How to improve performance and sound of your exhaust
Note: homologated exhaust = EU approved exhaust
What’s the exhaust like?
The manifold has a weird shape and has the cat in it: this is made to raise
After the manifold there is a silenced donwpipe, a resonator in the central part and a silenced backbox.
How to improve performance:
A catback exhaust won’t do much performance wise. You’ll have to use a decat or a sport cat to improve performance but this is illegal (* some people said that passed mot with a sport cat getting it hot…). Then you’ll need a remap to get the most of it and run the car with no issues.
Improving sound:
Bear in mind that the biggest silencers are in the downpipe and the backbox, removing the central resonator won’t do much. How to choose the exhaust? The first thing to know if you need an homologated exhaust.
In the case of homologated exhausts, we will only be able to change the central pipe and silencer by putting on a silenced and homologated ones, such as the Inoxcar ones (while silenced and homologated downpipes do NOT exist).
Unfortunately, by changing these two components the sound will increase slightly: the muffler is certainly freer than the original, which has a really huge barrel, and above all the stainless steel material will allow you to have a deeper sound.
By installing only the terminal the differences will be similar but less pronounced.
Video of central pipe and eu approved backbox:
In the case of NON-approved exhausts, the question becomes more complicated and depends on the needs.
We assume that since the central pipe has only one resonator, having it approved-silenced or direct will not lead to excessive differences. The choice must therefore be made on the catalyst, downpipe and terminal. To have a good sound without the need for remapping we must not touch the catalyst.
The choice is therefore between a non-silenced downpipe or a non-approved silencer. As a first step, the silencer on the downpipe could be eliminated; after which, if still not satisfied, you could aim to take a terminal in a second phase.
NOTE: having a non-silenced downpipe and a NON homologated silencer could result in “excessive” sound. Many use a non-silenced downpipe and original / homologated silencer every day without the sound being annoying.
To have crackles on release you need to eliminate everything: catalyst and all silencers (or at least as many of these as possible). In this case, however, the sound will be really strong, like that of the rally R1.
If you are looking for performance and sound but not excessive, we recommend a decat / cat 200 cells, a non-silenced downpipe while maintaining an original or approved silencer.
Video cat 200 cells + direct and approved final downpipe:
In general: in most cases I would recommend an approved silencer and a non-silenced downpipe, but unfortunately this solution is not legal (in Italy at least).
Video with original cat, direct downpipe and approved final: (red RS)
Cat 200 + Ktec exhaust (not EU approved):
Straight central pipe + eu approved backbox
Stock downpipe and manifold, group n central and backbox
R1 exhaust:
