Can Exhaust Improve Performance?
2 Answers
Exhaust can improve performance. Below is a relevant introduction to automotive performance evaluation indicators: Power Performance: The power performance of a car is represented by the average driving speed it can achieve when driving straight on good roads. Power performance is mainly evaluated by three indicators: Maximum speed; the car's acceleration time; the maximum slope the car can climb. Fuel Economy: The fuel economy of a car is commonly measured by the fuel consumption per 100 kilometers under certain operating conditions or the distance a car can travel with a certain amount of fuel. Braking Performance: The ability of a car to stop within a short distance while maintaining driving direction stability, as well as the ability to maintain a certain speed when going down a long slope, is called the braking performance of the car.
I've been into car modification for ten years, and exhaust system upgrades do improve performance. The stock exhaust pipes have small diameters and high resistance, which can hinder power output due to poor exhaust flow. After upgrading to larger-diameter exhaust pipes, the engine's exhaust resistance is reduced by 5% to 15%, with noticeable horsepower gains at high RPMs. However, be mindful of low-end torque issues—a full straight-pipe setup may cause torque loss below 3000 RPM. My own mid-to-rear exhaust upgrade paired with ECU tuning shaved 0.8 seconds off the 0-100 km/h acceleration. But don't expect a huge leap from exhaust mods alone; combining it with a high-flow air filter yields better results. Also, the sound will become much louder, which might be too noisy for daily driving. Before modifying, check local regulations—some areas prohibit exhaust noise level modifications.
