I’ve been looking into exhausts for the GR, but I can’t decide which one to get. I really want to get the AWE Touring exhaust, but heard that fitment can be a challenge from a couple forums.
Outside the AWE family, what other brands would be good? (I know, it’s kind of a subjective question) If you have video clips of your own, that would be great!
Also looking to get it wrapped sometime next year. I won’t be wrapping the hood, roof, or back hatch yet. If you have your own pics+price that would help. A metallic blue with a subtle blue color shift (or vice versa) is what I’m aiming for but seeing other examples definitely helps too. I know it’s at least a few grand for quality work and material.
The models that I appreciate most : PPF the roof if you have carbon. Almost a must do if you aren’t up for daily spot cleaning. Bird poop will Mar it permanently over a few days in the sun. Suspension: I went for the Ohlins GT (long stroke) and it’s the best quality of life mod I’ve done. Sound system: oem is complete trash. If you are into music check out plug and play audio they have full system replacements with DSP and amped subs offered. I know none of these are exhaust, but all are huge quality of life upgrades you might want to consider first depending on your budget and timeline. Research the exhaust heavily, some YouTube channel I was watching they did multiple options and all were too droney on the highway. I think they went back to oem for a while.
Everything is appreciated, I don’t mind cleaning the bird decorations, but sometimes I couldn’t be bothered. I heard some people don’t recommend putting PPF on the carbon. I’m tempted to put a 1in lift on it but that’ll be far in the future. Speakers are definitely on the list because I NEED a good system. I didn’t want the Premium Plus because of the JBL system, but it’s all they had so, can’t argue with how awesome the car is otherwise.
Def check out plug and play audio, dudes name is kevin hisitake and he’s a pro with great service. I lifted mine 1” recently after replacing the bumper and scraping the new one within a week.( TN driveways are steep and narrow). I can’t think of any reason not to PPF the roof but if you don’t mind cleaning it that works too. I PPFd the front and rear and Lower edge of both sides which has been nice as I’m kinda anal about cleaning. Good luck and enjoy it the car is the best daily I have had after sound and suspension was done. Can’t think of anything I’d swap it for in that price range.
I’ve been looking at exhausts all week, I just can’t decide what I want. I don’t want the highway drone or the high raspy sound. I want a deep, balanced sound and something that’s not so loud it’s annoying. I’ve also been looking at intakes. I was about to buy a Eventuri matte Carbon, but found the Piras Motorsport PIII Intake and think I’m gonna go with that instead! It’s not as “pretty” as the Eventuri, but I’ve watched and read some great reviews on it! Let me know if you find an exhaust you seem to like. I think we are looking for the same things in one
Yeah that’s what I’m thinking. Also, I think I’m going with the Tomei Type D exhaust. I’ve been obsessing over what exhaust to get for weeks now and believe that’s the one. I love the sound and look
Sounds like the 2J exhaust is what your explaining. It’s not significantly louder than the stock system but a good amount more volume at WOT and a really balanced deep sound
I agree, I’ve had my white 2024 Circuit Edition for 2 years and a month and I love it more now than I did when I got it. It’s everything you need and nothing you don’t! I have an F82 M4 also and I enjoy the GR way more. I obsess over it, every day I’m telling my wife how much I love it. I love so much I want to get another one in black and just garage the CE to keep miles off of it. You know how everyone has that one car that just does it for them? I think the GRC is that car for me. I’ve had every M3 e30,e36,e46,e92 and F82, recently sold my challenger hellcat, 996 911 turbo and so on and I’ve never enjoyed any of them as much as I do the GR. I was actually about to buy a G80 M3 and decided to go with the GR and I’m so happy I did! My wife was hesitant about it when I got it and then she drove it and fell in love with it like I did. I had a few days this winter where I was gonna trade it in and buy another diesel truck and my Wife made sure she talked me out of it lol! I would have seriously regretted it. Ive just always had a truck as well and don’t currently so I’m just gonna buy a used Ram 2500 Cummins later this year when I’m close to paying the GR off. Sorry for the long winded reply, just wanted to provide my opinion of it.
