If you look at a list of the most popular sports car mods, an upgraded exhaust system will likely be number one. A clear benefit of an aftermarket unit is the exhaust note – most of us want our sports cars to sound loud and aggressive, which stock exhausts often can’t offer due to regulations, emissions, cost savings, fuel economy, and other concerns.
At the same time, an aftermarket cat-back exhaust has a number of other benefits, which might be even more important than the sound. We’ll go over what those benefits are in this post.
Sound
For many the number one reason: sound. Aftermarket cat-back exhausts sound so much better than stock. A proper sound note makes driving more pleasurable and adds a little bit of character to your car. While the sound would likely be annoying on a daily driver, a weekend car that’s just for pleasure should definitely be loud, with a deep and rumbling sound.
Weight Savings
While not the main reason to upgrade to an aftermarket cat-back exhaust system, it should still be considered. A performance exhaust is typically lighter than a stock exhaust. In terms of numbers, you can expect to save anywhere between 10 and 20lb, or 30lb in rare cases. These weight savings are not major but if combined with other mods like lighter wheels, smaller battery, and fiberglass panels instead of steel, the numbers add up!
You can then easily save around 150lb of weight, and that’s a quite considerable amount. Given that the decrease in weight will improve steering, acceleration, braking, and handling alike, a cat-back exhaust can be a huge benefit. Of course, this will not matter much for your daily driver but on your weekend sports car, it does make a difference, especially when combined with other modifications.
Build Quality
A performance exhaust will also likely get you a better quality in terms of build and materials. Stock exhausts are usually made of mild steel and are prone to rust over time.
On the other hand, proper aftermarket exhausts are made of stainless steel and in the higher price segments even from lightweight exotic materials such as titanium, which are more resistant to salt, water, and humidity, and don’t show major signs of wear even after years of use. Apart from increased build quality, the materials can thus also lead to weight savings, a benefit we’ve already described above.
Horsepower Gains
Besides fuel, oxygen is the most important component through which an engine generates power. For a little more detail but still in a very simple description, the engine works as follows: First, the engine needs to intake air, then it combusts the air and fuel mixture in the combustion chambers, and the waste gases created during this process then leave through the exhaust system.
If you want to increase the power that the engine generates, you can do so by increasing the amount of air that’s forced into the engine and increasing the amount of fuel injected accordingly. With the increased flow, the engine will make more horsepower. However, if you’re feeding more air into the engine, you also need to make sure that an increased amount of gas can effectively flow through the exhaust and out of the system. If not, the engine will not work effectively, and horsepower gains will be minimal at best.
Here comes the cat-back performance exhaust: aftermarket exhausts allow for an increased flow of gasses, as they have wider pipes that are bent with smoother angles, and use less restrictive mufflers. In short, a cat-back exhaust is very beneficial if you’re looking to tune your engine. Further power improvements can also be squeaked out by replacing the stock headers with performance headers or replacing the catalytic converter (the main restriction on any exhaust system) with a high-flowing performance cat, or doing a complete de-cat. In terms of actual numbers, you’ll likely gain 5 to 40 hp by using a cat-back exhaust and it might unlock significant potential gains if you plan to tune your engine, or add a turbo or a supercharger.
Choose Your Aftermarket Cat-Back Exhaust
Have you found some new benefits that an aftermarket exhaust system can offer, and it has nudged you into getting a cat-back exhaust yourself? If so AmericanMuscle has what you’re after, and we have sales techs who will be happy to help you choose the right exhaust for your American muscle car. You’ll be able to choose from plenty of products and renowned brands, such as Roush, Corsa Performance, Borla, and Armytrix. So, whether you want to reduce your car’s weight, get more power, better sound, or simply replace an old rusted exhaust, take a look at what we offer!
