A3 performance lives here.
We spent considerable time examining how to maximize the performance
and options of this exhaust system. The factory exhaust consists of a
long downpipe with two catalytic converters, and two rather large
mufflers in the section after the cats.
Thorough long term street testing has confirmed that our high flow
downpipe, whether equipped with with the 400 cell ceramic catalytic
converter or the 200 cell metal catalytic converter, will not set a
Check Engine light or any fault codes in the ECU. For customers looking
for ultimate power, our HJS German made metal catalytic converter
featuring an Emitec core will provide an additional 9hp over our ceramic converter option.
Here are some features of our system. Each feature was chosen for
performance and longevity reasons, and when making your exhaust
decisions you should settle for nothing less:
- Fully mandrel bent tubing
- Thick .065" wall T304 stainless steel tubing
- Fully lined stainless steel flex joint in downpipe
- Stainless steel internal muffler and resonator construction
- Stainless steel MIG and TIG welds
- Stainless steel T-bolt clamps
- Double walled exhaust tips to reduce heat discoloration
- Included OEM turbo to downpipe gasket
- In house dyno developed
The downpipe features an integrated resonator to keep the exhaust
sound volume civilized even with the elimination of the very restrictive
factory converters. The catback system is topped off with our
signature 3.15" beveled exhaust tips. The tips sport laser etched AWE
Tuning logos and are double walled to ensure a mirror polish even under
hard usage. The system has multiple slip joints with high quality
t-bolt clamps, to allow optimal adjustment.
Our catback systems will mate up to the stock downpipe, and our
downpipe will mate to our catbacks or any other catback that is designed
to mate up to the factory downpipe.
Why did we choose 2.5 inch and not 3.0 inch diameter for our A3 exhaust?
Our first prototypes of this system were indeed 3.0 inch, but we found
that the effort it took to move the large mass of air in the 3.0 inch
system at lower rpms resulted in a loss of torque with
very little offsetting gain up top. Take a look at our 3.0 inch
prototype dyno sheets in the Performance Specs tab and see why a 3.0
inch system is not appropriate for this car.
Please note, these AWE Tuning Performance Downpipes are for racing use only.
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