Exhaust systems serve as one of the most important upgrade decisions you’ll make for your car. This hardware determines in part how your car will look, sound and perform. It makes a statement on what type of enthusiast you are, as car owners look for different benefits and characteristics. But […]
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COBB Tuning SS 3 Inch Cat-Back Exhaust | 2017 Subaru WRX STI Exhaust Shootout
COBB Tuning Subaru SS 3-inch Cat-Back Exhaust P/N – 515132 Cobb Tuning’s Subaru SS 3-inch Cat-Back Exhaust for the 2015+ WRX and STI features a TIG-welded 304 stainless-steel construction with one resonator and two mufflers. The exhaust employs a stamped flange at the down-pipe and laser-cut flanges at the […]
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Extreme Turbo System Cat Back Exhaust | 2017 Subaru WRX STI Exhaust Shootout
Extreme Turbo Systems Cat Back Exhaust System (Burnt Tips) P/N – 2015-WRX-CB The Cat Back Exhaust System from Extreme Turbo Systems (ETS) is constructed from 304 stainless-steel in four pieces. This TIG-welded exhaust system utilizes 76.2mm piping with 1.5mm-thick walls, with a laser-cut flange at the down-pipe attachment point and […]
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Bolt-On Basics | Performance Tuning 101
The Fundamentals of Automotive Performance Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve already modified your car, understanding the fundamentals of bolt-on performance is the first step to making power, increasing performance and getting the most from your setup. In this issue, we’ll cover everything from air intake systems to full-fledged […]
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Exhaust Systems – Uncorking Your Engine’s Potential | Bolt-On Basics
If your car were an orchestra and the engine the conductor, the exhaust system would be made up of horned instruments. Sure the band could play without the brass, but the melody would be off and it’ll sound like crap. When it comes to understanding how aftermarket exhaust systems work, […]
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Intake and Muffler Upgrades Breathe Life into the 2016 Mazda MX-5
Let’s not kid ourselves, the Mazda MX-5 is not and never was a fast car. Quick? Yes. Fun to drive? Absolutely. But certainly not fast. This enlarged go kart of a car consistently delivered smiles to owners everywhere over the past 16 years of production, due to its excellent handling […]
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Exhaust 101: Moving Up By Moving Out
Turbo exhaust manifolds, headers, downpipes and cat-back exhaust systems are all designed to increase performance by improving the exhaust flow out of the engine. On “all-motor” applications, the proper header and cat-back exhaust can reduce pumping loss, increase scavenging and improve cylinder filling to maximize volumetric efficiency, torque and power. […]
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Infiniti Now Offers its Sport Muffler Kit
VQ GROWL UNLIKE MANY OF THE EARLY G’S AND Z’S, INFINITI’S Q50 SPORTS SEDAN HARDLY makes a noise when accelerating. For those of us who enjoy the aural notes of a sports sedan, Infiniti now o ffers its Sport Muff ler Kit, applicable to all versions of Q50 3.7 and Hybrid models. This axle-back […]
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Test & Tune: 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8
A normally-aspirated 6-cylinder engine making 300 horsepower deserves some praise. Until recently, 300-horsepower required a V8 or some form of forced-induction. Today, technology allows more horsepower-per-liter than ever before. Unfortunately, a well-tuned engine from the factory means that the aftermarket may struggle to find any additional horsepower. As the Hyundai […]
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Test & Tune: Mazdaspeed3 | FWD Renegade
The import performance movement has always featured an ever-changing marketplace. During the ‘80s, the predominant weapons of choice were Mazdas, Datsuns or Toyotas. These lightweight RWD platforms made for perfect pocket rockets. In the ‘90s, the FWD import movement was spurred by turbocharged Honda Civics and Acura Integras tearing up […]
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Test & Tune: 2001 Nissan Silvia S15 | Uncorking the Silvia’s SR20DET Engine
Rare and different. Two words that epitomize the Nissan Silvia S15. It carries a mystique almost as captivating as Nissan’s Skyline GT-R. Nissan ceased production of the Silvia S14, known in the U.S. as a 240SX, at the end of 1998. America never received the Silvia S15. Like its Skyline […]
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Test & Tune: 2011 Mitsubishi EVO X GSR | Big Power Gains for the 4B11
The Mitsubishi EVO X is still one of the most popular choices for tuners and for good reason. The 4B11T long block has proven to be stout, capable of handling in excess of 500-plus horsepower regularly. Additionally, the GSR model’s five-speed manual transmission is able to hold equivalent power levels […]
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Mountune MP275 Power Package for Ford Focus ST
For most of us in the tuning market, warranty claims become a huge hassle when the dealer denies service based on modifications. Although some dealers are “mod-friendly”, service managers come and go and usually the hook-ups don’t last long. In the aftermarket world, tuning companies looking to offer a factory […]
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2011 Subaru Impreza STI GVB Part 2
The last time we checked in on our Subaru STI sedan Test & Tune project, we extracted an additional 34.5 WHP by simply changing engine oil, installing new spark plugs, fine-tuning the engine calibration and increasing peak boost pressure by only 1.5psi. This time around, we enlisted the services of […]
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2006 Honda Civic Si, Part 1
The eighth generation Honda Civic represents a legacy that dates back to the early 70’s. What started as an economy car evolved into the leader of the import tuning revolution of the early 90’s. Even though Subaru’s STI, Mitsubishi’s Evolution and Nissan’s Z have become exceptionally popular in the sport […]
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