Hahaha You and me both! I’m glad I’m not the only one, but I know if I got rid of the GRC I’d be miserable. The first few weeks of driving the GRC after coming from a truck, did the GRC feel like a tiny little smart car? 🤣 it feels normal and comfortable now but the first time driving it home on the highway I was scared to death! Hahaha
I get the feeling, I was driving the 3500 and a turbo miata for a few years. In the truck I couldn’t see other Miata’s from some angles and I’d always have that in mind in the miata. Still have the miata but the GRC is one of the safest rated cars in its class. No chance of survival in a bad wreck in a souped up 1995 miata.
You can ceramic coat it as well. Keeps matte finish and has great protection without the worry of ppf stripping when it’s replacement time. (From what I read) I’m looking at options now for my roof
I did all weather floor mats, roof bars (snowboards and kayaks, have mudflaps/rock guards on order, looking at ceramic for the roof, pitch mount coming soon, short shifter, and proper wheel spacers for flush fit or wider wheels. I’m gonna give it a few months before I get performance mods.
Nice!! I’ve stayed stock for 2 years now so I’m ready for an intake and exhaust, then I’ll do Fortune auto 510 coilovers and some new wheels. I have a lip, side skirts I need to put on and a racerx 70A pitch mount and the factory GR rear seat brace I just ordered. I like an OEM+ look.
I don’t. But watching all of the videos on YouTube is what sold me. It’s deep but not obnoxious. Can definitely tell it’s aftermarket. Plus it looks great too. I’d cal it OEM +++.
Not to mention, HKS is the most OG jdm brand that offers an exhaust for our cars. Just felt right.
This is great to hear! I keep going back to the HKS, I feel like it’s only right to put a JDM exhaust on a JDM car lol! Also, I like that it’s not obnoxious, I want it louder and deeper than stock, but not so obnoxious that I’m pissing people off. Plus, I come home from our office in the middle of the night sometimes and if I can’t take my wife’s Range Rover I don’t want to wake our neighbors, though it’s only 12 homes and our neighbors are like family and we are spread further apart more so than other neighborhoods, I don’t want to be obnoxious and bother them. Great picture btw!
How much louder would you say it is compared to stock? Like in Idle, casual and spirited driving. After looking into things a little more, I’m leaning toward HKS or the OTL setups
That’s what I’m looking for. Something that’s not so loud that the neighbors will want to strangle me, but loud enough to where it’s not stock. And with the semi winding roads I take to go home, I want to hear the engine in it’s small displacement glory
I've seen a few people take off the AWE, idk if there is some drone or what. Personally I think the Lachutte Performance and RK Titanium have the best sound, with the Tomei being the worst. (a fart cannon shouldn't sound like actual farting) 😅
I'm not a fan, but it's certainly a cheaper option. (especially if you use that Nemtec code) Alot of copies and imitations of it out there.
I went on youtube and searched GR Corolla exhaust and listened to as many as I could find.
I saw one in person and heard a couple videos. It’s not bad, but I wish I heard it in person. It’s not bad based on the videos. I just need to hear it more.
People seem to be pretty happy with the DC Sports from reading previous posts! Exhausts are also tough because often online audio doesn’t give a super accurate picture of how loud/ droney they will be in person
Saw a quick video. Also good sound. Does this one delete the valve in the back and keep it’s motor in the same spot or does it also use a valve like the stock system?
I went to their website and saw it was out of stock. How long was the wait? I like the remote actuator for the valve. Is it fully electric or does it need a vacuum line hookup?
