American soil.

Thorton Chiptuning Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip Website Claims 3, highlighting contradictory statements about universal compatibility and specific vehicle selection

Here, red flags begin to emerge. Many scam products share a common trait – claiming universal compatibility across virtually all vehicles. Thorton seems to hint at this universality: “The Thorton Performance Chip will fit all engine sizes and types for your make of vehicle.” This suggests compatibility across all variants within a specific vehicle brand, like all Toyota models or all Ford models. However, they contradict this by stating: “Be sure to select the correct Make, Model and engine of your vehicle when purchasing.” This raises critical questions. If it’s a custom-programmed chip, why claim universal compatibility within a vehicle make? Conversely, if it’s truly universal, why necessitate specific engine details during purchase? This inconsistency smells fishy, echoing deceptive tactics we’ve seen before.

Thorton Chiptuning Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip Website Claims 4, boasting unrealistic 40HP gains from a simple OBD plug-in

Now, serious alarm bells are ringing. Claiming 40HP gains from an OBD plug-in ‘chip’ that physically resembles numerous previously debunked scam modules? This claim strains credulity.

COST: Tiered Pricing for the Same Product?

The Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip website offers the product in three tiers, each with varying prices:

Thorton Chiptuning Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip Levels and Prices, showing tiered pricing for visually identical chips

The tiers supposedly correspond to the ‘power’ of the chip. Intriguingly, all chip levels appear visually identical. ‘Level 1’ is priced at $29.95, ‘Level 2’ at $59.95, and ‘Level 3’ at $89.95. Another noteworthy observation: the dial logos representing different chip ‘levels’ bear a striking similarity to those of the Chipyourcar Thunderbolt chip, another previously reviewed scam:

Chipyourcar Scam Chip Levels vs Thorton Chip Levels Comparison, revealing near-identical MPG and horsepower values on dial designs

The dial designs exhibit slight variations in color and shape, BUT the MPG and horsepower values are EXACTLY THE SAME. What are the odds of such precise duplication? This strongly suggests either Thorton is a rebranded scam from the same creators as Chip Your Car, or they are exceptionally adept imitators. The accumulating evidence points towards a familiar origin for this product. But what lies within the Thorton Top Speed OBD CAT Performance Chip?

INTERNAL ANALYSIS: Unmasking the Familiar

We procured a Thorton Top Speed OBDII CAT Performance Chip and disassembled its plastic casing. Upon opening it, we were confronted with what seemed like an all-too-familiar internal design, reminiscent of previously analyzed scam modules:

Thorton Performance Chip Top Speed OBDII Cat Outside View, showcasing the exterior of the chip before disassembly

Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip Disassembled Inside View, revealing the internal components after opening

A detailed comparison of the internal circuitry confirmed our suspicion – the circuit board is yet another NitroOBD clone, with component placement rearranged and LED colors altered:

SUPERobd NitroOBS Scam Chip Circuit Board vs Thorton Top Speed OBDII CAT Performance Chip Comparison, highlighting the identical circuit board design and components

All components on both modules are identical, merely repositioned with some LED color changes. It utilizes the ubiquitous microprocessor, the PIC16F59, which, as previously established, lacks the memory capacity to store genuine vehicle maps. Its memory is simply too limited. The striking similarity between these parts becomes clear when considering their likely source:

OBDIICAT Scam Chip on Aliexpress, showing the product available for bulk purchase from a Chinese supplier

Indeed, as evident from the AliExpress listing, the module originates from China, priced at approximately $4.32 per unit! Not only is the Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat chip identical to the listed product, but the Thorton website even uses the EXACT SAME product photo from the AliExpress supplier! They have directly lifted supplier images for their website. Further down the AliExpress page, the listing itself compares the Thorton Top Speed OBDII Chip to – predictably – the original NitroOBD Yellow scam chip!

