Performance Exhausts Explained: More Power, Less Engine Stress, Better Sound

If you want your car to look good and be protected at all times, consider a professional coating service. And if you want it to sound its best, install a performance exhaust. Contrary to what tuning houses want you to believe, getting the most out of your car doesn’t necessarily imply spending thousands on complicated and ineffective upgrades. 

What Qualifies as a Performance Exhaust? 

Performance exhausts are designed for optimal engine efficiency. They use better materials, superior production processes, and designs that let the engine breathe. Cumulative results are boosted engine power and torque, improved airflow and lasting durability, no matter where or how you drive. And the good news for all motorists is that there are performance exhaust systems tailor-made for just about every car make and model.  

Stock vs Performance – Know the Differences 

Stock piping is one area where car manufacturers exercise cost-cutting to keep overall vehicle prices down. Factory exhausts are made from crush-bent mild steel, which is prone to rust, staining, deformation and puncturing. The material won’t last long in the wet, on bad roads, or when working the gas pedal harder than usual. Moreover, factory systems use narrow-diameter pipes and mufflers to meet current noise regulations and reduce emissions. This effectively reduces airflow from the exhaust manifold to the tips, creating unwanted restrictions that rob the engine of its full potential. 

Aftermarket manufacturers have addressed all the shortcomings in factory designs to produce parts and complete systems that your car and engine deserve. Benefits include: 

• More power and torque: Wide-diameter pipes ensure increased exhaust velocity, meaning spent gases exit the car faster and make way for the next combustion cycle. This translates to improved efficiency and, consequently, more power and torque. Full systems can add up to 10 per cent over rated factory numbers, with a wider spread of torque. 
• Faster acceleration and higher top speeds: More low-end torque means a more responsive car and faster acceleration. Reduced restrictions and backpressure also lead to more power higher up the rev range for faster top speeds. 
• Reduced engine stress: Wider and straighter tubing ensures spent gases are drawn out faster, reducing engine bay temperatures and pressure. Parts that benefit are the exhaust valves, turbines, and manifolds. Less heat retention and reduced pressure translate to lower engine stress, reduced fuel use and improved longevity. 
• Durability: Stainless steel is lighter but stronger than mild steel in comparable thickness. The material withstands higher temperatures, has increased tensile strength to withstand road debris, imperfections and obstacles, and is resistant to corrosion. Mandrel bending also ensures that the piping retains uniformity throughout its length, preventing kinking and reducing airflow.  Moreover, mounting hardware supplied with performance exhaust systems eliminates vibrations between bolted parts and provides a secure, leak-free fit. 
• Sound profiles: Get the sound you want with custom exhaust system parts. The exhaust note can be deep, loud and throaty or tamed, but full of character. This depends on the overall pipe diameters, muffler and resonator types and layouts, and proprietary technology such as valving. 
• Aesthetics and customzation options: Choose exhaust tip size, shapes and finishes for a personalized look to your car, and individual parts ranging from headers, downpipes, catalytic converters, mid-pipes, mufflers and tail-pipes to get the results you expect. All parts are modular in design and bolt-on together. Alternatively, choose pre-assembled “complete” systems. 

More Than the Sum of Parts 

Combined as a unit, separate exhaust parts increase velocity, reduce airflow restrictions, turn up exhaust volumes, and ensure system integrity and durability. Individual parts can also be added to the factory piping. Here’s what they do: 

Exhaust Manifolds and Headers

Performance manifolds or headers come in larger-diameter pipes with smoother bends to ensure faster airflow out of the combustion chamber. They additionally create a pulsating vacuum known as exhaust scavenging to draw spent gases out more efficiently. 

Performance Downpipes 

These connect to turbochargers and reduce backpressure. They also help with faster and more efficient turbo spooling. 

High-flow Catalytic Converters 

High-flow converters have a less dense internal structure. They aim to reduce airflow restrictions typical of factory catalytic converters. A by-product is the deeper, louder sound. 

Straight-pipe Mufflers 

Straight-through core or baffle-less mufflers also help reduce airflow restrictions, while still reflecting and cancelling out sound waves for a controlled exhaust note, albeit in higher volumes. Factors affecting sound included butterfly valves in the muffler outlet tubes, inlet and outlet location, and overall muffler size. 

Tips 

Exhaust tips add visual appeal, with round, oval, square, angle-cut and turndown tips offered in a single or dual tip layout. They can also be customized for materials and finishes, with chrome, matte, polished and burnt carbon fiber, titanium or stainless steel the common choices. Larger diameters control pulsating sounds and improve airflow. 

Which Performance Exhaust for My Car? 

To enjoy all the benefits of a performance exhaust, choose reputed manufacturers with cutting-edge production methods and technologies. Subtle differences determine how your exhaust performs, sounds and lasts. Go with quality builds, stainless-steel tubing in the appropriate widths, and finishes that combine aesthetics and longevity. Choose exhaust separates for localized benefits, or pre-assembled axle-back, cat-back or header/turbo-back systems for a complete overhaul and performance boost.