It’s all about making vehicles emit less emissions nowadays which is why we are moving away from ICEs, especially diesel ones. But that’s not the only step car manufacturers are taking towards a greener future. The exhaust system is also put on the spot by having extra resonators and more advanced catalytic converters in place.
The exhaust on every vehicle works to not only reduce emissions but to route out engine fumes as quickly as possible without reducing performance or hampering emissions filtering capabilities. The exhaust also helps reduce the sound coming from the engine.
Why Add an Aftermarket Performance Exhaust?
HP
Although an exhaust system is not made to reduce the performance of your vehicle, however, it can be a tad limiting with all those components that filter out particles and frequencies. But with an aftermarket performance exhaust in Australia, you can legally improve the number of HP your car makes without polluting as much.
Efficiency
An aftermarket exhaust system can also help improve the efficiency of the engine and certain engine bay components. This is what can also aid not only in fuel consumption but also in preserving the engine’s internals as much as possible.
Longevity
By improving the efficiency of your vehicle, especially the engine, a performance exhaust helps prolong its lifespan. The better certain components work the less wear they experience and the longer they last which in turn, makes your vehicle last longer too.
Sound
Since an exhaust also affects the sound coming from the engine, you can change the exhaust note that your vehicle has from the factory. You don’t have to necessarily make your car louder but you can make it have a nice burble to it, low enough to turn heads.
Appearance
Despite most of the exhaust being on the undercarriage, you can still change the way your vehicle looks but only from the back. With a couple of shiny tailpipes, you can easily make your weekend car a beauty from the rear. It’s a subtle yet noticeable difference.
Types of Performance Exhausts
Header-Back
If you run a car with a naturally aspirated engine then you should consider header-back aftermarket exhausts. A header-back performance exhaust across Australia replaces your exhaust system completely which gives you the freedom to choose each component and create a truly custom system if you want to. You will spend quite a bit of time and money to install this performance system but not as much as you will on a turbo-back exhaust.
Turbo-Back
A turbo-back exhaust goes one component up and replaces the turbocharger alongside the exhaust. That is if you have a turbocharged car, otherwise you won’t make the most out of this type of aftermarket system. Unless you plan on turbocharging your car, now that’s a project on its own, which, will give you more HP to work with and a lovely sound when downshifting.
Cat-Back
The most common first aftermarket exhaust is a cat-back exhaust which replaces components starting from the catalytic converter to the tailpipes. While you don’t get the same performance improvements and exhaust note changes as with a header or turbo-back exhaust you will definitely spend much less time and money. This is a fairly decent solution that provides a balance between power and cost.
Exhaust Materials
Stainless Steel
When it comes to performance exhausts everything starts from stainless steel as it’s the baseline material in this case. While there are mild steel and aluminised steel exhausts they are not able to withstand the limits performance vehicles have. Stainless steel performance exhaust systems are better since they are a lot stronger and more durable than both aluminised and mild steel exhausts. Stainless steel exhausts also have better anti-corrosive properties.
Titanium
Titanium aftermarket exhausts are even stronger and more durable than stainless steel performance exhaust systems. Titanium is also much lighter while being able to withstand temperature variations better as well as exposure to higher temperatures for longer periods. Titanium exhausts cost more but they are also better for the environment as they are 100% recyclable.
Inconel
If you want to have the best of the best in terms of materials then you should go for an Inconel exhaust. This is a blend of materials made to provide you with the toughest and lightest exhaust you’ll come across. Inconel aftermarket exhausts can also take the highest temperatures and know of no corrosion whatsoever. They are quite hard to find though and typically need to be custom-made for your vehicle which ramps up their price even further up.
Conclusion
No matter the type of vehicle you have fitting an exhaust to it changes the way you view it and especially the way you drive it. Even if you go for the least performance-oriented exhaust you will still have a much better system on the underside than most stock vehicles do when it comes to both power and sound.
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