Best Aftermarket Exhaust Options

I too fought this with Porsche but way back in 2010 on a 2009 Carrera S the dealer put a Tubi exhaust on this showroom new car and sold it all to me. Mine was simple sort of... the weld on the cat to headers failed and they noticed the cat was also broken on the inside. Th whole cat/header needed to be changed...$2500 then. Porsche said it is due to after market exhaust...Porsche North America not the dealer...the warranty is with Porsche the manufacture NOT the dealer and Porsche the manufacture voided all warranty on the entire power train and ECU as the dealer flashed the ECU and did not tell me.

Anyway we got the car back to stock, dealer worked with Porsche and got my warranty re-instated and put the stock exhaust back on. This took meetings, letters, a lawyer and a total PITA.

MMA could not be used as this was a mod...both exhaust and ECU and if the stock OEM muffler and pipes went bad everything is already covered under warranty and immediately available to order and install. The Tubi exhaust changed the fuel air ratio enough to cause extra heat in the cats and weld thus they failed. Porsche sent a rep down to look at the car and also found the Tubi exhaust flanges did not meet up to the other exhaust pipes exactly perfect and that also caused extra stresss on the cat and weeds thus they failed. Again MMA does not play zero part in this.

 

Yeah, that makes perfect sense given their claim that the exhaust caused the failure. Glad you eventually got it worked out. Had you had a tail light failure I would think they would have honored the warranty but you never know.

Mine with Porsche was also a while ago and happened on the track. In short I had a suspension failure but I was running track pads and they claimed it was the 100% cause not even just a contributing factor. I forget the exact details of the deal we reached but we eventually ended up splitting the cost and they reconfirmed my warranty. The regional rep was the problem and they eventually sent someone from PCNA who agreed the failure couldn't have been caused by the pads being installed.

 

Isn't tracking a car the most car fun ever?!?!?! For me it is. I tracked with Chin, PCA and PBOC from 2005-2019 all the time. I was always at Sebring, Homestead and twice a year at Daytona. Also did Barber and Rd Atlanta. We might have crossed paths.

I was in Porsches back then, Carrera S, then GTS w/ Porsche factory GT3 kit and GT2 seats, rear roll bar, Scroth harness and then GT3's. I did a few laps at Sebring in my 2019 488 at the Ferrari national event in Nov 2021.

I did mod my Porsche's for the track though. I knew warranty is going to not be valid but I took the chance. On my Porsche's I ran, Giro Disc, larger turbo front rotors and the stock 6 piston 997 Turbo calipers bolted right up ( same set up the Grand Am cars used back then), Pagid yellow front and black in back for better brake bias, forged CCW or Forgeline wheels usually Toyo RA1 shaved, or R888 then on to Cup2's. I'd replace the front lower control arms with 996 GT3 cup arms and on my 2012 GTS I eventually did better height adjustable coilovers and adjustable sway bars.
I did around 10-15 events a year at various tracks. I got real lucky with no major failures...(engine transmission) etc. The Porsches then seemed to hold up real well on the track.

 

I'm sure we have! I started at Moroso in the mid 90s and Chin in 01, moved to TX in 08 and finally got back to FL last year and got my 296 on Sebring as soon as I could! Still my favorite track. I modded most of my Pcars in a similar fashion to yours. Porsche has also been the best dual purpose car I've found but I've run M3s, Vipers, Supra, Lotus, Mustangs, etc and now Ferraris. All of them need something if they're going to be driven hard on the track. The 296 is a ton of fun but I don't plan on doing more than 5-7 days per year in at 80%.

