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August 27, 2025
We all like noise, but with concerns of voiding warranties and irritating drone, is an aftermarket exhaust worth it?
So much of what makes us excited by sports and supercars is the noise they make, and often, the lack of said noise is what we criticise the latest turbocharged offerings for. And that raises the subject of aftermarket exhausts. Should you or shouldn’t you?
First though, let’s address noise in general, because whilst I’m often left somewhat disinterested by the latest 1,000hp supercars, they’re not the only ones guilty of going a little quiet. In fact, I think there was only about a decade or so where supercars gained a real voice, roughly between 2005 and 2015, before noise and emissions regulations muffled the fun.
Porsches have basically always been quiet, right back even to the famous 2.7 RS of 1973, and especially all the Turbo models which go about their business with a mere whoosh. Even Ferraris weren’t particularly loud; I drove a manual 575M a few years ago, and whilst it was a great car, its naturally-aspirated V12 was almost silent even at full chat, and if you’ve heard a standard F50 from the outside, it might not have been quite what you expected from a carbon-tubbed, NA V12 hypercar.
Then, that sweet spot decade came, and around that time, cars like the Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale and Lamborghini Huracan Performante would blast your eardrums to smithereens and have you banned from every track day without even touching the factory pipework, and the 991 GT3 sounded like a Cup car that got lost.
Since that short-lived era of unashamed shoutiness, valved systems keep things quiet at low revs, and OPF filters suck the noise out of your supercar like a Death Eater to your soul. So surely the right thing to do is slap an aftermarket system on, and look for the nearest tunnel, right?
Well, the team and I all have our opinions, so we’ll each put our thoughts forward. Me? Noise is more important to me than power, and I’ve made my stance clear as my last four daily drivers have had modified exhausts. The one before that was on lease, and the one before that was a diesel. It’s the simplest way to transform a car’s character and enjoyment whether you’re pottering around town or wide open on your favourite country road, but I also accept it can be the simplest way to ruin what was a perfectly pleasant car.
I love noise, I hate drone, so it’s important to carefully consider your options and make sure they suit what you’re going to use said car for. A 911 GT3 only used for B-road blasting? Rip its guts out. A V12 Ferrari for blasting across continents? A bit more noise, but nothing too wearing. A Rolls-Royce Cullinan? Anything but silence would be sacrilege.
Ultimately, there aren’t many sports or supercars I wouldn’t fit an aftermarket exhaust to because it’s all about the emotion for me, but I like my emotion to be like good classic rock turned up to 11, rather than ear-piercing thrash metal, so no decats for me, thank you.
Unfortunately we couldn't find anyone who doesn't like noisy exhausts to offer their counter-argument, so here's the next best thing — Paul, who flies the flag for full-on ASBO. Take it away PP...
"Whilst the rest of the world worries about emissions and noise complaints from Janice in the next village, I fitted a Novitec straight pipe to my Ferrari F8. And when I say it transformed the car, I mean it went from sounding like an angry Dyson to a biblical trumpet solo played by the devil himself. It made the car feel like it had soul. Like it was angry. Alive. And mildly unstable.
Yes, it backfires. Yes, it smokes like a cheap barbecue on cold start. Yes, it sometimes throws up so many warnings that the car thinks the cats are on fire, even though I no longer have any. But that sound? That sound is everything."
"The sad reality is, the louder your car gets, the fewer places you can actually drive it flat out. Your new exhaust note might sound like Pavarotti doing karaoke with a chainsaw, but don’t expect everyone to love it. Track days in the UK have strict noise limits. Some are measured while stationary, others are drive-by decibel readings. If your car’s too loud, they’ll pull you off. Not in a good way."
"The other issue with ripping out your cats is that your car gets confused. It’s been programmed to expect them. So when they’re missing, it panics. Modern aftermarket systems now come with ECU modules or OBD plug-ins that trick the car into thinking everything’s fine. It’s automotive gaslighting. And it works. Usually. But not always.
After fitting the Novitec straight pipe to my Ferrari F8, everything was fine… until it wasn’t. After a spirited drive through the Alps, I backed off, and up pops a warning. The car, confused and dramatic, decides the (non-existent) catalytic converters are overheating.
And what do you do at that point? Well, you calmly pull over, shove your entire self into the passenger footwell, and disconnect the battery. Like some sort of pitlane surgeon. I’ve now got this down to a fine art. I can do it in under 30 seconds, surrounded by V12s and slightly concerned tour guests. It’s like F1… if F1 included swearing, screwdrivers, and an Alpine lay-by."
"Let’s get legal. In the UK, contrary to what your local dealership will have you believe, if you fit an aftermarket exhaust, the manufacturer can’t just void your entire warranty. They’d have to prove that your modification directly caused whatever issue you’re trying to claim for.
This is covered under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and also echoes the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act in the US (which, while not UK law, is often cited in discussions).
So, if your stereo stops working, Ferrari can’t say it was because your exhaust is too shouty. If your engine fails due to heat soak from a badly fitted system, that’s a different matter."
Choose a reputable brand and professional fitting. Don’t let Dave from Facebook Marketplace weld one together with a coat hanger. Oh, and keep your OEM system stored somewhere safe. Just in case you need to reverse it.
"Let’s be honest. If you’ve made it this far, you already know the answer. You’re not reading a monologue about exhausts because you don’t want to fit one. You’re looking for validation. A pat on the back. A reason to tell your wife why the delivery man just dropped off a crate that smells like burning metal and costs the same as a small holiday home.
Yes. Fit the damn exhaust. Life is too short to drive boring cars. You didn’t buy a supercar to be quiet. You bought it because you wanted the full experience. And part of that experience is noise. Big, childish, unapologetic noise."
