Chapter 8. The Song

I knew before I bought the car that the introduction of particulate filters and restrictive rear silencer had muted the exhaust sound in 718 generation cars. Even so, after taking delivery of the car,  sound was the first thing I noticed on my very first long drive. More specifically the lack thereof. 

I believe that a sonorous exhaust sound is an essential part of the experience of a driver's car.  Shifting by sound and not by looking at the tachometer is a part of driver engagement. I don't find it necessary to hit the rev limit as long as I am enjoying the sound. Unfortunately, Porsche's stock exhaust on the Boxster GTS 4.0 is very underwhelming to put it mildly. It just does not do justice to the car.

Prior 981 generation Caymans and Boxster had a very soulful scream compared to the uninspiring exhaust note of my 718, drastically reducing the all-important fun factor of this otherwise fantastic car. So, it was immediately clear that I needed to rectify this.

Upon research I found that I wasn't alone and this was a topic of many forums discussions. I came across several aftermarket exhaust solutions that were being advertised and discussed on forums. But sound is a very subjective thing. What sounds good to one person, another might find totally unacceptable because of tone or drone or volume. I knew I had to make up my own mind, with my ears open, based on my idea of a good exhaust sound.

The first choice I made was to get a JCR Non-Silenced back box. Its design and titanium construction gave me the high pitched tone I wanted to hear. Beyond 4000 RPM, it starts to sing a soulful song and I find it very enjoyable. It significantly enhanced the driving experience for me. Someone on a forum said this adds 2000 virtual RPMs to the car and I agree completely.



After enjoying the car for over a year I decided to add JCR Link Pipes aka over axle pipes  (OAPs) with 200 CEL race cats. I was nervous about this due to concerns about drone, but I wanted slightly more volume. With the inconel link pipes installed along with the titanium backbox, the sound is still very enjoyable although its character has changed a little bit.

Positives:

  • Higher volume - maybe 5-7 dB compared to exhaust alone
  • More aggressive and enjoyable sound around 3000 RPM instead of 4000 with the back box alone

Negatives:

  • A bit of noticeable drone - although not excessive (for me) 
  • Some of the super high pitched tone at 6000+ RPM is now a bit less high pitched

In addition to the profound sound improvement, these JCR parts also contributed to a 27 pound weight loss from the car bringing the car weight to 3161 lbs. And an overall improvement of Boxster GTS 4.0's score by 3 points to 75/100. 





2900 pounds seems a long way away ... sigh 

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