Scorpion X-Series vs Autowatch Ghost
Both are CAN bus immobilisers that stop relay theft without a fob. Here's how the Scorpion X-Series compares, and where it does more.
How the X-Series and the Ghost compare
The Scorpion X-Series and the Autowatch Ghost are both CAN bus immobilisers. Neither uses a key fob or a visible LED, and both are disarmed by entering a personal PIN through the vehicle's existing buttons, so a relayed or cloned key can't drive the car away.
The main difference is how far each goes. The X-Series adds a driver tag as well as the PIN, and it's built by a manufacturer that also makes trackers and runs a monitoring centre, so it can be part of one security system rather than a standalone box.
So the honest steer is this. If you want an immobiliser and nothing more, both do the core job well. If you want that immobiliser to work with tracking, alerting and recovery from a single UK maker, the X-Series is the one that plugs straight into it.
What they share, and where the X-Series does more
On the core job, stopping relay theft with a network immobiliser and a PIN, the two are closely matched. The differences show up in how you disarm it, and in what it connects to.
- Both: invisible CAN immobiliser, no fob, no LED, PIN entered on the car's own buttons.
- Both: arm without the driver having to remember anything.
- X-Series also: a driver tag option, so it can disarm automatically as you get in.
- X-Series also: pairs with a ScorpionTrack S5 and 24/7 in-house UK monitoring.
- X-Series: designed and built by a UK manufacturer since 1973, tracker and immobiliser from one company.
Side by side
| Scorpion X-Series | Autowatch Ghost | |
|---|---|---|
| CAN bus immobiliser | Yes | Yes |
| No key fob or visible LED | Yes | Yes |
| Custom PIN via the vehicle's own buttons | Yes | Yes |
| Arms automatically at ignition-off | Yes | Yes |
| Driver tag option (auto-disarm) | Yes | PIN based |
| Pairs with a tracker from the same maker | ScorpionTrack S5 | Standalone immobiliser |
| 24/7 in-house UK monitoring | Available with tracking | Not included |
| Made by | Scorpion, UK, since 1973 | Autowatch |
Comparison reflects how each product is typically supplied. Confirm current specifications with each manufacturer.
What to weigh up
Both stop relay theft. These are the points that tend to decide it.
How you disarm
A PIN on the buttons, or the option of a driver tag that disarms automatically.
Standalone or system
An immobiliser on its own, or one part of immobiliser, tracker and monitoring together.
Monitoring and recovery
Whether an attack simply stops the car, or also alerts a team who can act.
Who makes and backs it
A UK manufacturer making the immobiliser, the tracker and running the monitoring.
Insurance requirements
Meeting an insurer's security condition on a high-value vehicle.
Everyday convenience
Whether you enter a PIN each drive, or a tag disarms it for you.
Choosing between immobilisers?
Tell us your vehicle and how you'd like to disarm it, and we'll confirm the right setup, on its own or with tracking.
Reference
How the X-Series works
It arms itself, blocks the drive-away, and only releases on your PIN or tag.
- 1
Arms at ignition-off
The X-Series arms itself on the CAN bus every time the ignition is switched off, automatically.
- 2
Blocks the start
A relayed or cloned key can't drive the car; the immobiliser holds it until it sees the right secret.
- 3
PIN or driver tag
Disarm with a custom PIN on the vehicle's buttons, or a driver tag that releases it as you get in.
- 4
Alerts on attack
Paired with a ScorpionTrack tracker, an attempt raises an alert with our 24/7 monitoring team.
Which vehicles it fits
The X-Series works with the vehicle's own buttons and network, so it fits a wide range of cars, vans and 4x4s, including the keyless models most exposed to relay theft.
Speak to us with your vehicle and we'll confirm the right setup, immobiliser alone or paired with tracking and monitoring.
With the X-Series you can drive using a custom PIN, a sequence of the vehicle's buttons unique to you, or carry a driver tag. Pair the tag with a ScorpionTrack S5 and the immobiliser disarms automatically as you get in, so there's no PIN to enter on an everyday drive.
Because Scorpion makes the immobiliser, the tracker and runs the monitoring centre, an attempted theft doesn't just stop the car, it raises an alert with our team, who call to check the vehicle is safe. That single-supplier chain, from immobiliser to tracking to recovery, is the part a standalone immobiliser leaves to someone else.
Often fitted to keyless models such as:
Common questions
Is the Scorpion X-Series like the Autowatch Ghost?
Yes, both are CAN bus immobilisers with no fob or LED, disarmed by a PIN entered through the vehicle's own buttons. The X-Series also offers a driver tag and pairs with ScorpionTrack tracking and 24/7 monitoring.
What's the main difference between them?
The X-Series adds a driver tag alongside the PIN, and it's made by a manufacturer that also builds trackers and runs a monitoring centre, so it can be part of one security system rather than a standalone immobiliser.
Do I have to enter a PIN every time I drive?
Not necessarily. With the X-Series you can use a custom PIN, or a driver tag that disarms the immobiliser automatically as you get in, especially when paired with a ScorpionTrack S5.
Does the X-Series work with a tracker?
Yes. It pairs with a ScorpionTrack S5, so a driver tag disarms it automatically and any attempted theft raises an alert with our 24/7 in-house monitoring team.
Who makes the X-Series?
Scorpion Automotive, a UK manufacturer building vehicle security and telematics in Chorley since 1973, with its own R&D, immobilisers, trackers and monitoring centre.
Which should I choose, the X-Series or the Ghost?
Both stop relay theft as a CAN immobiliser with a PIN. Choose on how you want to disarm it and how far you want it to reach: an immobiliser on its own, or one that ties into tracking, 24/7 monitoring and recovery from a single maker. Speak to us with your vehicle and we'll talk it through.
Is the X-Series harder to bypass than a standard alarm?
It works differently to an alarm. Rather than sounding when triggered, it stops the vehicle being driven at all until the right PIN or tag is used, so a relayed or cloned key gets the thief nowhere.