What are the best exhaust brands?

This blog will answer the following questions: What are the best exhaust brands? What are the different components of the exhaust systems? 

What are the best exhaust brands?

The best exhaust brands are as follows

• Akrapovič
• RENNtech 
• Borla

Let’s take a closer look at each of the exhaust brands:

Akrapovič

Igor Akrapovič is the founder of Akrapovič, which is based in Gorica Slovenia. Igor Akrapovič started manufacturing custom exhaust because he felt the aftermarket exhaust system available for the public was nowhere near the quality of the exhaust system used in racing.

The material as well as the welding technique commonly observed in the aftermarket was not efficient to dissipate heat. Hence, Igor designed his own exhaust systems and even used materials like carbon fiber and titanium. Akrapovič was previously known as Scorpion and initial exhaust systems were only available for motorcycles.

Many Pro superbike Championship teams like Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda, and Ducati used the Akrapovič exhausts on their racing bikes. Street-legal Akrapovič exhaust also started hitting the shelves as the racing motorcycles started winning competitions like ESBK and WSBK.

After the advancement in the design and manufacturing process, Akrapovič also started making high-performance exhaust systems for sports cars. The new factory in Garcia is capable of a complicated casting process that involves gas injection, X-rays, and computational fluid analysis.

Akrapovič is one of the leading brands in exhaust systems and the products are famous for their unique sound. The exhaust systems are first tested on racing cars and motorcycles and then street-legal systems are manufactured for use on public roads.

Akrapovič was founded in 1990 and it is one of the most experienced brands when it comes to performance exhaust systems. Only the best materials are used for the manufacturing process of all the components of the exhaust systems.

RENNtech 

RENNtech is one of the specialist exhaust brands for high-performance Mercedes Benz AMG models. The exhaust systems are specifically tuned to optimize the exhaust flow and increase the engine output.

The company was established by Hartmut Feyhl and he has a vast experience of 12 years working at AMG. After AMG completely merged with Mercedes in 1999, Hartmut Feyhl decided to start RENNtech on his own in North America.

Initially, RENNtech only offered services and products to AMG customers in North America. As the company became more popular, RENNtech also started making exhaust systems for Porsche, Audi and Bentley, and other European luxury cars.

The company headquarters is located at Palm Beach in Stuart, Florida. All the research and development and manufacturing are done in-house. There are also dynos to test prototypes and CNC machines that can reduce the overall time for manufacturing exhaust systems.

RENNtech also provided performance engine tuning once the exhaust system is installed in the vehicle. After service and installation are also provided by RENNtech, there is also a research and development facility at Nürburgring race track in Germany to test the prototype exhaust systems in real-world conditions.

The RENNTech E7.4RS is a modified Mercedes Benz E 320 that received the fastest sedan in the world award from the Car and Driver Magazine in 1996. The RENNtech R3 performance package is the most popular upgrade for the W213 E 63 E Class. 

It includes new Turbochargers, ECU performance maps, Exhaust systems, and an upgraded to the Air intake system that adds over 300 Hp to the engine output of the E 63 AMG. All of the installations can be done by the Engineers at the RENNtech.

Borla

Borla is one of the most famous Exhaust brands, it started in 1978 by manufacturing stainless steel exhaust systems for Rolls-Royce and Ferrari.  Alex and Alyse Borla are the founders of the company and the state-of-the-art facility is located in Tennessee.

The exhaust systems designed by Borla give special attention to the sounds of the vehicle exhaust. Each product is designed on a vehicle-by-vehicle basis. Special emphasis is given to the shape of the mufflers, exhaust flow, and fluid dynamics during the design process. 

The products are categorized under three exhaust sound technologies, which are ATAK®, S-Type, and Touring. Top racing teams and some of the leading car manufacturers also use Borla exhaust because of its stainless steel construction and use of aluminized steel for better exhaust flow.

The use of various diameter pipes and specially designed muffler bodies in a single exhaust system makes the Borla exhaust very special. The sound frequencies that can cause discomfort at high engine speeds are tuned out of the exhaust system without any restriction to the flow of the exhaust.

The exhaust manifolds manufactured by Borla are all mandrel-bent and there is also a crossover pipe for the engines with a V configuration. The crossover pipe makes a more balanced sound and also increases the engine output by 2-5 %. This crossover pipe technology is called Switch FIre X and it is compatible with all cars powered by V 6 or V8 engines.

Borla is also the only exhaust brand that makes full exhaust systems for crate engines. Crate engines like the Chevy small block  LS1, LS2, LS7, and even Ford small block are used by custom tuners in various cars. Having a performance exhaust system and also parts of intake manifolds helps to improve the performance of the crate engines and reduces the overall built time.

What are the different components of the exhaust systems?

The different components of the exhaust systems are as follows:

• Headers

Headers or exhaust manifolds are directly bolted to the cylinder heads of the engines. The exhaust flow is unrestricted and it improves the scavenging of the exhaust gasses compared to the stock exhaust manifold.

There are many types of headers like 4-in- 1 or Triple headers etc. it depends on the space available in the engine compartment and the type of downpipe used.

• Downpipe

It is also known as a head pipe, the diameter can vary across the length. The task of the downpipe is to carry the exhaust gasses from the headers to the muffles. The length depends on the vehicle and it is also possible to connect two exhaust downpipes with clamps.

• Mufflers

Mufflers are present at the end of the downpipe and the task is to reduce the exhaust noise. There can be more than one muffler if the downpipe has a crossover design. Exhaust flaps can also be added to the mufflers to control the sound of the exhaust system.

Conclusion 

This blog explained the best exhaust brands and the components of the exhaust systems. It is possible to modify the exhaust system one component at a time as the cost of a complete system can be very expensive. Removing the catalytic converters from the exhaust system can lead to rejected warranty claims and failed vehicle emission tests.