Thanks to FedEx's sweet shipping I received my Borla on Saturday and decided to spend the day installing it. The install itself went incredible smoothe (which surprised me given the car is a 2004) and from parking the car in the driveway to taking it out for a spin I had around 2.5 hours invested I believe.

I only have one shot, and it's a slightly blurry one, but here goes:



We spent a good 30-45 minutes lining up the tips just for me to take the car for a spin and they un-aligned themselves. I've got the clamps on the exhaust system as tight as they'll go so from there I'll probably just have an exhaust shop screw with it to see if they can do any better.

The exhaust system itself is 3" up until the muffler and then 2.25" (I believe) from there into the tips. It feels pretty light, but the shipping weight of nearly 50lbs told otherwise. Quality is fantastic, and I have no doubts that this thing will last through just about everything as it looked like it was built pretty damn solid!

Sound-wise the car just sounds incredible. It's very deep, bassy, and smoothe. There is none of the rotary "rasp" that I absolutely dread, and it's definitely an exhaust note that gets very addicting to the ears. One of my friends (Tirminyl on here) has the Mazdaspeed dual-muffler exhaust on his RX-8 and I think, from the outside, the Borla sounds pretty much the same as it. The difference is mostly on the inside, IMO, where the Borla sounds a lot deeper and, if you're not on the gas, sounds 100% stock quiet. Unless you want to hear this exhaust system you do not hear it, and that's where it shines over the Mazdaspeed. I'm not saying the Mazdaspeed version is loud by any means, I'm just saying the Borla is definitely quieter on the inside when driving around.

We also took a fly-by sound clip. Here that is:


Here is the friends' Mazdaspeed cat-back:


It's a good comparison of the two, IMO!

I'm going to make another one here in a few weeks as that was MINUTES after installing the system and the system has already gotten a little louder as I put those first miles on it.

Inside and out the system sounds absolutely fantastic and I think the amount of money spent was completely justified now. This is what a quality exhaust system should be like, IMO, and I'm definitely going to keep this one for a long time!

 

Great write up. I'm planning on purchasing the Borla in a month or so. How much did you pay for it?

 

borla has the best exhaust note i've yet to hear on the rx8.

here's what it sounded like on my car when my car was close to stock:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...95611185&hl=en

(at the end I rev it).

 

Just over $670 shipped IIRC.

I bought it from http://www.performancecenter.com on special. They may still have the special going.

 

hmmmm........nice sound...alot louder than the MS.....

 

Good write-up indeed, and nice comparison. They sound surprisingly similar although, yes, I've defiitely noted that the Borla seems to be the deepest-sounding of the bunch.

I ordered mine from performancecenter.com a week ago, should get here in a few days. $670 shipped, was cheaper a few months ago, but I'm sure it will only get more expensive if anything. That's currently the cheapest on the web, I believe. Can't wait to install this thing!!!

 

very nice write up.

and very nice to hear two exhausts back to back on the same camera and sound..

beers

 

Just checked the site. Looks like the sale is over. It's $737.79 now......

 

aye, i did the same, that sux...

i'm a bit annoyed, why they keep posting Manual Transmission beside the exhaust as if it wont work on a AT?

 

Yes, the importance of the sound comparison on the same camera cannot be stressed enough. Aftermarket exhaust manufacturers should get a clue from you.

 

i actually liked the ms better...

 

Borla all the way but wats up with the no-A/T luv......

I'm yet to see one on an automatic.

 

Those who buy the auto most likely are not the kind of people who modify their car.

 

I take great resentment to that

But i must agree nonetheless...... because ill ask auto owners and they're like .....

why would you want ot do that and im like.....

 

Im planning on buying the borla catback for my 8 and was wondering how much welding was involved or is it a straight bolt on process