Everybody is always searching for The One. As a toddler, you look for your favorite pacifier; as a child it is your favorite toy. You look for The One in adolescence as you fall in and out of puppy love. Now you are an adult and still you want The One, the only - the best damn exhaust system out there for your car.
Turbo aims to help you in this department by tracking down twelve (count 'em buddy) exhaust systems for the very popular Subaru WRX. All WRX aftermarket exhaust manufacturers were invited to participate in this shootout and the dozen you see below obliged.
They witnessed firsthand their products being put to the test under controlled conditions to see which one would claim top honors; the summa cum laude of exhaust.
As with our last exhaust shootout (September 2002), we've compiled for you several different attributes of each exhaust system: price tag, weight, size, horsepower, torque and sound.
This time we added a few other variables to the mix, including highest horsepower and torque gain at any given rpm and piping diameter. Depending upon which characteristic you value most, you can decide for yourself which system is going to be The One for your ride. Some like 'em loud, some are horsepower whores, others like the biggest pipe (compensation issues? I wonder) and some are on a budget.
Four pizzas, eleven hours straight of dynoing, and twelve exhaust systems later, what you see below are the vital stats we came up with. The search is now over...and The One waits to be crowned.
| Manufacturer | Factory Subaru |
| Type | Stock |
| MSRP | $715.00 |
| Weight | 37.4 pounds |
| Tip Diameter | dual 72mm tips (2.834 inch) |
| Sound Decibel @ Idle | 87dB |
| Sound Decibel @ 3000 rpm | 86dB |
| Peak Horsepower | 191. 8 Hp @ 5600 rpm |
| Peak Torque | 197.1 Tq @ 3800 rpm |
| Largest Horsepower gain over stock | N/A |
| Largest Torque gain over stock | N/A |
| Piping Diameter | 52mm (2.047 inch) |
| Exhaust System Construction and piping | Mild steel canister |
| Manufacturer | 5Zigen |
| Type | Fireball |
| MSRP | $700.00 |
| Weight | 31.3 pounds |
| Tip Diameter | 100mm (3.937 inch) |
| Sound Decibel @ Idle | 98 dB |
| Sound Decibel @ 3000 rpm | 105 dB |
| Peak Horsepower | 198.7 Hp @ 5625 rpm |
| Peak Torque | 201.3 Tq @ 4400 rpm |
| Largest Horsepower gain over stock | 12.0 Hp @ 4400 rpm |
| Largest Torque gain over stock | 13.7 Tq @ 4400 rpm |
| Piping Diameter | 70mm (2.756-inch) |
| Exhaust System Construction | Polished stainless steel canister with |
| coated mild-steel piping. | |
| Source | 5Zigen USA, Inc., (310) 608-5575 |