It all comes down to personal preference. Cars are produced so well that increasing the performance is getting harder and harder. Especially on a car like the R32. The stock ECU is made to work in all possible conditions (low grade fuel, 120degree weather, ....) if you can get more hp but loose some of he features (as then some of the safety buffer is gone) is it better? For the normal user probably as how lives in AZ in the summer and Alaska in the winter?
The stock parts are well made, but as they are a compromise there is room to "improve". This improvement is mostly making the car fit more to personal preference. One person likes the car quiet, the other one loud, the next wants oversteer, ....
If you like to get another exhaust. Fine! Is it better? Maybe. Is it better FOR YOUR TASTE? That is the important question. If the exhaust gains or looses 5hp ... you won't be able to tell anyway.
Nicely done Blitzen, I couldn't agree more...
We are all worse off these words didn't come much earlier in the thread!
I think the few of us who have gone the custom route did it with aesthetics in mind. Not performance reasons. Given, we hope we didn't loose any performance, but are main goal was the look and sound with this mod.
If you look in these threads the first thing you will notice is the lack of titles such as “Huge HP/TQ Gains with Magnaflow”, or “no risk cheap alternative to $1000 bolt on exhausts”
What you witnessed were a few folks who trusted experienced technicians to fabricate a custom setup with parts with a long trusted history in this country.
While Eurojet and other keep all of waiting for 500-600 setup, a few of us have gone with a $400 setup, keeping in mind that we hold onto our stock exhaust if the need ever arises.
Sure, our 2.25 pipe will never support a future FI modification. But I for one will never go that route with this vehicle. I really want to stay stock NA and tweak the ride to its fullest potential without risking major warranty factors associated with a vehicle less then a year old.
Yes, we don’t have dyno #’s to support any gains then the smile we have when these systems sing to us. We also supported a local craftsman/shop, and in the economy we all live in there is nothing wrong with that.
Lastly, you’re in America like it or not. I have traveled to Germany many times in the 33 years on this planet. It is one of my favorite destinations in Europe. I also appreciate German engineering and have a long history with VW’s. My father and I took a 72 bug from Miami Beach FL to Anchorage Alaska when I was 7 years old. No AC, heat barely worked, and we had to push start it along the way.
I will be the on who asks that these petty attacks stop on both sides.
