Review of the TurboXS Catback (with OEM cat)
 

Hello all. Yesterday I installed my new TurboXS catback exhaust system. It came packaged up in a box weighing about 50 pounds. It was packaged very well, and was not damaged at all during shipping. The catback came with all the necessary bolts, gaskets, etc. to bolt up to the stock catalytic converter.

This particular version of the TurboXS exhaust was the newest version (extended 4" tips, blue burnt tips, slash-cut, etc) with everything fully polished. It really looked quite amazing. All the pipes were mirror-like, and the welding looked strong, and precise.

The installation was great, aside from taking out my stock exhaust. Because my stock exhaust is about 10 years old, the bolts holding it together were completely heat seated into the metal, and it required a torch to remove. After the old system was out, installing the new cat back was great. Everything bolted up perfectly, and the tips were positioned perfectly without having to modify, or heat up anything. It is by far one of the easiest fitting exhausts I've seen. Some rumor that the TurboXS catback can't fit up to the stock cat without having to modify it, but this is FALSE. The catback came with the necessary 2.5" to 3" gasket ring, and everything went together with ease.

After seeing multiple videos of the full TurboXS exhaust, I was very hesitant to go catless. As we all know, the TurboXS catless racepipe is a ear-sore to many. I wanted to turn heads with my system, but I didn't want to make everyone deaf. I was originally leaning toward a better dual resonated, or BHR midpipe because I was afraid just the catback wasn't going to change the sound dramatically enough for my taste: boy was I wrong.

After long hard thinking, I decided to keep the stock cat on. When I first started it up, I was NOT expecting that much of a difference from the stock exhaust, but damn, it was nice. It gives more "oomph" to the car's exhaust note. At 3k RPM it almost sounds like you attached a 15" subwoofer to your engine, but it's not too loud. It's the perfect amount of volume, and sound. It does not drone and it does not scream, rather, it sings. It's a very "bassy" and "low-toned" sound. It sounds like the car has more power, yet, you can still hear the famously beautiful rotary engine sound, that is so unique. It is exactly what I was looking for.

The dual 4" tips look great. This particular version of the TurboXS catback had the burnt blue tips. Although they are advertised as blue, the passanger side tip actually came out sort of purpleish; but I imagine this is different for every shipment. Because the tips were extended, the exhaust shroud melting issue is no longer. After driving over 200 miles with it on, I have experienced no issues. The tips aren't big enough to give you the ricer title, but they are big enough for people to notice that it is definitely after market.

Horsepower increase was minimal. I did not have access to a dyno before I wrote this so I am not going to throw out any numbers. But from what I could tell, it felt like it definitely had a stronger pull at about 7k RPM. This could just be placebo, but it does feel different. A Cobb AP is next on my list, so after a MM tune, I'm sure it will be more noticeable.

All in all, I LOVE this catback. It provides plenty of sound and volume even using the stock cat! I can't imagine how loud and annoying this would be with the catless racepipe in person, but I am glad I left the stock cat on. Maybe sometime in the future I will give the BHR midpipe a go, but that's not on my list of things to do as of now. I'll post some photos of the installation, as well as a video. (Please note that the video does NOT do this exhaust justice on how noticeably louder and better it sounds. After watching this video I was shocked at just how little sound the camera picked up.)

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The tips look rusty, but that's just the ground reflecting on it. They are perfectly mirror-like.
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Final product
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And here's the video I put together (and yes the car was fully warmed up):

Here, Here, have the same system on mine only with the TurboX midpipe with catalytic converter. 3 inches id from the header back. Quality is outstanding well worth the moneys. It is on the loud side slightly more than the AP system with midpipe I had on previously. Get many compliments from car people, non car people not so much. My favorite is that the car sounds very aggressive/angry much like a formula one.
06 Shinka

The stock exhaust always looked bad to me. The muffler looks like like a huge bulky time capsule that was meant to be buried for future reference, with those tiny tips that never filled the exhaust shrouds enough. :dunno: Nice review btw. :icon_tup:

Right? It's looks horrible. When I took it off and set it on the ground, I was so glad that I wasn't going to look at it again. Goodbye stock :wavey:

That was my problem. I thought just the cat back wasn't going to be enough for my liking. I didn't want to sound like a ricer with a 4 trillion inch exhaust system on a honda civic. I bet the catted mid pipe sounds good, but for now, I am very pleased with the results. :bigok:

Yep. I got this exhaust with the free midpipe I ASKED for the blue tips but i got all chrome.. Not too mad at all however, I went with the Agency Power duel res.. It sounds mean but it is LOUD AS FUHHHHH... But it could have been louder with the singe resonator that comes with the mid pipe.. I plan on installing another resonator the Moroso Spiral flow.

