changster123

Given it is mostly an American crowd here, most of the glowing review exhausts you read about here are made at some mom and pop tuner show with an in house fabricator. This includes BBi, Sharkwerks, AWE, blah blah. Why don't Americans appreciate true craftsmanship from companies that dedicate themselves to making a single product - exhausts?

Akrapovic is the one that stands out far above the rest. If you have ever held one or installed one in your hands you know it is true art, true perfection. Even the instructions that comes with it, the boxing, makes it feel like you are buying a singular product. They have a real fab (plant) they they invested into. They have real R&D.

Say you go buy a super nice Sony 4K 80" TV. It is packaged with a box that says Sony, the instructions are actually professionally printed, etc etc. There is a real digitized serial number with barcodes.

Can you guys not see through the bullshttt? I'm just very curious sorry. In the end an exhaust is just some pipes yes. I can go to my local exhaust shop and get one made for $800. That's almost the same thing you are buying from some in house tuner shop made exhaust. Except of course they will say they have better welding and use better mufflers or resonators or use xxxx guage stainless steel or whatever. But they will charge $5000+ for it!! Do they have a real manufacturing facility, real innovative R&D, etc?

Anyways... It just blows my mind. I know many will disagree but to me that type of product are just knock offs, except made in the USA knock offs (they will proudly claim that too... "This is MADE IN THE USA!").

And man, don't get me started on rims.

Flame away lol.

worf928

Americans have been spoiled by shopping at Walmart. The notion that there are differentiating factors other than price has been lost by the vast majority of purchasers of everything at all levels. Characteristics that cannot be seen have no value. Under the covers it could be made from cardboard. No one cares as long as it lasts long enough for them to move on to the next thing. Lowest bidder wins.

Dan@SharkWerks

I don't understand this... the companies you cite (BBi, AWE and Shark Werks) all pretty much just make exhausts, too. So what's wrong with smaller businesses making simple or innovative products that cost less money to purchase and develop than big box manufacturers with huge R&D facilities? What's wrong with giving people a choice? And I mean that's great that Akrapovic includes a pretty box. I'd hope so for $10,000

That's not even touching the design constraints - sure we would make a high-flow cat, muffler replacement system but it wouldn't be legal in any US state and highly illegal in California (like any Akra cat-replacement system is). We wanted the best sound and street legal application. The only way to do that is to remove the muffler or replace it, and replacing it just wasn't good enough for sound on these cars. They're just too quiet. Nearly everyone that's bought our exhaust for the 991 Turbo likes it so I don't see why we shouldn't make it.

Being small has its advantages, too. For example, Akra also makes exhausts for motorcycles, Mclarens, Ferraris, Corvettes, Mitsubishi, etc. We live, breathe and drive Porsches here... and only make parts for Porsches. Akra only started doing exhausts for Porsches a few years ago. Some of the companies you talked about have it been doing it for 15+ years.

PertPlus

As someone who has had Akrapovic on his 991 TTS, Carrera S, C63 AMG, M5 and M3...I unequivocally agree with your statement Dan. And when someone from Taipei, Taiwan pontificates about the proliferation of what they believe to be "sub-par" quality products, I just merely have to let out a huge laugh. Do we really need to get into the black-markets of Taiwan selling counterfeit goods from purses and watches all the way up to those damn fake sex robots I will never get my money back on!!! Real "Carbon fiber Adams apple" my ***!!! The original post is merely just the stream-of-consciousness of someone who desperately wants to be a douche, but just doesn't know exactly how to go about making it publicly known. Congrats OP, we all know now.

Side note: weird that the OP never criticized IPE or any manufacturers of exhausts from Asia....huh....I'm sure it was just an oversight. I mean, we all know that those Taiwanese and Chinese wheels/tires are top notch. I think every legit F1 racing team uses Forgestars and Nankangs....

Karl911

May i ask, what motivated you to start this thread!

BBiAutosport

Thank you Dan for chiming in on behalf on the listed Porsche tuners. We would like to add that tuning companies such as BBi Autosport, Sharkwerks, AWE Tuning, and few others are Porsche specialists who are passionate and have a more comprehensive understanding of these cars. Many of us are all constantly pushing the envelope to innovate to develop new products on a daily basis. Based on the OP's logic, Casio should produce a finer watch than Audemars Piquet or a Richard Mille, or a bottle Yellow Tail is a better wine than Screaming Eagle or Rothschild, or Budweiser makes the world's best beer, all because they have bigger plants and factories. Across all industries, many consumers are starting to appreciate quality bespoken goods that are driven by passion instead of mass production. That is just our two cents and we will leave it as that.

PMNewton

I'm just going to throw this out there for balance. I don't like the Akra exhaust at all. It is the exact same design as stock, the rear valence looks cobbled together and I don't think it sounds good. Build quality might be excellent but I think it's ricey. So there you go. Good thing there's so many others to choose from thanks to BBi, Kline, Europipe et al. My $.02.

- Patrick

JustinCredible

I definitely appreciate true craftsmanship and can ogle over beautiful exhausts all day. However, I can also appreciate the fact that I am supporting a local motorsport company as well as keeping my wallet fat.

If we are focusing on exhausts, I agree Akrapovic is amazing and top of the line. However, I cannot justify that spend for something where I see only the tips 99% of the time. Also, piping is piping, and metal is metal to me. If the $5000 dollar exhaust takes in the exhaust and shoots it out in a similar fashion and sound as good as something that costs twice as much, then I am all for it. I also understand why someone would spend $10,000 on an exhaust though, but that is just not me.

Rims are a different story, because there is a different affect if a rim were to break versus an exhaust weld breaking. I would be fine spending thousands on a rim that can take the abuse of over 500HP and 1.5 tons of metal.

jem7v

To the OP: If you actually held a bbi exhaust you would know it's the exact same quality as akravpovic. It sounds way better too. Actually akra on the turbo sounds horrible.

The other 2 brands aren't in the same league.

German_Saint

Anyone need a tag? _ I think y'all got this- I'll just circle the ring chanting "USA..USA.. OOOOOOHHHH"

Visceral

changster123- I guess I'm not following your post. Perhaps you can break it down for me...

What SPECIFIC different experience am I going to have if I put an Acropovic ($9k) on my car instead of a BBi (5k$), a Kline ($3.8k), a Europipe ($3.5k), or a Sharkwerks ($1.8k)?

How do you quantify that it's worth the (up to) $7200 difference?

Karl911

I think changster is pulling our chain!

HRE_Jurrian

Akrapovic really does produce works of art. The amount of technology that goes into each system after countless prototypes to produce the the exact sound they want is just humbling when you see it in person. Thank you for your comments!

Karl911

yrah , i know just bought akrapovic exhasut for wifes M6 GC. $9k

dds007

Why buy a Rolex when an Apple Watch does more?