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Long story short, few months ago I've installed a Tubi Style inconel exhaust on my CGT. The finish and fitting of that exhaust was amazing, everything worked out perfectly. Only minus was a sound that, despite being louder, lost a bit of the howling character of that beautiful engine.
So having looked a bit around the different Porsche forums I found out that GMG was producing an exhaust that enhanced the level of noise without messing up with the characteristic howling of the GT. Seemed like the perfect option!
After a long negotiation I manage to get one of their exhausts fabricated and sent over. And here starts the appalling experience...not a single answer on my multiple requests of getting a tracking number.
Ended up having to wait an additional week after the exhaust arrived in the UK because the shipment was held in customs and no one told me.
The courier eventually sent me a letter asking for duties to be paid before releasing the shipment and I was lucky enough to receive it the day before it would have been sent back to the sender...
Finally it gets delivered...never seen a packaging as bad as that one! Simple card box filled with all the exhaust parts wrapped in some plastic and paper. I wouldn't expect something like this even if I were buying something through ebay, leave alone a respected company who just sold me a 6k USD custom fabricated exhaust!
I try not to think about it as I'm finally happy I have it, so I organize the car to be picked up by Porsche UK the following morning together with the exhaust.
The following day the fun starts...in the box there isn't a single piece of paper explaining the correct procedure to fit the exhaust. Porsche UK starts looking at different pictures around the net to find out and fit everything as it should.
First problem, the holes for fit the exhaust aren't big enough for the supplied bolts...
Second problem, the exhaust have no heat shield and once fitted, it is way to close to the pipes that bring the oil to the gearbox...
Porsche UK, who previously fitted my tubi exhaust, refuse categorically to fit the GMG, saying it's too dangerous, especially with the use I'm making of the car (track use, long drives etc). I tried to explain that many others have fitted the same exhaust and not much ever happened but they wouldn't listen and even refused to install it even if I were to sign a disclaimer...
I trust Porsche UK a lot, they've dealt with hundreds of CGT over the last 10+ years and they have the biggest experience on these cars than anyone else (at least in Europe)...if they take such a stance there must be a good reason and now the seed of doubt has been planted so I'm not comfortable anymore with the GMG exhaust...
Tried to get in contact with them again to explain the situation and asking if I could return the unused exhaust as Porsche will not fit it and even if someone else will agree to fit it for me I will always have on the back of my mind the idea that something could go very wrong (last thing I want is the car catching fire at the Nurburgring while on a fast lap, have already enough to think of while I'm there!!) but absolutely NOTHING from them other than "Will call you back" or "I escalated to the owner of the business and he will give you a call".
Well more than a month have passed by and I'm a bit gutted with all the outcome and lack of help from GMG, not something I would have expected from a shop that has been so praised and it is so well regarded within the Porsche community...
Just thought I will let other GT owners know in case they were considering changing exhaust on their car. My car now is back to standard and will stay like this forever I guess!!
Sorry for your experience. I know of a few people who have switched to GMG without any issues however I don't like the sound. Mine will remain stock forever since any aftermarket exhaust will distort the howl (symphony).
Sorry for your experience. I know of a few people who have switched to GMG without any issues however I don't like the sound. Mine will remain stock forever since any aftermarket exhaust will distort the howl (symphony).
Thanks and I always loved the howl of the original exhaust but felt the need to have some more volume inside the car to complete the experience. With the 918 they did the opposite...it sounds glorious on the inside while on the outside it is nothing exceptional. But as I was the one who should enjoy I was happy that way!
I know as well at least 1 person with the GMG exhaust, his car spend most of the time in a garage so his experience is good but not 100% applicable to my use of the car. If the issue was raised by a random shop fitting the exhaust I would have been less concerned, but being Porsche itself that raised the problem I'm way more worried.
At the end of the day, more than anything else, I was shocked by the poor communication and the lack of answer (positive or negative) of the company. Every company is great when everything works fine, but a very good company is one that can deal with a customer in case something goes wrong, and in this case many things went very wrong!
Why not wrap the oil lines with something like this? Similar to the other factory wrapped line in the picture. I understand your frustration.
That's a good idea and for sure one I will consider if I ever decide to try and fit this exhaust again.