.Moroso Performance Products 94051 : Moroso Spiral Flow Racing Muffler - 3.0" Inlet/Outlet

Anybody use this yet?

Ok.. Think im gonna scratch the Spiral flow resonator..dont think it can take the heat... So im gonna need another resonator that can handle the RX8 kitchen.. Any suggestions.

I always thought the TurboXS sounded slightly too loud when I first put it on (race-pipe installed), but I must say the exhaust sounds PERFECT once you go turbo ;)

Yeah well unfortunately I don't have $8,000 to spend on a turbo. I wish! It seems the TurboXS cat back has quieted down after the first couple hundred miles. Or maybe thats just me getting used to it.

^ it does a tiny bit but still loud as Fuhhhhh..

here is my exhaust.. Last Thursday I had a 20 inch long x 3" dia in and out Resonator installed.. Sounds a lot more tame... almost too quit now.. but not bad.. I think going to down to 14 inch long one later... here is a cell phone clip of it.. not the greatest but gives you an idea.

Does this exhaust bolt on to all model RX8s? On their website listing, it says that's it's for all models and doesn't provide the option to select which. Are they all exactly the same? How do they bolt on to a series 2?

I was under the impression that the tips had to be lower to fit on to a series 2 bumper. Say if I purchase this exhaust for my series 1, then purchase a series 2 bumper or something, will it fit?

It doesn't fit a Series 2 RX8 well to be honest.

If you are lowered, the intermediate pipe will sit too low and will cause clearance issues

Regardless of ride height, one tip will stick out further than the other due to the angle that the system needs to sit to mount on a S2.

Not sure about the S1 guys, but it drones hard in an S2.

And yes, I had this exact exhaust, and yes I got rid of it because it was A. a pain in the ass and B. too damn loud

I sent a message to TXS and I'm waiting for a reply regarding the fitment between models. With that said, it fits fine with this car.


Though the axel-back piping does look to hang very low.

It's a great exhaust for the price, you just need a turbo to quiet it down :-)

Just recently got the old version of there catback (3.5") with the chrome tips....gotta say best investment ever....soon as it it was on start that baby up and here a nice deep tone, sounded pretty boss...thinking about getting there headers too any one got there's frm turboxs????

Been looking around at videos of this exhaust with the stock Cat on and it doesn't seem overly loud. It's probably because everyone uses it along with the provided midpipe which increases the volume tremendously. I'd be very interested to hear how this will pair up with a BHR or Racing Beat midpipe.

I had it paired with a BHR.

It was still loud on the S2.

Hey im looking for a solution to my check engine light, i just recently put a performance headder back exhaust system, so i do not have the two cats nemore, but my rear O2 censor is reading wrong thus dumping more fuel, how do i fix this problem, is there a delete or modual available, please PM if u have ne suggestions, thanks.

1. there arent two cats ... just one
2. the 8 has a rather sophisticated emissions system ... there is no physical bypass ... you can try to attempt the rare success of moving the o2 outside of the exhaust stream by a bit ... but like i said, the ecu has logic to detect that and will throw a code to verify that. If you have a S1 RX8 (03-08) then you can grab yourself a COBB to easily mask the code. There are other software based methods, but you can do some searching for that
3. how exactly are you coming to the conclusion you are dumping more fuel because of it? It has been speculated that the rear o2 affects fuel trims ... but no proof of it yet.

Back on topic...

BHR + TurboXS sounds good. Pretty loud and it sounds mean when you get on it!

Hey i know its been a while but im just recently starting to look at exhaust options i really like how that sounds and i love the blue tips on the exhaust. i was just wondering where you got it because the one on turboXS doesnt look like it has the blue tips.

Thanks

I have the BHR midpipe and TurboXS and it sounds amazing. Still LOUD though, so I only can imagine what it would sound like with any other midpipe then the sexy BHR.

In regard to what resonators people should use, use BHR's, they will withstand the heat.

I am going to post a clip, it just sounds amazing. There are almost two types of tones that come depending upon if you are on low RPMs or high. You get a lower, aggressive burble going on at low range, and the high pitch of the rotary at high RPMs.

I have found out, if I keep my RPMs constant, the exhaust is silent to me - gets me by police. Even though they could probably hear me a few blocks away (have yet to ever get a ticket, I am a good drive and not a jackass).

It is maybe a bit too loud for my taste, a lot louder then I thought it would be, but I still love it. Great investment, this and the AxialFlow Short Shifter are my two favorite mods so far on the car.

Can't wait for the BHR headers though!