should i get an intake or exhaust first?
 

alright i'm trying to look into getting an intake or an exhaust for my car, couple of my friends with different cars say that getting one w/o the other doesn't make a big difference... so does it make a difference if i get an intake w/o an exhaust or vice versa? also what kinda of intake or exhaust is the best? i really don't know too much about this kind of stuff so i need all the help i can get!

Right now the best sytem out there seems to be the Racing Beat intake and exhaust.

Most people won't have the money to do both at the same time. You can go either way.
I think I would go with the Revi Intake first.

However if you want a cool sound, go with the exhaust upgrade first.

i'm in the same dilemma but i think im going to get an exhaust first because i want to do FI i the near future...just waiting to see if anyone else can design a better kit than greddy and cheaper than the ssr/sfr.

i just cant decide between the RB, Greddy, and Tanabe. I could also use some help with this.

Thanx,
Matt

if your cars are daily drivers you can't go wrong with Racing Beat exhaust. You won't go nuts with the constant droning sound at highway speed like some others do but still get that race sound when you put the pedal to the metal. It is slightly heavier than stock though but not by much.

Check out the upcoming PTP Motorsports unit. Seems to be a good mix between the 2.

Thanks Fanman i'll do that.

Also, does anyone have a sound clip of the rx8 store exhaust...looks lighter beacuase of the smaller cannisters but i would definitely have to hear it before i bought it.

There used to be one here, but it seems to have fallen off the host's server. Try PM'ing Jason for it, or posting in the Rx8store vendor forum.

The RB intake also gives the 8 a nice sound. I've had it for a couple of months now and I've always liked the agressive note when I hit 6k RPM. We had a day at the track a couple of weeks ago and Omicron thought I had a Borla exhaust! (BTW its a stock exhaust) The RB intake definitely gives it a more agressive sound at high RPM - but not obnoxious.

The RB intake is a little cheaper than a cat back exhaust. A high flow cat seems to give a good HP gain and a more agressive sound as well. I'd say go for the high-flow cat if you have the $, other wise get the RB intake. I think (could be wrong) that both are cheaper than a cat back, and give more HP.

-MD

can anyone tell me,if i change my intake and exhaust at the same time to RB,would it effect/cause problem to my ECU? :confused:

The Greddy and Tanabe exhausts both provide a nice, aggressive tone without being obnoxious. The same is true of the Borla, though it seems to have a reputation on the forums for being loud. It's really not that loud. I drive one regularly, and it's a nice sporty sound with little drone. And I'm 30, so it's not just young ears :). That said, I like the tone of the Greddy a bit better, and when running really hard the Greddy shoots fire out the back more often if that matters to you :).

I can't speak to RB stuff, though I'm certain it's very high in quality. It can't really be higher in quality (as far as fitment and appearance) than the Borla, Greddy or Tanabe (as they all fit VERY well), but for power gains one might be better than another.

I can also say that peak dyno numbers notwithstanding, cat-back exhausts do something power-wise for the RX-8. At least the Greddy and Borla do (I have not actually driven on the Tanabe). There's decidedly more midrange pull, especially noticable after gear changes. Where the car used to be a bit flat at the start of the next higher gear after shifting at redline, you now get a good, strong pull from the midrange on up. There may not be any more peak horsepower or torque, but there's more area under the curve. I hope to have numbers to prove that one day, but dyno time around here is hard to come by and as I understand it these cars don't always take well to dynos anyway. We'll work on it. Best I can do now is say that from 60-110mph, with two RX8s both on the M flash, the cars were very even. When we installed the Borla on one and tried a similar 'test' a month later, the Borla-equipped car was clearly faster and pulled away slowly but convincingly. Three times in a row. Especially after the 3-4 shift. Not overt proof by any stretch, but something made the Borla-equipped car faster that day. The car that had the stock exhaust then now has had the Greddy on for a month or so, and we intend to try our test again soon.

Last note on exhaust, we've figured out how to package the Greddy in such a way as to keep it out of the super-oversize shipping category, thus making shipping around $30-40 instead of $70-80. The Tanabe and Borla are in boxes just small enough to keep them on the reasonable side of shipping too.

On intakes most seem happy with the Revi. I have one customer very happy with the HKS, but it's quite a bit more costly. K&N has apparently totally redesigned theirs with a carbon fiber heat shield and a different filter and is still claiming a 10hp gain somewhere in the powerband (not peak), but I can't seem to find any info on these yet.

Hope that helps. These cars aren't going to make a ton more power without FI or at least ECU mods, but we've found the basic exhaust and intake stuff to give them a nice little boost and really add to the overall driving experience.

Regards,

I would get the intake first, the exhaust is really just for sound, even Racing Beat will tell you that.

The intake will also get you better mileage. Even still, don't expect real noticable power gains, the intake really helps with the throttle response and economy, but the WHP gain in in the 4-5hp range.

i'm doing the intake first because it's easier to DIY :D

Intake first. From what I've read, most people who have had aftermarket exhausts installed could not appreciate the sound and improvements of the REVi intake.

I have stock everything except REVi, and damn I just wanna leave work right now so I can drive my 8! The sound is amazing even at low RPM. You hear it more if you open your windows too :D

It shouldn't. I had a CEL for half a day after installing the REVi but it went away. I think it was just the 8 adjusting to it's new appendage.

I installed the REVi first and fell in love with it from day one. The sound was better, the engine seemed smoother and in a weird way it was easier to shift. I was so overly impressed with Racing Beat and the meticulous design of their intake that I thought I couldn't go wrong purchasing their exhaust. I was right. I haven't noticed as big a change from going stock to only intake vs intake + exhaust but it sure does look good with those 4" tips ;)

Tanabe exhaust and HKS intake sounds very sweet to!
Will try to to a sound clip this weekend :)
The main reason I went with the above setup was because some many RX-8 people
Went with the RB intake/exhaust.
I just wanted to have something different.
So far happy camper!

I bought the RB Cat Back first. Later this summer, I am going with suspension upgrades and sway bars. I will then do the REVi with the Ram Air Intake when it is available.

That is my order for what it is worth.

I would do either the RB exhaust or RB Suspension package first. The RB exhaust made the car sound perfect, the way it should have sounded rolling off the factory assembly line. Might not give that much hp (1-4 hp) but the sound is just so much better. Also the suspension package (RB springs & swaybars) was really great. Literally made the steering telepathic. Perfectly done for the factory 18" wheels & tires.

Well DPE there is a differance in quality of the exhaust.
I have examined all three and have spoken to several who have installed each.
The RB is the Winner. It beats Borela and Greddy because it is easier to install due to the engineering design. While this may be debatable you can not debate the next example.

RB Exhaust is stainless steel. The walls and muffler are thicker. It will not rust therefore it will last longer. Therefore better quality. It even snows in Kansas, so it is something to consider.

I had a Borla on my PGT for 8 years and after 8 salty winters it was still absolutely spotless. Borla has a million mile guarantee against the exhaust rusting out - what KIND OF WARRANTY DOES RACING BEAT HAVE???

hyundais and kias got good warranty policies, hmmm they might be better cars b/c of that ;)

I like that little angle on your pipes modena

KN air intake claim a 9.5hp increase. Is this accurate? I have read a couple of comments for different intake manufacturers, but which intake would be considered the king for the 8?

i guess greddy's stainless really isnt stainless huh

Revi from Racing Beat right now (though AEM just came out with theirs). K&N makes lots of claims, but dynoes have shown that it is complete crap. Some people were actually LOSING hp. They have a new design coming out (probably because their other one failed so miserably) and in tuner it gave about 3-4 hp, not 9 hp though.