My frustration is more into the answers (or more lack of) I got from GMG and the constant push back from them saying that it was Porsche doing something wrong and not their issue. This, together with all the additional issues around packaging, fabrication and lack of instructions, resulted in a very frustrated me and in this post.
Why not wrap the oil lines with something like this? Similar to the other factory wrapped line in the picture. I understand your frustration.
That's what GMG did when they installed the exhaust on my car. I'm surprised they didn't send the insulation with the exhaust.
I'm sorry to hear about your experience with GMG. While I don't track my CGT all the time, I did take it to Big Willow a few times and it was fine. I personally prefer the sound of the GMG over the Tubi straight pipe setup.
The issue here is not the bad fitting exhaust - it is the lack of service from GMG. I had a similar experience on a much less expensive part. CF dive planes that they said would fit my 997.1 RS - well they didn't and ignored me completely. They could have cared less. Would not let me return it. They did say that the dive plane would not fit a .1 RS only a .2 RS. So I asked they why is it on your website and why did your people tell me over the phone that it would fit.
Bottom line - I sold it on this site as new - but took a loss on it. I will never order anything form GMG - ever.
i am surprised that james sofronas has not contacted you yet. i met him personally, though never purchased anything from him, he seems to be a stand up guy. this certainly doesn't bode well for GMG.
i am surprised that james sofronas has not contacted you yet. i met him personally, though never purchased anything from him, he seems to be a stand up guy. this certainly doesn't bode well for GMG.
He sent me an email yesterday, I guess a result of this post...telling he tried to call me 2 times but the number I gave them never worked....strange, I received calls from Singer in CA on the same number, the same week without any issue.
As mentioned to them in my last email, I don't care anymore...they had more than a month to make things right and talk to me, now it's too late, lost my confidence and patience, I guess their exhaust will make a contemporary (and expensive) wall piece for the garage!
I am sorry to hear about your frustrations. While it may not be of much help this time around, the communication and instruction will be something that I will be doing more of going forward. I've been here several months now and have gotten a good handle on things. This isn't to say there won't be bumps going forward, but I'm happy to help.
To be blunt, your feedback helps highlight potential problem areas for me to investigate and rectify.
Regarding the exhaust itself. There are several client-driven CGT's with the GMG exhaust that see aggressive track use with no issue. Add to that the fact that there have been no reported, or observed, issues in the years we've been producing this exhaust. I certainly respect your dealership's hesitation to install an aftermarket part that they don't have experience with. One of the guys here showed me the images where your dealer started by putting on the pipes backwards (orienting them closer to the lines), something that could have been easily avoided via communications/instructions.
Regarding the bolt miss-sizing. That is an embarrassing oversight obviously. It is something that is being addressed.
While it is too late for this time around, you (and others) are more than welcome to email me directly.
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We would like to address the actual fact of the matter here. The OP here did not install the exhaust because of its fitment, but because Porsche Reading in the UK would not take the liability of installing an aftermarket exhaust due to Porsche legal stepping in and refusing the dealership to install an aftermarket system. I am sure we can all understand liability from a Porsche dealership's perspective.
The photo below is from our archives here at GMG:
Without having the correct pipe on the correct side, or the clamp installed, the exhaust cannot be positioned correctly.
After giving the dealership all of the correct information on how to properly install the system, the service manager picked up the phone and told me that their legal counsel would not allow for the after market system to be completed by the dealership.
Left: photo from GMG archive vs. Right: photo from Porsche Reading
The same Porsche Reading, home of Porsche UK and the only UK approved center for Carrera GT and 918, previously installed on my car the aftermarket Tubi Style exhaust without any issue. And that was only few months ago, not at a time when policies were different.
They only had issues with the GMG exhaust as they thought it was a dangerous system given the fact it runs too close to the gearbox oil pipes.
The pictures you posted are the first ones I sent you of a wrong fitment because of lack of instructions coming with the exhaust.
Once the head technician spoke with you, the exhaust has been fitted correctly, but they still deemed it too insecure for my use, hence they refused to give me the car with your system fitted.
So Porsche UK does not have issues with every aftermarket part...I've been using them for a long time and that was the first time they refused to do something I asked them.
No excuse for the communication issues but I put a couple thousand spirited miles on my CGT with GMG exhaust and had no issues. It's the best sounding car I have ever heard. Sounds like stock, just more.
04-13-2017, 06:05 AM
Be careful on GMG exhausts for Carrera GT