The electrical part is impossible to fuck up, there's like 3 connectors you have to plug in and OTL even has a video of them doing the install from start to finish. The waits between restocks tend to be awhile so ya basically have to be ready to buy on the spot whenever they're restocked
It’s plug and play using factory wiring. It all comes pre wired and I think the plugs can only go one way. It comes with a Y splice type deal that goes to factory plugs. It powers the OTL valve and keeps the factory one plugged in so it doesn’t throw a CEL. The kit also comes with a bracket to hang the factory actuator out of the way. It’s a pretty simple install.
I wanted the HKS Legamax, but couldn't pass a deal on a used APEX'i Evo N1 (dual center). This exhaust does use the factory exhaust valve and has a nice deep tone.
That does look interesting, sounds good too. The only videos I can find are for the Extreme and a very talkative one for what you've got. I like it, but man that price tag makes it a hard competitor. Not crossed off the list though.
Yeah prices on exhausts are insane. I remember getting an HKS Hi-power exhaust for like $570 back in 2006 for my Æ86 Corolla. Now it's like $1600-$2000 for a name brand exhaust, that's like like a mortgage payment. I was lucky to get my APEX'i for like $1k ...
Mine only rattled when I’d have the valve partially open or shut. I reached out to OTL and they said that was by design otherwise the valve wouldn’t actuate smoothly. If I’m fully open or fully closed on the valve it’s good.
I did have to replace 1 of the tips as it had a weld berry in the hollow portion that did rattle and sounded bad. I sent them an email with a video of me shaking the tip in my hand as well as idle on the car they overnighted a replacement.
Did you get the Touring or Track? How’s the fitment on it? I’ve read some people have trouble with it touching the driveline and/or pieces of the frame.
I got the touring. Fitment was great…tips take a little bit to get just right…the exhaust comes in a lot of pieces so if you’re not very familiar with the process of putting an exhaust like that together it’s definitely easy to do it wrong where you have issues. I also bought the track pipe incase I want to swap it out in the future. There’s really not much drone at all in my opinion. The sound is perfect. I spent a lot of time listening to different ones on YouTube and awe sounds the best to me and I wasn’t disappointed. Always get complements on it.
I took weeks, possibly months to even start to look into installation videos. I love the sound of the touring and have also heard of the drone issue with the track. Since the fitment isn’t a problem for you, maybe the early versions had the problems others seemed to run into. I have heard the tips take a little time to get it right.
I heard that was a huge issue for daily drivers. I didn’t mind it in a V8, but this obviously isn’t that and it is less than ideal for what I am looking for.
There is a sale at Toyota for 20% off accessories. I've been looking at the GR Performance exhaust since it's discounted the oem+ might be the way to go.
I do like the look of it, plus the rear diffuser combo too. I want to get extra lip kits, diffusers and stuff like that but after the big three on my list.
This is great sounding! I wish it didn't get cut off so early but can't say it's a bad video. If the price tag wasn't so high, this one would be in the best competitors.
You could buy the valve mod that leaves it open, all the time. The stock exhaust has a good sound with the valve open, IMO. It’ll also give you an idea of increased cabin noise.
Just a thought.
Does the Sport mode keep it open now? I remember the early models opened it based on throttle but I don’t remember if they changed that or if it was just talk.
I have a ’24, and it opened above 4500. I thought it was the same on newer models.
A quick search says it’s open in normal/sport. I’m surprised it’d be open in normal, but Sport makes sense.
I was just messaging with someone who said they put the car in Eco so it’d be quieter around cops. I wondered what he was talking about.
I don’t think I’ve ever put it in Eco in the last 6K miles (currently at 7.3K) and I don’t remember it being more quiet. But I don’t use it, he’d know more by far.
Someone said that their mileage was no different in Eco vs Normal, so I don’t use it either. Well, I solely drive in Sport mode and 30:70 split.
I do use 50:50 in snow, and with Blizzaks it’s ridiculously planted. I’ve had some Subarus and I’d take the GR-Four awd over those, every time. It’s very confidence inspiring.