 

I spoke with Redstar, and the owner got really defensive. When I asked if they had installation instructions, the answer was “no.” I questioned whether the systems worked without issues, and he said, “yes, but maybe not.” He admitted the cat-back wouldn’t work properly if just bolted on—you’d need to buy the full system to avoid errors. That’s not the same product they were selling before. It seems like every aftermarket company is struggling with their 296 exhausts, constantly releasing new versions. I told him I’d review the system if it actually worked—I’ve already installed several with similar claims, all of which failed. Yet, I can’t find a single real review online for any 296 system—cat-back, full, race, or hi-flow—that works without issues. When I offered to purchase and review one, he declined. Seriously? This could boost sales, but it feels like no one wants their welders overwhelmed with too many orders. I asked, Isn’t that the whole goal of your business? I’d feel lucky if a customer offered to review my work and provide detailed forum feedback, especially when there’s so much uncertainty about these systems. Every company gives the same response or worse, ghosts you. I’m offended that you’re asking if our system actually works, what...... Just tell me how you will stand behind it. And no, my tech isn’t incompetent, unlike the usual excuses you hear. I am still mindblown, there is not a post of a review of a 3rd party exhaust for the 296, almost 4 years later. The new Novitec Cat-Back system actually looks the most promising. But it retains, basically, the entire system. But they claim HP gains, and it does sound awesome. Yet not a single person has ever put a 3rd party system in and is having success?

 

You are absolutely putting your money where your mouth is. Too bad the mfgs will not do the same. Ridiculous

 

Is there a NEW novitec system? Not the one they’ve had for a while.

 

Here is the new Novitec one.

NOVITEC Exhaust System w/ Flap-Regulation for F171 Ferrari 296 GTB & GTS

They have come out with so many different Exhaust and modules.

 

I was trying. I was very nice. I said I have tried multiple systems and have had many issues. Too much time wasted troubleshooting, and this then it not working. Why should I buy yours with: No reviews or instructions? And with that, he got very rude and quick.

 

Obviously that is no way to earn business. Because he did not even communicate we can only speculate that he is aware his product will also have issues and does not want to do business with an educated buyer before hand (especially one who will talk about the problems). Happy for him to prove us wrong, but that’s how I would interpret his business practices.

As for Novitec, I don’t necessarily see the many updates as a problem granted they do a few things

1) They can tell you what the latest update fixes/ has the previous ones did not and why it’s important

2) If owners of previous versions can get this at no cost or what cost. This is important because how soon after you buy this version until the next one comes out? The only reason it should not be included is if Ferrari changed something on a newer model year.

 

Yes exactly. I don't understand why this is a secret mission.

 

Please learn section 203(a)(3) the Clean Air Act and 40 C.F.R. §§ 1068.101(b) and you will understand. It is not a warranty issue. What you propose to do is simply illegal. This isn’t hard.

 

No its not. My car is for the track, not the street. There are people giving Exhuast and part reviews all over this forum.

 

I don’t believe you, and neither to the relevant authorities

 

Keep it to yourself and your diary

 

THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES

This is a community about sharing information, not what are the rules in your world. Nobody needs that. Community being the keyword. Not everyone's Dealer treats them the same as someone else's. Not every police officer is concerned with your car, depending on where you are. You commit 5 felonies every day and don't even know it. That's the average American.

 

Mods just let him spam the same nonsense over and over again too, it’s really off putting. It’s as if he is personally attacked when someone wants an exhaust. Get over it, Todd. Say your piece one time if you really must and then leave it alone. “No” is how he follows things up when called out. I loathe this guy who contributes nothing to the forum

 

i have the exact same issue - I only want to change the car back - maybe to a titanium or inconel in order to improve sound - any feedback?

 

The exhaust police strike again!

 

who doesn't love hearing this.... MY MAN!

 

Great post! Sounds like a great time.

 

IMHO to play with the exhaust on this car when there is no demonstrable performance enhancement you are only chasing exhaust note. To chase this and have the very sensitive engine ECU potentially throw codes is a journey not worth the trouble .

My car has zero mods, it is a 25 GTS. The car has travelled 2300 km (1500 miles). I had a code for the first time the other day , the car had not been driven for three weeks . Fired it up and it threw a ECU go to dealer code. Upon speaking with the master tech and head of aftermarket this has happened to many customers , they put it down to simply the initial bursts of exhaust being particularly ‘heavy’ as the ICE had not been run for a number of weeks. Solution was to cycle the car through two or three full starts idle if each time for 1 to 2 min.

With the above sensitivity, that is quite common , and seemingly only engine note to gain , it is a bridge too far for me to risk problems and potential warranty issues. Remember the car when connected to the Ferrari system will have tracked the change in performance so to think you can mod and change it back and no one will know is playing a risky game