It turns out that the stylish dual chrome outlets can do a lot more than just provide an eye-catching finish to a car’s aggressive good looks. That’s actually just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the benefits of a dual-exhaust system. The setups can also make good on their visual promise of upgraded performance by delivering real-world gains that gearheads can definitely notice. And while dual exhausts don’t necessarily make an engine louder, they do have an effect on how the motor sounds — whether the result is good or bad is in the ears of the beholder, as some folks are quick to tell you your cheap exhaust sounds like garbage.
The path to extra power comes from dual exhaust systems, providing an extra route for exhaust gas to exit the engine. You can think of it this way: With a V8 engine and a single exhaust, you have the leftover combustion gas from all eight cylinders trying to squeeze through a single catalytic converter, a single muffler, and a single exhaust pipe. A true dual exhaust system will double down on those components while at the same time relying on two different manifolds to gather the gas from the two banks of four cylinders.
The easier, less restrictive path from the engine to the atmosphere means less engine power is needed to push out the exhaust gas. That leaves more on tap for having fun.
Read more: These Cars Have The Best Wings Ever
The different types of dual exhaust systems
The triple exhaust outlets of the Honda Civic Type R – Honda
Now, you may have noticed we mentioned true dual exhaust systems up above there, and that’s because a car showing two exhaust tips can have significantly different hardware between them and the engine. For instance, some cars may have a single exhaust system all the way to the muffler, then have a Y-shaped pipe after it to show a pair of outlets.
There are also cat-back dual exhaust systems that have a single exhaust path leading into the catalytic converter with two mufflers and two exhaust pipes after that. This is the point where enough exhaust backpressure is being eliminated for an enthusiast to realize an effective jump in horsepower. For even more ponies, some high-performance cars have the just-mentioned true dual setups, dedicating a full system to handle each bank of cylinders.
Triple and quad exhausts? These are usually a form of dual exhaust: The Honda Type R — just a teenage dirtbag, baby — has a setup with a single pipe splitting into three at the back of the car, with two mufflers/outlets like a dual-exhaust. The third pipe sends some of the gas through a resonator for enhanced engine sound before it reaches its outlet. A quad-exhaust car like the Chevrolet Corvette relies on dual-exhaust from the cylinder banks to the mufflers, which are packaged together with two outlets coming from each muffler for a total of four outlets.
Other benefits of dual-exhaust systems
The Chevrolet Corvette Stjngray showing off a dual exhaust with quad outlets – Chevrolet
The unique engine note of some dual-exhaust systems, sometimes described as a rumble or growl, is an added pleasure for your senses, and one that can make a big difference to your enjoyment. Consider the new Ferrari F80. For all its adrenaline-pumping thrills, the single exhaust for this V6-powered hybrid sounds like ass. In fact, per our Andy Kalmowitz, his “keyboard angrily clicking away sounds as good as if not better than the F80.”
Of course, getting your car in tune with your aural preferences can be tricky even with a dual-exhaust system. It depends on things such as the length and diameter of the exhaust pipes, the types of mufflers/resonators, the style of exhaust tip you use, and more — all of which are available on the aftermarket if you don’t appreciate your car’s current soundtrack.
A dual-exhaust system can also provide another welcome reward because it can increase fuel efficiency the same way it increases horsepower. It’s a matter of the engine not having to work as hard to fight against the exhaust system’s backpressure. Sure, you can use that extra muscle for go-fast adventures, but if you keep to more moderate speeds, the result of the improved engine performance is improved fuel economy.
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