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      05-03-2012, 09:30 AM   #35
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Quote:
Originally Posted by flinchy View Post
i'd understand if it was more of a full-engine setup

but with an exhaust it just comes down to piping diameter, smoothness of bends, and other lacks of restrictions

for the price they're demanding... well lets say you're not likely to get more performance than out of a $2000-$3000 combo (or cheaper even)... so then the next factor is noise... the supersprint would have to sound AMAZING for that price. like. akrapovic for N54/55 or Kreissieg for R32 VR6... you know the main difference though? those exhausts are $7k installed and are made entirely of titanium. seriously...

plus the laptorr is only 2-2.5k and sounds pretty damn amazing..
The problem is, it's not as straight forward as that. As in, people on the e46 M3 run 3" mids to replace the stock section. That actually gains them ~45-50 hp, which is huge!

But... terrible for a street setup. While the top end gains 45-50, the bottom end and mid range is completely and utterly destroyed. To the extent that it's completely undoable on a street car.

Bumping the pipe diameter isn't a valid solution, imo. Too much compromise.

Further, the headers aren't nearly as simple as you make them out to be, either. Collector design, merge design, pipe length, scavenging effects, pipe routing, etc all make a significant difference.

SS's headers for the e46 M3 are fairly unique-- they use different width piping at different point (they're stepped). As a result, they make about 50% more power than other headers offered for the car (by any company).

Those kind of gains aren't unique to the 46, either-- on the e60, for example, SS headers make around 45 hp. Everything else makes ~30 (basically the result of removing the cats from the system). The only company that matches them is Evolve's headers... and Evolve's are produced by SS :roll eyes:.

SuperSprint is pretty unique-- they help OEs develop exhaust systems, race teams use their facilities to get them most from their cars, etc. I don't think anybody does as extensive or through testing as they do, no has the knowledge base of what it takes to actually make a better exhaust system. There's more too it than increasing the diameter and smoothing the bends, at least if you want to make a system that is better... rather than just moving the power around.

Again, though, I think every header for the 128 will make power, since you'll be eliminating the primary cats (in the headers). Just to varying degrees.
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