ART Pipe Sound Increase

EHall

I just started modding my 2017 Nismo and I installed the Art Pipes along with the z1 Long Tube CAI, as well as a set of Beluga Racing Axle Backs. Let me start my saying that I grew up with V8's so I'm used to hearing cars that sound like they have cams and have a deep mean rumble. Believe me when I say that I wasn't expecting the sound that my car would make when I did this install.

First off, the car sounds incredibly aggressive. If you're looking to turn heads or get attention, then this is definitely the setup that you're looking for. The car sounds like a new Mustang 5.0 Coyote motor with a high flow exhaust and cat deletes, but it's not ricey at all. It sounds very throaty and mean. (Emphasis on VERY aggressive and mean). When paired in this combination you wont hear the hiss that everyone talks about once you let off of the gas. That sound is replaced with gurgles and subtle pops. The exhaust definitely overpowers the hissing that the Art pipes are known for. That hissing sound is "almost" non-existent.

When you downshift with the rev matching, the sound is absolutely amazing, and it gets EVERYONES attention. The car sounds like it should be on a track. If you're looking to unlock the exotic sound of this engine, this setup will get the job done. It also sounds like the car has aftermarket cams in it. Absolutely amazing!

OK, so those are the pros of this combo, let me discuss the cons for a moment. To start with, the cold start is VERY LOUD. Now granted, I'm 46 years old so I'm somewhat conservative now in my older years, but there's no denying it, this thing sounds like a beast when you first start it up. And unfortunately I live in a gated community with a lot of neighbors who like to complain, so this was a serious issue.

Once the car warms up and the idle drops it becomes a lot more civilized, but it still sounds aggressive. Trust me you wont mistake it for a Honda. And you're never going to stall your car because you'll always hear it, lol.

The problem I had with this set-up is that even when you want it to be quiet and subdued, it wont be. It sounds like you've got a lot more motor under the hood than you actually do. And once you get up to about 2,200 RPM's this setup drones a little, but not a lot. It stops droning at about 3,700 RPM, and then just screams. But your interior starts to rattle in places that you never thought would rattle. Believe me, there's a lot of plastic that all of the sudden decides to wake up once you add this combo. And it wakes up rather angry! It drove me crazy. And for me with the obnoxious cold-start along with the rattles and slight drone, I had to remove the axle backs. It was just too darned loud.

So what happened once I removed the cheap A$S Beluga Axle Backs? Well...the exhaust actually sounded almost identical to the stock set up. Upon cold start, it was slightly louder by "volume" over the stock Nismo setup, but barely noticeable. Once you get on it the sound is slightly throatier, but not enough to notice if you gave a stranger a ride with both the stock setup and then the ART pipe setup combined with the Long Tube CAI and the factory exhaust.

In fact, the only thing that really sounds different now that I've switched back to the stock exhaust over the short tails is a little bit of a metallic noise when I'm accelerating over 3,000 RPM. It doesn't sound like test pipes, and it doesn't sound like rasp, it just sounds like a very subtle exhaust leak or a very quick rapid fire ticking noise. But I've driven the car for a few hundred miles and the sound has reduced by about 50%. Perhaps the pipes are breaking in? I'm really not sure, but it sounds almost factory now. Evidently this is a by product sound of the Art pipes.

Overall I'm super happy with the performance gains and the car sounds great since it doesn't have a "proper exhaust yet. The only thing it's missing is an aggressive exhaust note that doesn't wake my neighbors upon the cold start.

My understanding is that the AAM resonated short tales will provide a similar exhaust note with my old setup, so if you want it to sound really "Aggressive and Mean" then by all means throw on some short tails and add ART pipes, you wont be disappointed. Hope this helps.