Many of us have noticed that two or four tailpipes make a car visually more attractive. People around look at such a sharp car, seeing a sporty style. However, this “double exhaust” solution has its nuances, which we are telling you about now.
At first glance, such a move by engineers in the DHG era seems strange. It is easier and cheaper to make fake pipes in the rear bumper (they can be as many as you want) so that the car looks modern and sporty. But buyers want something real. Especially when it comes to premium cars.
Turning to history, we see that the “multi-barrel” exhaust system appeared together with the powerful V-shaped engines. They have two rows of four cylinders each, two cylinder heads and two exhaust manifolds. Accordingly, each has its own “track” to the rear of the car.
There are attempts to make a common exhaust pipe, apparently for economy. Remember the Nissan Murano crossover. But the result was a massive pipe that stood unnaturally. And it was so dysfunctional that when storming a high curb, it often rested and broke. For owners of used such cars, this is still a problem. A paradoxical situation is obtained: the ground clearance is high, and the off-road capabilities are like those of a passenger car. Needless to say, replacement is expensive.
The other side of the coin is tuning. Instead of a simple pipe, two are installed. It looks cool, and the sound changes and perks up the driver’s eardrums. However, the effect is often the opposite. Due to the reduction of the cross-section, the so-called pumping losses appear. They are quite significant, which leads to a decrease in engine efficiency. Thus, fuel consumption increases and power decreases.
Car manufacturers themselves help buyers by installing a dual exhaust even on modest engines, and directly from the factory.
Even if they are true, there is no practical sense in such a decision. As we wrote above, this makes the car only visually attractive.
The only upside is that when this solution is done beautifully, the car sells better. So if you want to install additional dual exhaust tips, it’s better not to. If the car left the factory like that, then that’s another matter. The engineers have considered everything there.
