Report on my Akrapovic Evolution Race exhaust
Oct 27, 2009 | 03:34 PM
#1
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Report on my Akrapovic Evolution Race exhaust
Akrapvoic Evolution Race Exhaust System report
Evolution Race Exhaust System Porsche 997 GT3 RS - Akrapovic
I finally set the time aside to write a long overdue installation and drive report of my Akrapovic Evolution Race Exhaust System.
First, why did I purchase the Akrapovic Evolution Race system and not another system?
#Price, I got a good deal from FVD to be the launch customer for this system as long as I write a full report and include a video. Shortly after I installed the system, FVD decided not to market this exhaust company anymore (unfortunately because Rhonda, Mark and the rest of the team stand way above most other aftermarket companies, dealing with them was a first class experience)!!!
It took quite a while to get the system manufactured and shipped to the US. The packaging and owners manual including installation manual - DVD, were the first signs of a superb experience with this system.
I fitted the complete system to weigh on my bathroom scale, weight: 31lbs. I did not weight the individual items - parts but can tell you the headers - cats are feather light. After talking to Wolfgang Dietz who is the main distributor in Austria, Switzerland and Germany, I learned besides other information that Akrapovic has access to military grade titanium which explains their confidence in selling systems made out of titanium.
Installation was a lot of fun because taking off each part of the original exhaust reminded me each time of the weight savings I will experience up to 3’ behind the rear wheel axle (savings of about 60lbs). Wolfgang was told from Manthey racing that you can effectively multiply the weight savings by 3 under lateral acceleration. Good to know but most likely of no use for me since I will not race the car. I get off on knowing to have a top system on my car.
#Quality, second to none from what I have seen.
The Porsche GT3 RS was my dream car for quite a long time, I always felt connected with this company ever since I was 18 and saw my first turbo. I felt if I modify my GT3 RS, only the best will be fitted and Akrapovic to this day makes me believe I made a good decision.
When I bought the car used, it came with long tube aftermarket headers and mufflers and I did not like the power delivery that much. When accelerating, I felt a very strong pull in the midrange but it somewhat stagnated in the upper rpm range from 6500 rpm to redline, it was somewhat lagging. After I put on the stock system I could tell the difference in design - stock headers are a lot shorter and the pull was a very even power increase till red line. I like that a lot more for my driving style. When I compared the stock headers with the Akrapovic headers, they seemed to be the same length. Below is a little excerpt from Stef who owns Europipe (another great exhaust system company in Belgium):
“ We used to build race exhausts for years so we are aware of the different power curves that you'll get with different tube lengths and tube diameters. *Basically you'll get more peak hp with short headers and more hp at midrange with long headers. *The Akrapovic headers seem to have about the same tube length as the stock Porsche headers and that is good. *With the long headers you'll get more torque and less peak hp indeed.
The benefit of your 100 cell cats is that your exhaust system will be more free flowing aka having less back pressure. The benefit of the lower back pressure is that you can add more advance ignition timing and more ignition timing results in more power from idle to redline”.
I also noticed on the Akrapovic website the power diagram shows no drop in the midrange. The stock system in comparison has a small drop off in the midrange which I happily confirmed when driving the car after the system was installed.
Back to the installation, it was a perfect fit in every detail, the instruction DVD and manual were first class, every set of crews, nuts and seals was packaged in separate zip lock bags and included special anti freeze paste - very impressive. After I installed the system in my own garage on a kwik lift, I wiped down the whole system with a drenched in WD40 rag as instructed (to eliminate finger prints which would be permanent if burned in) and after the first heat cycle the system turned into to most incredible purple bluish color.
#Driving impressions, Excellent but at first after having driven the car with the too quiet for me stock exhaust, I felt it was way too loud! A week of driving went by and I got used to it and actually started to really dig it. On several drives with other Porsche enthusiasts, I was told they all wanted to drive right behind me because the sound and my blipping of the throttle was just the best they ever heard. One 60 year old wife of another Porsche owner who usually shuns these drives, said to the dislike of her husband, that this was by far the best drive she has ever been on because of listening to the sound of my car - really!
