Nip/Tuck
05-20-2010, 08:59 PM
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Nip/Tuck
**Note** There are alot of images on this post and they may not all load on first attempt. Refresh the page two or three times then all the images should come up 
There is not much we can improve on the look of our GT3/RS from the outside but hidden behind that gorgeous rear of our ride are some unsightly cellulite that need to be skillfully removed to give us better edge on the twisty. Short of flipping the engine/tranny 180 degrees around there are few options to shed weight off the rear. Euro rear bumper conversion saved 11 lbs, WEVO engine mounts shaved 3 lbs and Sharkwerks center bypass knocked off another 14 lbs which add up to 28 lbs total. Not bad ... but I want more off! The obvious option will be some sort of light weight exhaust system.
Here are my criteria for a light weight exhaust system:
In this write up I will cover five area of this modification including Parts, weight, assembly, sound/dyno and track impression. So here we go. Let's go over the parts of the Akrapovic exhaust.
The first thing I noticed when I receive the exhaust was that it can be fitted in one larger box about 4'X2'X2' and light. When I open the shipping box I thought I order the wrong stuff and got a whole bunch of designer Gucci bags! lol Each exhaust parts are carefully wrapped and packaged in a box designed by Akrapovic. They did not cut corners even with packaging.
The smallest box contained the large titanium tail pipes. Man! is it well made. It also contain the installation CD which was a great help.
I was surprised that both headers fit in one box and super light
Race connecting pipes
Side mufflers
Center mufflers
The only difference between 3.6L and 3.8L Akrapovic exhaust are the brackets used to secure the header and side mufflers. The bracket shown above are for the 3.8L and you can option for a set of 3.6L brackets below just incase you want to switch the exhaust between your 7.1 and 7.2 RS
Here is another view of the two brackets on the side mufflers. The one with the three holes are for the 3.6L GT3/RS
I am really blown away at how well these titanium exhaust are made! They are museum quality and no exaggeration at all! I thought about not installing it and instead display them on my fireplace mantel .... nah. You have to infuse these titanium goods in the rear to complete the Nip/Tuck transformation. One word about these exhaust .... PURE SEX!
There is not much we can improve on the look of our GT3/RS from the outside but hidden behind that gorgeous rear of our ride are some unsightly cellulite that need to be skillfully removed to give us better edge on the twisty. Short of flipping the engine/tranny 180 degrees around there are few options to shed weight off the rear. Euro rear bumper conversion saved 11 lbs, WEVO engine mounts shaved 3 lbs and Sharkwerks center bypass knocked off another 14 lbs which add up to 28 lbs total. Not bad ... but I want more off! The obvious option will be some sort of light weight exhaust system.
Here are my criteria for a light weight exhaust system:
- Able to pass Laguna Seca 92 db sound limit
- Do not deteriorate exhaust sound compare with OEM/Sharkwerks center bypass
- Excellent craftsmanship backed by strong factory warranty and customer service
- Gain power where I needed the most on the track
In this write up I will cover five area of this modification including Parts, weight, assembly, sound/dyno and track impression. So here we go. Let's go over the parts of the Akrapovic exhaust.
The first thing I noticed when I receive the exhaust was that it can be fitted in one larger box about 4'X2'X2' and light. When I open the shipping box I thought I order the wrong stuff and got a whole bunch of designer Gucci bags! lol Each exhaust parts are carefully wrapped and packaged in a box designed by Akrapovic. They did not cut corners even with packaging.
The smallest box contained the large titanium tail pipes. Man! is it well made. It also contain the installation CD which was a great help.
I was surprised that both headers fit in one box and super light
Race connecting pipes
Side mufflers
Center mufflers
The only difference between 3.6L and 3.8L Akrapovic exhaust are the brackets used to secure the header and side mufflers. The bracket shown above are for the 3.8L and you can option for a set of 3.6L brackets below just incase you want to switch the exhaust between your 7.1 and 7.2 RS
Here is another view of the two brackets on the side mufflers. The one with the three holes are for the 3.6L GT3/RS
I am really blown away at how well these titanium exhaust are made! They are museum quality and no exaggeration at all! I thought about not installing it and instead display them on my fireplace mantel .... nah. You have to infuse these titanium goods in the rear to complete the Nip/Tuck transformation. One word about these exhaust .... PURE SEX!
Last edited by mikymu; 05-22-2010 at 12:32 PM.
05-20-2010, 08:59 PM
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Weight
OK, here is the break down of weight by parts.
Headers with brackets:
Akrapovic - 6 lbs each
Stock - 12 lbs each
Side mufflers with brackets:
Akrapovic - 10 lbs each
Stock - 20 lbs each
Center exhaust:
Akrapovic with race connecting pipes - 15 lbs
Akrapovic without race connecting pipes - 13 lbs
Sharkwerks center bypass with upper pipe plugs - 6 lbs
Sharkwerks center bypass without upper pipe plugs - 5 lbs
Stock - 18 lbs
Tips:
Akrapovic - 2 lbs
Stock - 3 lbs
Complete stock exhaust weigh 85 lbs. Here are the possible Akrapovic exhaust configurations with perspective weight savings going from the heaviest to the lightest. *Note* make sure to take measurement of the before and after rear ride height with your perspective setup and lower the rear ridding height accordingly. For example, The rear ride height of my RS increase by 1/8" with Race setup and I had to turn the shock height adjuster two 360 turns to lower the car accordingly.
Evolution = 47 lbs which is 38 lbs lighter than stock
Evolution with Sharkwerks center bypass = 39 lbs which is 46 lbs lighter than stock
Race = 29 lbs which is 56 lbs lighter than stock
Race with Sharkwerks center bypass - INSANE! lol It weigh 20 lbs which is 65 lbs lighter than stock
OK, Now we throw Sharkwerks' center bypass in the midst to spice things up a bit. What are the advantage and disadvantage of each setup other than weight saving? Well, let's move on to assembly next so we can test sound and dyno for answer
Headers with brackets:
Akrapovic - 6 lbs each
Stock - 12 lbs each
Side mufflers with brackets:
Akrapovic - 10 lbs each
Stock - 20 lbs each
Center exhaust:
Akrapovic with race connecting pipes - 15 lbs
Akrapovic without race connecting pipes - 13 lbs
Sharkwerks center bypass with upper pipe plugs - 6 lbs
Sharkwerks center bypass without upper pipe plugs - 5 lbs
Stock - 18 lbs
Tips:
Akrapovic - 2 lbs
Stock - 3 lbs
Complete stock exhaust weigh 85 lbs. Here are the possible Akrapovic exhaust configurations with perspective weight savings going from the heaviest to the lightest. *Note* make sure to take measurement of the before and after rear ride height with your perspective setup and lower the rear ridding height accordingly. For example, The rear ride height of my RS increase by 1/8" with Race setup and I had to turn the shock height adjuster two 360 turns to lower the car accordingly.
Evolution = 47 lbs which is 38 lbs lighter than stock
Evolution with Sharkwerks center bypass = 39 lbs which is 46 lbs lighter than stock
Race = 29 lbs which is 56 lbs lighter than stock
Race with Sharkwerks center bypass - INSANE! lol It weigh 20 lbs which is 65 lbs lighter than stock
OK, Now we throw Sharkwerks' center bypass in the midst to spice things up a bit. What are the advantage and disadvantage of each setup other than weight saving? Well, let's move on to assembly next so we can test sound and dyno for answer
Last edited by mikymu; 05-21-2010 at 01:43 PM.
05-20-2010, 09:01 PM
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Assembly
Well, Akrapovic made install a breeze with some of the best DIY instruction CD I have ever seen. There are couple key points to go over which is not cover in the instruction CD to make this install a bit easier.
OK, first thing first. Let's get the titanium implants and tools ready for the operation. Make sure you are well hydrated with a well lit OR
Go over all your parts to make sure everything is there and you are good to go.
Let's remove the OEM iron cellulite from the butt. One thing about the OEM center muffler ... it is very poorly made! Bolts securing the side muffler pipe brackets are all stripped. One of the bolt was in such a horrible condition it actually seize up and snap the stud
This poor quality also apply to 2010 RS titanium center exhaust. They blow up on the track and can not handle the heat.
