Exhaust systems are a pretty common and often underrated vehicle upgrade. This is so mainly because they have a bad rep for amplifying the vehicle’s sound, but they can actually be very helpful for your vehicle’s performance. Your vehicle’s stock system may perform well but in reality, it isn’t as efficient and cost-effective as a high-performance system. Take a look why.
Piping
The way the pipes are usually constructed in a high performance exhaust system provides a better airflow which leads to an increase in horsepower. ‘Mandrel-bent’ is a term that you’ll hear a lot when it comes to high performance exhaust systems and it has to with how the pipes are bent. Unlike their crush-bent counterparts, mandrel-bent pipes are curved smoothly instead of having wrinkles, which allows for gasses to easily exit. They also come in a bigger diameter which allows for a larger amount of gasses to pass through, enabling the engine to have a more consistent intake of air.
Material
The actual construction of the system as a whole makes it more durable and stronger while improving the resistance to heat and corrosion. This is the case with stainless steel or titanium-made high performance exhaust systems which can outlive the vehicle itself due to their coating. Different coatings will give you different levels of corrosion resistance but all in all they are all excellent choices.
Mufflers
When it comes to the sound of high performance systems, they can definitely make the vehicle louder but they can also reduce dB levels and give it a nice grunting sound. This is mainly because of the muffler and although the material plays a role as well, it is not as impactful as the muffler. You can have a powerful yet quieter vehicle if you get a muffler that isn’t as restrictive performance-wise as it is when it comes to noise reduction.
Options
There isn’t a bad choice when it comes to performance systems as you can also customize them in different ways. For example, if you don’t want to change the whole system, you can go with a cat-back or an axle-back system. This won’t make a drastic improvement but it will be a noticeable one – of course, this also depends on the state of your vehicle. The tips of the exhaust can be made to make your car look sportier and not just sound that way.