Power delivery is steadily increasing all the way to redline just the way I like it BUT unfortunately there is a little drone between 1800 and 2800 rpm. Here is another excerpt from Stef - Europipe:
“We've build several prototype central mufflers for the 997 GT3 just like your Akrapovic setup and had plenty of drone too. *Also the sound inside the cabin was loud up to 3000 rpm , quieter between 3000 rpm and 5000 rpm and again somewhat louder up to redline. *Not good. *The total lenght of the main exhaust pipes is too short , hence the drone”.
In other words the distance from the cat outlets to the rear central muffler is too short to get rid of this drone but on a race system if used for racing, who cares? I use it for street hence I would rather have no drone but I can live with it.
In my case it is only somewhat irritating between 1800 - 2800 rpm. In quiet neighbor hoods, I just keep the rpm below 1800 or quickly get the rpm up above 3000 with no load.
The throttle response is awesome and the 100 cell cats are trouble free, I was first worried that they may not be able to control the CO within the range the ECU dictates but after going to my very supportive dealer, they confirmed with their magic box that the O2 sensors have absolutely no problem controlling the values as needed. I never had a check engine light come on or a rough idling engine.
Right after I got the system installed, I purchased the side mufflers for this system, just in case I either move to Europe with the car or get tired of the race sound. So far they are still laying around gathering dust because I love the sound the way it is right now. I plan on seeing MAX RPM who is an Evolution motor sports dealer and have my ECU finely tuned to the Akrapovic system on their dyno, date is not yet set. I heard super good reports about Todd Zuccone and feel confident that he will together with MAX RPM dial the system in to perfection.
If I install the side mufflers as seen on the picture below, I will write an update on this site. Till then if you have any questions please let me know either via a response here or via a pm.
Hope I could enlighten some of you folks who were waiting for this write up.
Akrapovic sure made my love affair with the GT3 RS even bigger- what a car!
Link to a youtube recording of my car with the Akrapovic Evolution Race system installed:
YouTube - Akrapovic Titanium Exhaust System on Porsche GT3 RS
Evolution Race Exhaust System Porsche 997 GT3 RS - Akrapovic
I finally set the time aside to write a long overdue installation and drive report of my Akrapovic Evolution Race Exhaust System.
First, why did I purchase the Akrapovic Evolution Race system and not another system?
#Price, I got a good deal from FVD to be the launch customer for this system as long as I write a full report and include a video. Shortly after I installed the system, FVD decided not to market this exhaust company anymore (unfortunately because Rhonda, Mark and the rest of the team stand way above most other aftermarket companies, dealing with them was a first class experience)!!!
It took quite a while to get the system manufactured and shipped to the US. The packaging and owners manual including installation manual - DVD, were the first signs of a superb experience with this system.
I fitted the complete system to weigh on my bathroom scale, weight: 31lbs. I did not weight the individual items - parts but can tell you the headers - cats are feather light. After talking to Wolfgang Dietz who is the main distributor in Austria, Switzerland and Germany, I learned besides other information that Akrapovic has access to military grade titanium which explains their confidence in selling systems made out of titanium.
Installation was a lot of fun because taking off each part of the original exhaust reminded me each time of the weight savings I will experience up to 3’ behind the rear wheel axle (savings of about 60lbs). Wolfgang was told from Manthey racing that you can effectively multiply the weight savings by 3 under lateral acceleration. Good to know but most likely of no use for me since I will not race the car. I get off on knowing to have a top system on my car.
#Quality, second to none from what I have seen.
The Porsche GT3 RS was my dream car for quite a long time, I always felt connected with this company ever since I was 18 and saw my first turbo. I felt if I modify my GT3 RS, only the best will be fitted and Akrapovic to this day makes me believe I made a good decision.
When I bought the car used, it came with long tube aftermarket headers and mufflers and I did not like the power delivery that much. When accelerating, I felt a very strong pull in the midrange but it somewhat stagnated in the upper rpm range from 6500 rpm to redline, it was somewhat lagging. After I put on the stock system I could tell the difference in design - stock headers are a lot shorter and the pull was a very even power increase till red line. I like that a lot more for my driving style. When I compared the stock headers with the Akrapovic headers, they seemed to be the same length. Below is a little excerpt from Stef who owns Europipe (another great exhaust system company in Belgium):
“ We used to build race exhausts for years so we are aware of the different power curves that you'll get with different tube lengths and tube diameters. *Basically you'll get more peak hp with short headers and more hp at midrange with long headers. *The Akrapovic headers seem to have about the same tube length as the stock Porsche headers and that is good. *With the long headers you'll get more torque and less peak hp indeed.