Pull off the vacuum valve hose and you can spray some WD-40 to help slid off the clamp-on clip at the end
After you remove the center muffler, remove the side muffler nuts that secure the brackets and a C shape ring that connect the side muffler to the cats. Now you can move the side mufflers out of the way
Here is a look at the 400 cell OEM cats - pretty dense
OK, before you remove the O2 sensors on the header, I highly recommend disconnecting the sensor wires to prevent excessive twisting which can cause damage to the wires. The two plug (one blue and one black) are located next to the engine mounts
The black plug come off when you disconnect it but you need to pull up the blue plug from the bracket by gently rocking it back and fourth to free it
Free up the O2 sensor wires from two more brackets in the engine bay and a zip tie below and use a 22 mm wrench to loosen the O2 sensor.
Exercise care not to damage the O2 sensors. They are not cheap
Loosen the 9 rusty 13 mm bolts on the headers and it will come off very easily
I guess it's a good thing to replace the header bolts ... I am cheap so I reuse them lol
Here is a picture of the heavy iron cellulite stock exhaust
Oh yeah ... beauty and the beast contest lol
OK, the next thing on the agenda is removal of the vacuum valve on the OEM side mufflers. Factory weld the two 10 mm bolts on the vacuum valve likely to prevent it coming loose from all the vibration. Just carefully dremel off the welded spot on the bolt and it should come right off. You may need to remove the vacuum valve from the bracket if you can't gain access for some reason. Spray some WD-40 into the metal ball end and it can be easily pop off.
Assemble the vacuum valve in the correct orientation as indicated in the instruction CD as shown below
You need to adjust the ball end so that the butterfly valve in the Akrapovic side muffler connecting pipes are in the full open position when there are no vacuum.
When the vacuum is applied the butterfly valve will not close completely as in OEM side mufflers and there are gaps between the edge of the valve and the pipe itself.
OK, now let's move on to the Akrapovic headers. Make sure you get a set of new header gaskets. They are made out of two thin metal sheet and it's kind of wrapped - it will be sandwiched tight once installed
It's a good idea to tighten the bolts by moving from one end to the next to help even things out
100 cell Akrapovic cats
Install the O2 sensors and connect the wires in the engine bay and sure the wires into perspective brackets and zip tie. The rest is pretty straight forward just follow the instruction CD.
Some of the hardest part of install was lining up the connecting pipes. First you want to make sure the ceramic like black ring that slip on the connecting pipes can be slid back and fourth easily on the pipes. Gently dremel the inside of the ring if it's too tight - don't over do it!
You need the movement of the conceiting pipes to help line up with the cats and side mufflers if that apply to your set up
It's a good thing to have the metal belt for the center section place on the bracket to help hold the exhaust up while you line things up - this is true for Race and Evolution setups
The side mufflers connecting pipes maybe difficult to install since they may not line up exactly right. You will need to move the side mufflers around until the pipes can be fitted ... what a PITA.
Once the center heat shield is installed. Look below at the center muffler to see if it's touching the rear bumper or heat shield
If it is, check the connecting pipes to make sure they sit all the way back on the cats and side mufflers as not to displace the center muffler so it's touching the rear bumper - very little clearance.
This Race connecting pipe is not back far enough on the cat.
You may need to pull back on the heat shield bracket a bit to help give it some room.
OK, I am running out of room to post pictures. Will continue on the next section ...
OK, first thing first. Let's get the titanium implants and tools ready for the operation. Make sure you are well hydrated with a well lit OR
Go over all your parts to make sure everything is there and you are good to go.
Let's remove the OEM iron cellulite from the butt. One thing about the OEM center muffler ... it is very poorly made! Bolts securing the side muffler pipe brackets are all stripped. One of the bolt was in such a horrible condition it actually seize up and snap the stud
This poor quality also apply to 2010 RS titanium center exhaust. They blow up on the track and can not handle the heat.