Aliexpress Thorton Top Speed OBDII Chip vs NitroOBD Comparison, the supplier explicitly admitting the product's NitroOBD origins

The Chinese supplier openly ADMITS this is the same product lineage! More confirmation? The AliExpress page includes further comparisons:

Aliexpress Thorton Top Speed OBDII Chip Comparison to Nitro OBD Diesel and Benzine, highlighting claims of universal compatibility and equivalence to other scam chips

Here, the supplier asserts that the Top Speed OBDII chip is equivalent to older NITRO OBD and ECO OBD modules (internally identical), and crucially, that it functions on BOTH GASOLINE AND DIESEL VEHICLES! This reinforces our suspicion that the module is a universal, one-size-fits-all device – a hallmark of a scam.

Performance Testing: No Gains, Just Blinking Lights

Based on this evidence, it’s clear that the Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip is not as advertised. Our initial suspicions were confirmed. It appears to be another iteration of the now-prevalent light flasher scams, repackaged with a different colored case and LEDs.

To verify this conclusively, we connected the Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip to a vehicle and drove for the recommended 125 miles. We observed absolutely no discernible difference in fuel economy, performance, or any other vehicle behavior. There were no noticeable gains, precisely as expected. Most drivers can readily detect a 10HP increase or more without specialized equipment. Thorton’s claim of up to 40HP gains is simply unsubstantiated.

To further solidify our conclusion and confirm the identical programming to known Nitro OBD scams, we conducted a blink test. We powered both the Thorton module and a Nitro OBD module on a bench power supply and observed their LED blink patterns (OUR BLINK TEST):

SuperOBD Scam Chip vs Thorton Performance Chip Blink Bench Test, demonstrating identical LED blinking patterns for both scam chips

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, identical blinking interval, identical scam – albeit with different colored LEDs.

Some earlier scam modules displayed varying blink patterns, including a ‘standby’ interval. This is explained in the original NitroOBD analyses linked at the beginning of this article. NitroOBD modules are designed to alter their blink patterns based on OBD port pin activity. This is a deceptive tactic to mislead consumers into believing communication with the vehicle is occurring. One mode simulates rapid blinking to mimic active communication. When no pin activity is detected, it blinks slowly, mimicking a low-power or standby state, despite lacking any true sleep mode functionality. Like previous scams, this Thorton module also exhibited both the ‘sleep’ and the fake ‘activity’ blink patterns, as seen in our test. The identical blink patterns of both the Thorton chip and the NitroOBD scam chip definitively confirm they utilize the same microprocessor, circuit board, and programming.

CONCLUSION: Another Light Flashing Scam

Our comprehensive research and testing definitively conclude that the Thorton Top Speed OBDII Cat Performance Chip is merely another iteration of light-blinking scam devices, akin to the NitroOBD. Our initial instincts were accurate. Save your money – you’d be better off investing in a bag of potato chips!

UPDATE: Thorton Superchargers – The Scam Expands

It appears the same individuals behind the Thorton Performance Chip have launched another website, thortonsuperchargers.com, featuring identical logos and graphics. While the original site claimed a Georgia address, this new site lists a Tacoma, Washington address, actually a UPS store. The website layout, images, and design are carbon copies of the original Thorton site, but this one also promotes an air supercharger turbine and other accessories. Given the presence of the Thorton performance chip on this new site, it’s highly probable that these additional products are of equally dubious quality. Notably, they are less subtle about the “Thorton” performance chip’s true identity:

Thorton Superchargers Nitro OBD Scam Page, openly admitting the performance chip is a "Nitro Performance Chip"

Here, they openly acknowledge the performance chip as a “NITRO PERFORMANCE CHIP”! The very name of the original NitroOBD scam chip! They also admit, near the page’s bottom, that their performance chip is “an inexpensive, universal solution.” This contradicts any notion of custom programming and reinforces its nature as a one-size-fits-all scam device, as we’ve already established. This new website also holds a D rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB):

Thorton Superchargers BBB Complaints, showing a D rating and customer complaints regarding refunds and product issues

A customer complaint details issues with refunds, short wiring, and missing parts on the thortonsuperchargers website. Here’s a detailed comparison of the ‘About Us’ pages from both websites:

Thorton Performance Chip Website vs Thorton Superchargers Website Comparison, highlighting the identical "About Us" content and further linking the two scam operations