The benefit of your 100 cell cats is that your exhaust system will be more free flowing aka having less back pressure. The benefit of the lower back pressure is that you can add more advance ignition timing and more ignition timing results in more power from idle to redline”.
I also noticed on the Akrapovic website the power diagram shows no drop in the midrange. The stock system in comparison has a small drop off in the midrange which I happily confirmed when driving the car after the system was installed.
Back to the installation, it was a perfect fit in every detail, the instruction DVD and manual were first class, every set of crews, nuts and seals was packaged in separate zip lock bags and included special anti freeze paste - very impressive. After I installed the system in my own garage on a kwik lift, I wiped down the whole system with a drenched in WD40 rag as instructed (to eliminate finger prints which would be permanent if burned in) and after the first heat cycle the system turned into to most incredible purple bluish color.
#Driving impressions, Excellent but at first after having driven the car with the too quiet for me stock exhaust, I felt it was way too loud! A week of driving went by and I got used to it and actually started to really dig it. On several drives with other Porsche enthusiasts, I was told they all wanted to drive right behind me because the sound and my blipping of the throttle was just the best they ever heard. One 60 year old wife of another Porsche owner who usually shuns these drives, said to the dislike of her husband, that this was by far the best drive she has ever been on because of listening to the sound of my car - really!
Power delivery is steadily increasing all the way to redline just the way I like it BUT unfortunately there is a little drone between 1800 and 2800 rpm. Here is another excerpt from Stef - Europipe:
“We've build several prototype central mufflers for the 997 GT3 just like your Akrapovic setup and had plenty of drone too. *Also the sound inside the cabin was loud up to 3000 rpm , quieter between 3000 rpm and 5000 rpm and again somewhat louder up to redline. *Not good. *The total lenght of the main exhaust pipes is too short , hence the drone”.
In other words the distance from the cat outlets to the rear central muffler is too short to get rid of this drone but on a race system if used for racing, who cares? I use it for street hence I would rather have no drone but I can live with it.
In my case it is only somewhat irritating between 1800 - 2800 rpm. In quiet neighbor hoods, I just keep the rpm below 1800 or quickly get the rpm up above 3000 with no load.
The throttle response is awesome and the 100 cell cats are trouble free, I was first worried that they may not be able to control the CO within the range the ECU dictates but after going to my very supportive dealer, they confirmed with their magic box that the O2 sensors have absolutely no problem controlling the values as needed. I never had a check engine light come on or a rough idling engine.
Right after I got the system installed, I purchased the side mufflers for this system, just in case I either move to Europe with the car or get tired of the race sound. So far they are still laying around gathering dust because I love the sound the way it is right now. I plan on seeing MAX RPM who is an Evolution motor sports dealer and have my ECU finely tuned to the Akrapovic system on their dyno, date is not yet set. I heard super good reports about Todd Zuccone and feel confident that he will together with MAX RPM dial the system in to perfection.
If I install the side mufflers as seen on the picture below, I will write an update on this site. Till then if you have any questions please let me know either via a response here or via a pm.
Hope I could enlighten some of you folks who were waiting for this write up.
Akrapovic sure made my love affair with the GT3 RS even bigger- what a car!
Link to a youtube recording of my car with the Akrapovic Evolution Race system installed:
YouTube - Akrapovic Titanium Exhaust System on Porsche GT3 RS
Nov 1, 2009 | 09:25 PM
#8
Teamspeed Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 45
DAMN that sounds good. The section of the clip showing your car cresting the hill coming down towards the cameraman, I could SWEAR that sound is a lemans car coming full hell down a long straightaway in the trees!! By the way, about the drone, I think you're lucky in comparison to the drone from the AfterHours exhaust (which I have, AND love, after I got used to the sound, like you...) and when I'm driving through my little town at night, and just gun it to 4k rpm, or do a quick throttle blip, and hear that DEEP, throaty exhaust sound, I remember why I LOVE these cars. Your RS is beautiful, and a GREAT exhaust!! Thanks for the entertainment
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