Pull off the vacuum valve hose and you can spray some WD-40 to help slid off the clamp-on clip at the end
After you remove the center muffler, remove the side muffler nuts that secure the brackets and a C shape ring that connect the side muffler to the cats. Now you can move the side mufflers out of the way
Here is a look at the 400 cell OEM cats - pretty dense
OK, before you remove the O2 sensors on the header, I highly recommend disconnecting the sensor wires to prevent excessive twisting which can cause damage to the wires. The two plug (one blue and one black) are located next to the engine mounts
The black plug come off when you disconnect it but you need to pull up the blue plug from the bracket by gently rocking it back and fourth to free it
Free up the O2 sensor wires from two more brackets in the engine bay and a zip tie below and use a 22 mm wrench to loosen the O2 sensor.
Exercise care not to damage the O2 sensors. They are not cheap
Loosen the 9 rusty 13 mm bolts on the headers and it will come off very easily
I guess it's a good thing to replace the header bolts ... I am cheap so I reuse them lol
Here is a picture of the heavy iron cellulite stock exhaust
Oh yeah ... beauty and the beast contest lol
OK, the next thing on the agenda is removal of the vacuum valve on the OEM side mufflers. Factory weld the two 10 mm bolts on the vacuum valve likely to prevent it coming loose from all the vibration. Just carefully dremel off the welded spot on the bolt and it should come right off. You may need to remove the vacuum valve from the bracket if you can't gain access for some reason. Spray some WD-40 into the metal ball end and it can be easily pop off.
Assemble the vacuum valve in the correct orientation as indicated in the instruction CD as shown below
You need to adjust the ball end so that the butterfly valve in the Akrapovic side muffler connecting pipes are in the full open position when there are no vacuum.
When the vacuum is applied the butterfly valve will not close completely as in OEM side mufflers and there are gaps between the edge of the valve and the pipe itself.
OK, now let's move on to the Akrapovic headers. Make sure you get a set of new header gaskets. They are made out of two thin metal sheet and it's kind of wrapped - it will be sandwiched tight once installed
It's a good idea to tighten the bolts by moving from one end to the next to help even things out
100 cell Akrapovic cats
Install the O2 sensors and connect the wires in the engine bay and sure the wires into perspective brackets and zip tie. The rest is pretty straight forward just follow the instruction CD.
Some of the hardest part of install was lining up the connecting pipes. First you want to make sure the ceramic like black ring that slip on the connecting pipes can be slid back and fourth easily on the pipes. Gently dremel the inside of the ring if it's too tight - don't over do it!
You need the movement of the conceiting pipes to help line up with the cats and side mufflers if that apply to your set up
It's a good thing to have the metal belt for the center section place on the bracket to help hold the exhaust up while you line things up - this is true for Race and Evolution setups
The side mufflers connecting pipes maybe difficult to install since they may not line up exactly right. You will need to move the side mufflers around until the pipes can be fitted ... what a PITA.
Once the center heat shield is installed. Look below at the center muffler to see if it's touching the rear bumper or heat shield
If it is, check the connecting pipes to make sure they sit all the way back on the cats and side mufflers as not to displace the center muffler so it's touching the rear bumper - very little clearance.
This Race connecting pipe is not back far enough on the cat.
You may need to pull back on the heat shield bracket a bit to help give it some room.
OK, I am running out of room to post pictures. Will continue on the next section ...
05-20-2010, 09:02 PM
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Sound/Dyno
OK, a bit more to cover on assembly before moving to sound and dyno.
Let's talk a little about Sharkwerks center bypass. The ends of the Sharkwerks center bypass was not large enough to accommodate Akrapovic's connecting pipes. I got blessing from Alex to "sacrifice" the Sharky pipes (I cried a little) and unfortunately the ends of the pipes already have a parallel cut so when I try to expend the ends they split. I had to get it welded and basically made several more parallel cuts and flare the ends to fit
The top pipes on the Sharky bypass did not have deep enough expansion so I had to cut the ends off and made a temporary connection to mate Akrapovic with Sharky
For the race/Sharky set up, I just made two plugs for the upper pipes and good to go.