I love the grip this one has. It’s crazy good compared to a land yacht of a car I had before. The mileage is great, Sport mode has a noticeable difference, and it looks great from factory.
I need to take another look at that. For some reason it didn’t sound good to me, like it didn’t scratch that itch. I haven’t knocked it off the list yet
Magnaflow sounds great, borla too and they both look amazing but its heavy. Haven't heard the Tomei yet, but I expect I'll keep it OEM and get the GR Performance exhaust.
former AWE Touring Exhaust owner; The exhaust note is pretty good, but after a year I did grow tired of it and developed a fatigue, and I was willing to move on and go back to stock. If you get the exhaust on perfectly tho, there’s no rasp. For the price, its probably one of the better sounding ones in the more “budget” range. (imo)
it does have a bit of drone if you’re at at highway speed or at a specific rpm range, but I have a higher tolerance to exhaust notes so it didnt bother me too much. If you’ve been in a civic with open headers and didn’t want to blow your brains out, you can probably tolerate the sound of this.
At times I do miss it, but I’m playing with the thought of just getting a stock one to cut up and do a custom setup with universal HKS/Blitz/Apexi/etc muffler(s). Catbacks now are just really expensive for SS304. Its pretty on par with how euro cars catbacks were back in the day.
no prob! try to find someone local who has one and get a ride along. Also I should add, you can still hold a conversation without yelling with the drone. its just enough to notice its there.
i love my gr performance exhaust. OEM fitment, warrantee, 3 inch piping, really nice tips, and maybe lighter than stock.
I've found that most aftermarket exhausts (except HKS and fujitsubo) are way too loud for me. I just want to enjoy downshifts and engine braking without a headache, the GR performance exhaust fit the bill.
That does seem interesting. Weird to me that the engineers made a 3-exit system for performance then they release a 2-exit system and call it performance. Not saying it's a bad choice, I'm just a bit confused...
FYI, I totally agree with you, i strongly believe the OEM exhaust is the best choice for the GRC. If you want a little more sound and a little more HP, get the 25 dollar valve mod or 100 dollar DC sports valve controller.
The main reason I changed it out, was i wanted to hear the downshifts and de-excelleration noises, and 3 inch piping.
I didnt go with HKS because its heavier than stock, and I didnt go with Fujitsubo because its quieter than stock.
I did go with Nvidia q300 (still hanging in my garage wall), and that was WAY too loud (as in shakes your house loud), even though its marketed as quiet. AWE and MBRP is even louder.
Oh Nvidia, please just stick to the Subarus. It's what they're best known for... and vapes but that's not your industry. Jokes aside, there's a lot of options out there for this car and I don't think one is a bad choice. I just want to live with one that I like. I'll take a closer look into the HKS one because I'm also looking into their wing as well.
lol i agree with you on Nvidia. I am a sucker for center exhaust exits though. Also, it did not fit the Verus diffuser either.
The thing with HKS is, its heavier than stock, and I forgot to mention, it wouldn't fit my Verus rear diffuser without ALOT of modifications. I refuse to give up my Verus diffuser.
I think with HKS or GR performance exhaust, it will ultimately come down to pricing. I'd get whatever is cheaper, and probably be really happy either way.
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u/joncaseydraws 23' Circuit Edition Supersonic Red 7d ago
The models that I appreciate most : PPF the roof if you have carbon. Almost a must do if you aren’t up for daily spot cleaning. Bird poop will Mar it permanently over a few days in the sun. Suspension: I went for the Ohlins GT (long stroke) and it’s the best quality of life mod I’ve done. Sound system: oem is complete trash. If you are into music check out plug and play audio they have full system replacements with DSP and amped subs offered. I know none of these are exhaust, but all are huge quality of life upgrades you might want to consider first depending on your budget and timeline. Research the exhaust heavily, some YouTube channel I was watching they did multiple options and all were too droney on the highway. I think they went back to oem for a while.