550, where is the V12 roar?

I drove that EXACT car yesterday here in Canada. It was outfitted with a brand new Tubi muffler set up. It IS what you are looking for.

 

There are more exhaust threads here than.....timing belt threads

Search & read.

First mod ought to be removal of the center resonator and replace it either with a set of straight pipes or an "X" pipe.

The X pipe will give you full V12 music coming out of all 4 pipes, while the straight pipes will give you out of phase six cylinder music from each side, which, when blended by your hearing will sound a bit like a racecar, especially with a few snap crackle pops on overrun.

Also you'll find that straight pipes are MUCH louder than the X pipe.

 

My 550 has the tubi set up. Sounds great and just like you are describing in your desire.

 

I put the Tubi's on mine I purchased in March. The car sounded better, but still wasn't what I was looking for. Added a set of Bradan center resonator delete pipes and it was unbelievable! It now sounds like a proper 12 cylinder Ferrari!

 

So little time so many projects I have not had much time to sort all this out. IMO weight is the biggest killer of the 550. Weight reduction is the least cost bang for the buck performance enhancer. My 1st thought is any Tubi is the way to go. I have that on one stock 550 and it sounds great with no droning but central muffler still in place. I do not know what droning is like and maybe those without the central muff and tubi I will get the drone. I do not know if there is any horsepower gain but there is a weight loss. I have not weight a tubi yet but a stock 550 exhaust can is 34lbs. The tubi feels 1/2 that.

The most impressive sound I have heard is Alex's set-up with no central muff and straight pipes right out the back. Not only is this louder but quite streetable and you loose about 75lbs of mass replaced by a few lbs of exhaust pipe. This did give a lower tone more musclecar note. I think that you might be able to get back the raspier glasspack Ferrari whine by adding in something like Stebro 550 exhaust tips that change the sound. Stebro or someone else made something like this for 550's that deleted the muffler cans altogether. Someone just needs some time to experiment. If this method works not only would it be an engine performance mod but a weight savings performance mod and it would make the car sound better too. Win-Win-Win!

 

My experience has been that what people like in the V12 sound is actually the Webers, which obviously you're not going to get in a 550. And I have heard of no way to replicate that sound.

 

The webers add to the experience. I owned a 308 carb and after the major ran it with decklid off, air cleaner box off and the weber air horns off. That increased the noise and turbulent airflow to the webers. The noise going in a tunnel was glorious! As the V-8's morphed into the 458 the noises only got better.

I'm a bit old to be calling attention to myself but love the noises these motors make. It is part of the experience just like the lost of experience the new F1 cars make today. Another consideration is to do what corvette guys do which is to wire in exhaust bypass so that you can run quiet mufflers 99% of the time and open the bypass to straight pipes. You could even do that before the cats and wake the dead.

 

Anyway you can post a small video clip?
Curious how it would sound before retrofitting my exhaust

 

I was going to say the x-pipe with an aftermarket exhaust makes a big difference.

The original mufflers are huge, heavy steel appliances. I've handled stock ones when hanging out at a shop years ago and was surprised how chunky they were.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIdLWQ4uVjw[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpEWhUSS-Bo[/ame]

 

"X" pipe makes less horsepower. This V-12 does not follow the rules that a Chevy V8 follows. Something about Hemholtz etc. that makes a 12 generate more power with straight pipes. Understanding that is above my pay grade.

 

Personally,I think of the 550 owner as a refined individual with a refined car. The car however sounds waaay to sedate, we are refined, not dead. We don't necessarily need the scream of the 355 but something in between stock and the 355 would be Ideal.

I personally love the way a maserati sounds and I think it the most sophisticated exhaust note of all. It is a fitting tune for the 550.

How would we achieve that sound is the answer.

 

There are other pluses...
Study: Women get ?turned on by engine sounds of Maseratis - AutoSpies Auto News

 

I have a Khamsin & my buddy has a Testarossa. His car is beautiful....I loved the torque on his car, but the deadened engine sound was a disappointment. Give me my Maserati anyday. The best sounding V12 Ferrari that I've heard is the 365 GTC/4:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYAxOlJpJ40

 

I forgot headers and cats. They make a huge different in sound quality as well as performance. There is no question aftermarket like fabspeed can help. Not only do aftermarket headers and cats look better but the packaging is so much better the improvement in flows is obvious. Cats by themselves make a huge difference even if mated to stock headers. I think there were some years of 550 that had precats. Those are gone in the aftermarket. I forget about those mods because Kalifornia smog is so hard to pass you gotta stay stock cat forward. If legal in your locations the first change would be cats at a minimum then work your way back. You got more $$ start at headers and go back to tailpipe.

 

I have Tubi rear mufflers and a "Hughes Supercar Services" ceramic coated, silenced X pipe from Australia.

The exhaust sounds fantastic and it's not too loud. I've had more compliments from Ferrari owners about the sound, than any car I have ever owned.
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FBB- None of the 550s had precats.

 

Nouvalari exhaust did it for me. Here is a video that has both the before and after sounds. The video is of my car so it is not retouched. Great sound is found in the ear of the listener, every one has their own sense of perfection.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5SK_2WbfXU

 

Don't ding me for bringing a 456m as relevant to a 550 discussion (but they are pretty damn close in motor and exhaust assemblies.

Here is an X-pipe with Tubi exhaust. Only need to watch the first 60 seconds or so to get the picture.

It is a wonderful sound. Aware there is something important under the hood, no loss of the high strung pitch, and sounds mean on the uptake especially around 5k, with plenty of pops and gurgles on the downshifts. No drone and not overt at idle speeds/parking her in the garage for the neighbors.

I would recommend starting with Tubi then add the X pipe (or reverse) to get a sense for you personally. Even with these videos the sensation in person and your personal tastes are what's important.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=GoU12Ysqzzs&amp=

 

That's true! I think I have a gen1 tubi on a 550 and it does not drone as many complain. But it also still has the central muffler and that makes a big difference in the sound.

 

That's the sound I'm after. Not offensive but exotic.