Sound and Dyno
This was a very interesting experiment with intriguing results. There are total of four possible combination of exhaust setup when combining Akrapovic with Sharkwerks center bypass. I will start with stock/Sharkwerks as reference. Each setup will include video of drive by and standing sound decibel test plus dyno runs. All dyno are done with Sport mode on. Both sound and dyno measurement are also done with exhaust going through or bypass side mufflers if that applies to the set up. Here we go:
100% stock baseline is the thin blue line in all the dyno graph with peak hp of 368.7 and peak torque of 281.4
Stock and Stock + Sharkwerks center bypass
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNSXQbGvdWg
No secrete here. Sharky's center bypass (red line) pretty much gain hp all through the RPM range. Lost a little torque below 5K RPM due to reduced back pressure. Sounds real good with Sharky center bypass and can pass sound at Laguna Seca when exhaust are diverted through side mufflers
Akrapovic Evolution
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srio39l-m8U
Red line = sport on and exhaust NOT going through side mufflers
Green line = sport on and exhaust going through side mufflers
12.3 hp and 8.3 torque gain at peak power and torque when exhaust bypass side mufflers. Most importantly 10+ hp and 20+ torque gain seen pass 5K RPM which is fantastic for track use. Lost of power and torque below 4K RPM. 16.9 hp lost when exhaust is diverted to side mufflers for quiet operation
Akrapovic Evolution + Sharky center muffler bypass
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP8r6mz7UNE
Dark blue line = sport on and exhaust NOT going through side mufflers
Burgundy line = sport on and exhaust going through side mufflers
It is straight pipe loud when exhaust bypass side mufflers yet quiet enough to potentially pass Laguna Seca sound limit when exhaust go through side mufflers. It lost 1.5 hp up top compare with Evolution setup but still gain 10.8 hp pass 5K RPM. It lost alot of torque below 4.5K PRM when exhaust bypass side mufflers - much more so than exhaust going through side mufflers. But the interesting part is that when you divert the exhaust through side mufflers, it loss less torque in the lower RPM range compare with Evolution and has slightly more hp and torque pass 5K RPM compare with Evolution. Wow, this set up is 8 lbs lighter than Evolution and had some very interesting property when exhaust is diverted through side mufflers ....
Akrapovic Race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba65ui4iDYo
Yellow line - sport on. The second dyno graph below is from Akrapovic. When I first saw Akrapovic's Race dyno chart I thought to myself the massive 30-40 torque lost below 3.7K RPM must be an artifact ... until I saw the same thing with my dyno and also felt the lost of torque driving around town. This set up drone alot below 3K RPM and surprisingly quiet at high RPM. I was really worry I will have to down shift frequently on the track in slow corners due to significant lost of torque below 3.7RPM. Well, I am happy to report that fear has never materialized. When I enter a slow corner, the engine just spool up pass 4K RPM in an instant like I have a light weight fly wheel on steroid. My RS was buckling when I step on the accelerator because I could not gauge how quickly the engine spool up which negate ANY lower RPM lost. What a joy to drive the Race setup!
Akrapovic Race with Sharky center bypass
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9zDjB2k-i8
Thicker blue line - sport on. OK, unless you have a death wish or you like to punish yourself for some reason then run this setup. It will knock 65 lbs off the rear along with all your teeth on the track and shatter windows on the street. It is LOUD!!
Massive 60+ torque loss below 3K RPM then it's all sweet spot passs 3K RPM all the way to the top and edge out Race configuration by 2 hp. I can just imagine the car will feel like it has no fly wheels on the track since there is pretty much no back pressure. I am not brave enough to try this configuration ... it will sit in the back of my mind until one of my neighbor **** me off lol
So, very interesting findings. Which configuration do you fancy?
Let's talk a little about Sharkwerks center bypass. The ends of the Sharkwerks center bypass was not large enough to accommodate Akrapovic's connecting pipes. I got blessing from Alex to "sacrifice" the Sharky pipes (I cried a little) and unfortunately the ends of the pipes already have a parallel cut so when I try to expend the ends they split. I had to get it welded and basically made several more parallel cuts and flare the ends to fit
The top pipes on the Sharky bypass did not have deep enough expansion so I had to cut the ends off and made a temporary connection to mate Akrapovic with Sharky
For the race/Sharky set up, I just made two plugs for the upper pipes and good to go.
