The throttle controller does simply trick the computer to open the blade MORE at lower pedal inputs. You can have a situation where the blade opens more at low inputs but then becomes more 1:1 at higher pedal inputs

10% pedal = 15% blade
15% pedal = 20% blade
20% pedal = 30% blade
30% pedal = 35% pedal
50% pedal = 50% pedal
and so on to 100%

I like the simpler mechanical fix of porting the TB and eliminating the physical restriction which causes this "lag" to begin with.
Just some photos of when I installed TB. Removed that lip/ridge at the top of the TB which is allowing more air into the motor at low blade angles and removing the laggy feeling.

Stock TB you can see the sharp edges and material top/bottom:


New TB you can see material is removed and smoothed out



Admittedly I have not driven a car with a controller, but this ported TB gave me the results I wanted without having additional components added to the car.

 

I just put a new Mamo Motorsports throttle body on my 2017 Grand Sport, along with a Jake intake and then went on a 1100-mile trip. I have nothing but great things to say about this set up. No problems whatsoever! Better gas mileage and power. Don't be afraid of the Mamo.

 

Wouldn't it be possible, to some extent, to change your spark and fuel maps and get more power? If so, how would that not be better than to try fool the ECM into thinking it has more throttle than it has? If I don't, would it not be cheaper to just push the pedal more to get more throttle?

 

There's often some confusion regarding what our Throttle Body (TB) and Throttle Controller (TC) actually do, so here's a simple explanation:

The Throttle Body and Throttle Controller both improve vehicle response, but they accomplish it in completely different ways.

• The Throttle Controller does not add horsepower or torque. It changes the relationship between pedal input and throttle blade opening, allowing you to access the power the engine already has more quickly.

• The Throttle Body physically changes the airflow path and geometry of the throttle body itself. This allows the engine to move more air at a given throttle opening, resulting in increased airflow and measurable power/torque gains throughout the operating range.

A simple example:

Stock setup:
50% pedal → 25% throttle opening → 30 g/s airflow

Soler TB + TC:
25% pedal → 25% throttle opening → 50 g/s airflow

The throttle opening is the same in both examples. The difference is that the controller achieves that opening with less pedal input, while the throttle body allows more airflow through that same opening.

In short:

TC Only = Faster access to existing power. No power added.

TB Only = More airflow and power at any given throttle position.

TB + TC = Total Throttle Control. Faster access to power plus increased airflow and power delivery.

One thing that often gets overlooked is that drivers are not measuring devices. Everyone understands 0% pedal and 100% pedal because those are physical stops, but everything in between is based on feel and perception. In real-world driving, nobody is looking at a live pedal position readout while merging onto a highway, exiting a corner, or passing another vehicle.

The common argument of "just push the pedal farther" is true in theory, but that's not how most people actually drive. You will most likely end up at 100% throttle or close to no throttle (somewhere in between is humanly impossible to tell). Drivers respond to how the vehicle feels. The purpose of a throttle controller is not to create horsepower, but to reduce the amount of pedal travel required to achieve the desired vehicle response. That's why many drivers describe the vehicle as feeling significantly more responsive even though peak power remains unchanged.

Neither product is intended to replace the other. They address different aspects of throttle response and can be used independently or together depending on the driver's goals.

Hopefully, the attached graphics help visualize the difference.

 

When you tune the car yes, you are altering the fuel map/timing parameters to get more power. The "lag" being described is not not a lack of power. It is more about the TB's physical ability to flow more air at <20% TB angle which the car automatically adjusts A/F to account for this. The porting has been figured out that it allows the most amount of air in and the car can still self adjust within a maximum tolerance range. If you ported it more, more air will get in and the car would throw a CEL saying that it is consuming more air than can be accounted for, potentially a lean condition CEL. The stock programming hits a maximum threshold of how much fuel it can add to compensate.

If you dyno tune the car you are paying more than what it costs for one of these TB's cost. I have a back to back dyno chart showing that a ported TB is not a "power adder", it is more for improved drivability. for me, I HATED the lag feel and I noticed it immediately after owning a C5Z.

Could you tune the car to make a custom TB blade and pedal input map? Probably, but you STILL have that material in the TB getting in the way.

 

I have it in Sport 9 which is more aggressive than what most use. Most here state they keep it in Sport 5.

What's nice is you can use it to also disable the gas pedal altogether so it can't be stolen and can limit it for valet mode.