volume vs. tone
June 3rd, 2006I just heard a Corvette C6 drive by with what I assume was a ‘custom’ exhaust. It sounded terrible. Granted it wasn’t as loud as some cars with aftermarket exhausts, but the note of those 8 cylinders was drowned out in a haze of whooshing and fizzing.
Exhaust tuning is not as straightforward as it seems – many debate the high end power vs. low end torque issue but the way I see it you can 2 of the following three: power, quiet, or system size. I.e. if you want to make more power without increasing volume you have to increase the size of the mufflers (witness the exhaust on a BMW M5, so large there’s no room for a spare tire). If you want more power but the system stays the same size more noise is the consequence…
But regardless of what you drive, focus on spending on a system that’s designed for your vehicle specifically, not a ‘universal’ muffler made to fit. There are companies that focus on letting out more of the engine note (e.g. Stromung, Supersprint) and those that just go for loudness (e.g. Tri Flo, Borla) – make sure you know what you’re buying, lest your car sound like a UPS truck as it goes by.