Sound and Dyno
This was a very interesting experiment with intriguing results. There are total of four possible combination of exhaust setup when combining Akrapovic with Sharkwerks center bypass. I will start with stock/Sharkwerks as reference. Each setup will include video of drive by and standing sound decibel test plus dyno runs. All dyno are done with Sport mode on. Both sound and dyno measurement are also done with exhaust going through or bypass side mufflers if that applies to the set up. Here we go:
100% stock baseline is the thin blue line in all the dyno graph with peak hp of 368.7 and peak torque of 281.4
Stock and Stock + Sharkwerks center bypass
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNSXQbGvdWg
No secrete here. Sharky's center bypass (red line) pretty much gain hp all through the RPM range. Lost a little torque below 5K RPM due to reduced back pressure. Sounds real good with Sharky center bypass and can pass sound at Laguna Seca when exhaust are diverted through side mufflers
Akrapovic Evolution
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srio39l-m8U
Red line = sport on and exhaust NOT going through side mufflers
Green line = sport on and exhaust going through side mufflers
12.3 hp and 8.3 torque gain at peak power and torque when exhaust bypass side mufflers. Most importantly 10+ hp and 20+ torque gain seen pass 5K RPM which is fantastic for track use. Lost of power and torque below 4K RPM. 16.9 hp lost when exhaust is diverted to side mufflers for quiet operation
Akrapovic Evolution + Sharky center muffler bypass
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP8r6mz7UNE
Dark blue line = sport on and exhaust NOT going through side mufflers
Burgundy line = sport on and exhaust going through side mufflers
It is straight pipe loud when exhaust bypass side mufflers yet quiet enough to potentially pass Laguna Seca sound limit when exhaust go through side mufflers. It lost 1.5 hp up top compare with Evolution setup but still gain 10.8 hp pass 5K RPM. It lost alot of torque below 4.5K PRM when exhaust bypass side mufflers - much more so than exhaust going through side mufflers. But the interesting part is that when you divert the exhaust through side mufflers, it loss less torque in the lower RPM range compare with Evolution and has slightly more hp and torque pass 5K RPM compare with Evolution. Wow, this set up is 8 lbs lighter than Evolution and had some very interesting property when exhaust is diverted through side mufflers ....
Akrapovic Race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba65ui4iDYo
Yellow line - sport on. The second dyno graph below is from Akrapovic. When I first saw Akrapovic's Race dyno chart I thought to myself the massive 30-40 torque lost below 3.7K RPM must be an artifact ... until I saw the same thing with my dyno and also felt the lost of torque driving around town. This set up drone alot below 3K RPM and surprisingly quiet at high RPM. I was really worry I will have to down shift frequently on the track in slow corners due to significant lost of torque below 3.7RPM. Well, I am happy to report that fear has never materialized. When I enter a slow corner, the engine just spool up pass 4K RPM in an instant like I have a light weight fly wheel on steroid. My RS was buckling when I step on the accelerator because I could not gauge how quickly the engine spool up which negate ANY lower RPM lost. What a joy to drive the Race setup!
Akrapovic Race with Sharky center bypass
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9zDjB2k-i8
Thicker blue line - sport on. OK, unless you have a death wish or you like to punish yourself for some reason then run this setup. It will knock 65 lbs off the rear along with all your teeth on the track and shatter windows on the street. It is LOUD!!
Massive 60+ torque loss below 3K RPM then it's all sweet spot passs 3K RPM all the way to the top and edge out Race configuration by 2 hp. I can just imagine the car will feel like it has no fly wheels on the track since there is pretty much no back pressure. I am not brave enough to try this configuration ... it will sit in the back of my mind until one of my neighbor **** me off lol
So, very interesting findings. Which configuration do you fancy?
Last edited by mikymu; 05-24-2010 at 06:14 AM.
05-20-2010, 09:03 PM
#5
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Track
OK, finally had a chance to put the Akrapovic Race exhaust to the test at Thunderhill. The fact that Joe, Patrick, Mike and Mr mooty came out to dance made everything that much more interesting. Like I said earlier on the race dyno results, I was really worry I have to down shift frequently on the track in slow corners due to significant lost of torque below 3.7RPM. Well, I am happy that fear has never materialized. When I enter a slow corner, the engine just spool up pass 4K RPM in an instant like I have a light weight fly wheel on steroid. My RS was buckling when I step on the accelerator because I could not gauge how quickly the engine spool up which negate ANY lower RPM lost. I had to learn how to drive my RS all over again.
