Before I bought my RX8 the dealer had plans to turn the car into a demo and had fitted the Mazda 'performance' rear exhaust section, the one from the brochure. I just happened to walk into the showroom at the right time. Question, is this rear section any more than an extra 10mm diameter crome tail decoration? Or will any benefit have been gained. Is this system what you are calling a cat back system or is this when additionally you remove the cat converter and replace with straight section exhaust. Sorry if I'm making no sense.....I'm trying to work out what I have fitted at the moment.

Regards P

 

not sure what they have in the UK, but maybe you have a mazdaspeed catback? if so then it's a better-flowing muffler section, and larger piping. the tips have no performance benefit.

a cat-back by definition is an exhaust system replacing everything from the cat (or the pipe it's welded into) all the way back to the exhaust tips. i gaurantee your dealer didn't touch the cat.

 

You have the 'deep sounding' cat-back option.

It doesn't free-up much, if any extra power.

However, the good news is that it is already so free flowing, that you could go out and buy the most expensive exotic JDM titanium cat back available, and still be at the same power! :p There is almost no power available from changing the system, after it leaves the stock catalyst.

It would be illegal for the dealer to sell one with a modified or removed catalyst, and it would be VERY noisy, you would know if you had no cat.

There is some power available if you go to an aftermarket freer flowing cat section, but the price is steep and the result is a noisy car with maybe 5hp more.

S

Edit: Damn Epi, you type fast!

 

A cat back usually involves (in the RX-8) the muffler section, and a straight piece of metal that goes back to another piece that consists of the catalytic converter & resonator. So no he is not changing the catalytic convertor. Mazda/Mazda Speed does not make a replacement unit for the catalytic & resonator so your dealer did not remove that. Take a look at your tips, do they say Mazda Speed on the side of them. If they do than you have an Mazda Speed exhaust. It nets about 2-3 hp, and should sound a little deeper than the stock exhaust. Hope this helps.

 

Thanks for that, in my defense, if crome tail pipes did give any benefit we should all give up. My fault I must have phrased the question incorrectly. Will I be able to find any sounds clips of the car running with cat/res removed?

Regards P

 

not a sound clip of a removed cat but this is as close as you can get searching the forum. Borla with sr motorsport high flow cat. https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-aftermarket-performance-modifications-23/sr-motorsports-high-flow-cat-32945/
hope this helps