For some drivers there’s never enough horsepower, even if it’s something like this 600 horsepower Viper.  So what can you do to increase the performance levels of your automobile?  Well the first thing is to develop a plan, and that plan should start with the exhaust system. 

Now, exhaust systems have evolved over the years; huge, huge differences in the technology.  One of the things that you would notice really quickly: this is a stock muffler off a C6 Corvette (right), over here we have a Corsa replacement (left) for it, and if you look at the technology involved exhaust flows straight through yet it still has sound canceling capabilities, makes for a very efficient exhaust system.  So make your plan and one of the things that you have to do in this plan is to make sure that everything is ultimately going to fit together. 

Most people are going to start with a muffler or mufflers such as this Corsa system that we have here, and if you really want to get involved in it then the next step is the over the axle pipe which comes forward from the muffler.  Now one of the things you’re looking at here is diameter, the second thing is the way the pipe is constructed and that is that the bends in it are smooth, there are no wrinkles in the short side of the bends, they’re mandrel bent like this one. 

Now from there you may want to go forward even further and you may want to do a cat back system.  Cat back is very popular and usually gives you most of these rear pieces.  All right but up here on this system we have from Cooks’ Headers an X-pipe, this X-pipe blends exhaust gases together and incorporates low restriction catalytic converters.  So this will also help improve performance. 

And if you want to take it to the limit, then you want something like these Cooks’ Headers, but remember that headers are dramatically different from different manufacturers.  Some of them are just bent pipe; others are highly engineered and very efficient.  So do your homework make your plan and you’ll be impressed the results. 



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