In addition to the fast engine response, shaving 56 lbs from the rear (70 lbs total including Euro rear bumper and WEVO engine mount) made my RS more stable around turns than my 50/50 balanced M3!! My RS beg to go faster and faster on every turn and my sorry driving skill could not keep up since I been busy improving the car and never the driver lol. The excitement was so great I ended up with a bad case of gastritis and had to stop by Walmart to pick up some ant-acid LOL. With Akrapovic Race setup, I was able to knock off 3 seconds from my previous best time and did a 2:04.2. What a joy to drive the Race setup!
Here are some pictures and videos from the track. The first and last part of the video has the Akrapovic Race exhaust setup and the middle part with Molly was a previous run with stock exhaust and Sharky center bypass for comparison. We got a nice train of GT3 going at the last session of the day with Joe and Patrick which is in the video. Cheers!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGG7_KIhDFI
Color of a happy exhaust
In addition to the fast engine response, shaving 56 lbs from the rear (70 lbs total including Euro rear bumper and WEVO engine mount) made my RS more stable around turns than my 50/50 balanced M3!! My RS beg to go faster and faster on every turn and my sorry driving skill could not keep up since I been busy improving the car and never the driver lol. The excitement was so great I ended up with a bad case of gastritis and had to stop by Walmart to pick up some ant-acid LOL. With Akrapovic Race setup, I was able to knock off 3 seconds from my previous best time and did a 2:04.2. What a joy to drive the Race setup!
Here are some pictures and videos from the track. The first and last part of the video has the Akrapovic Race exhaust setup and the middle part with Molly was a previous run with stock exhaust and Sharky center bypass for comparison. We got a nice train of GT3 going at the last session of the day with Joe and Patrick which is in the video. Cheers!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGG7_KIhDFI
Color of a happy exhaust
05-20-2010, 10:14 PM
#6
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Belmont Shore in Long Beach CA
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Good show. Was the Akrapovic much more expensive than the alternatives? I know them to be on the pricey side of the street. As for going with Sharky, Alex and Dan -big up from Bakersfield-, well can't blame you on that one.
My biggest question is can we expect to see 500 BHP at the crank with the RS with mods solely?
My biggest question is can we expect to see 500 BHP at the crank with the RS with mods solely?
05-20-2010, 10:30 PM
#7
Rennlist Member
As usual, a great write up! Thanks for all of your efforts.
Trending Topics
05-20-2010, 10:44 PM
#9
Drifting
Good show. Was the Akrapovic much more expensive than the alternatives? I know them to be on the pricey side of the street. As for going with Sharky, Alex and Dan -big up from Bakersfield-, well can't blame you on that one.
My biggest question is can we expect to see 500 BHP at the crank with the RS with mods solely?
My biggest question is can we expect to see 500 BHP at the crank with the RS with mods solely?
05-20-2010, 11:21 PM
#13
Rennlist Member
Great work and write-up. Thanks!
05-20-2010, 11:49 PM
#15
1. 2:04.2 Sweet!
2. Full system side bypass for me.
3. Damn Mike! Incredible write-up. Well worth the wait.
4. Love the "Pure Sex" sticker! Hilarious!
5. It does look museum quality.
Were you guys at TH Wednesday this week? Would have loved to spend the day with you all. Next time! I had Spring Mtn last weekend and have Buttonwillow this weekend so no way I could sensibly make TH happen midweek (have to spend night there to do it).
What tires do you have on?
You must have healed well, yes? Glad to see you back in action.
Side bypass and quiet/loud still controlled by Sport button and OE vacuum valves right?
2. Full system side bypass for me.
3. Damn Mike! Incredible write-up. Well worth the wait.
4. Love the "Pure Sex" sticker! Hilarious!
5. It does look museum quality.
Were you guys at TH Wednesday this week? Would have loved to spend the day with you all. Next time! I had Spring Mtn last weekend and have Buttonwillow this weekend so no way I could sensibly make TH happen midweek (have to spend night there to do it).
What tires do you have on?
You must have healed well, yes? Glad to see you back in action.
Side bypass and quiet/loud still controlled by Sport button and OE vacuum valves right?