Review: Mugen AP2 exhaust
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Review: Mugen AP2 exhaust
This is copied from the mods/parts section...
Car: 2007 GPW S2000
Mileage: ~53,000
Mods: K&N FIPK intake and Espelir ASD springs
I have recently became the owner of a new (to me) Mugen AP2 exhaust, courtesy of member kevos2k. Exhaust was in great condition and very light. I would say the OEM exhaust is ~66-67lbs while the Mugen is roughly 30lbs. I had a few requirements when deciding on an exhaust:
1. Quiet and no drone
2. Looks good in the AP2 bumper holes
3. Fits with my Chase Race hitch
4. Somewhat light, as my hitch, Thule rack, and bikes that I carry can weigh up to 150lbs. I'm already at -3ish camber and I don't want to wear my tires out too quickly with the car being weighed down.
The choices were to stay OEM, Fujitsubo Legalis R, or Mugen AP2. The latter two are generally quite expensive on the "exhaust price scale", so I jumped on the Mugen when I saw the good sale price that was offered.
Basic info:
The design is a two piece system with the right canister already attached to the piping. The left canister has to be bolted on. There are two version of the Mugen AP2 as far as I'm aware. The type where there is 1 exhaust hanger on the front of the canisters, and one where there is 2. I have the double, and it mounts exactly like the OEM. Here is the description on Evasive Motorsport's website:
Fitment:
The install and fitment of this system was an absolute breeze. There were no gaskets included in mine (maybe because it was used?), but I did not seem to need any. The only sections you have to attach are the main pipe to the catalytic converter and the driver's side exhaust canister. I did the install with the rear bumper off to make things easier when messing with the rubber hangars. When I put the bumper back on, no adjustments were necessary as the canisters fit in their spacing perfectly. I do have a Chase Race hitch installed, and I will speak to that a little further down.
Sound:
Previously (for a short time) I had the Buddy Club Pro Spec dual exhaust. Within a week or two, I had to get rid of it because it was too loud. It was most likely louder than the Invidia duals. The drone was unbearable, and well...it had to go. I have heard people say that the Mugen sounds pretty much like stock (as with the Fujitsubo), however opinions are very subjective...until you actually own the system.
Upon cold startup (30 degrees F), the exhaust is quite loud and deep. The sound inside the car somewhat drones. As the car goes up to normal operating temps, the exhaust quiets down significantly. At warm startup, it sounds almost exactly like OEM save for the initial shot of gases. I have heard that once the system is broken in, the tone will change. I am not sure how many miles were on it previously.
Under 40mph at almost any rpm, the exhaust is actually loud! It has the sound of an exhaust that's droning. It's not as loud as some I've heard, but it's surprisingly loud for what I expected the Mugen to be. Keep in mind that I am basing this being INSIDE the car. I do not know what it sounds like outside. I also have a hardtop, so it's possible that the sound reverberates inside more than a soft top.
Above 40mph (normal driving), the car sounds EXACTLY like stock. It's quiet on the highway even at 80+mph or local roads at 50mph. However, as soon as you dip below 40mph, the loudness comes back. I cannot complain, but I wish it wasn't this loud at low speeds.
Above 40 (spririted driving), the car sounds VERY nice. Almost like an "F1" style exhaust. Very "high rev" sounding. You can give it gas at almost any speed above 40mph and that sound will come right back. However, once you get near Vtec, the sound quiets down a bit. I'm not sure if it's the speed of the exhaust flow quieting it down or the K&N intake system making most of the grunt. Needless to say I didn't notice it as much when the rpms were really high. Besides that, I rarely have a chance to drive fast/aggressively so I am not able to provide any more information.
Conclusion:
I love it. The sound is not too loud, not too soft. For those who say it's quiet, sure it's quiet compared to an N1 style or Invidia, but this thing is not quiet. My butt dyno feels as though the car can accelerate faster because of the reduced weight. When I blip the throttle, I seem to get a faster response. It's probably just me, but hey I like it. Can't wait until it gets warmer and I get rid of these dump winter tires.
Additional notes:
I mentioned above that I have a Chase Race hitch installed. This system is designed for the AP2 specifically and it fit perfectly with the OEM exhaust. It did NOT fit with my Buddy Club Pro Spec due to the split of the pipes being too far back. I chose the Mugen AP2 specifically due to the fact that I know it fits with the Chase hitch. This was confirmed by a thread on here that I read, plus one other person who has this exact combination.
No area under the car came in contact with the hitch, however, the plates where the hitch mounts to do make contact with the canisters (see pictures below). The contact is quite forceful so it does not rattle, but over time I am worried that something may happen. I will look into solutions to "pad" the area or something soon. Doing the above driving tests produced no rattle or ill effects, however when the car was warm (after ~30 minutes of driving) turning the car very slowly and blipping the throttle yielded a quick rattle.
Without further ado, here are some pictures. Sorry, no pictures of the install, but as most of you are aware, exhaust installs are quite uneventful.
Oh, and please feel free to PM me or ask me any questions about this.
I bet my car is cleaner than yours! This winter I haven't washed the car yet. This is about a month's worth of rain, snow, and salt. Ugh! You can see that the exhaust lines up perfectly. I did not adjust it at all. The sides of the hitch are spaced perfectly, and actually looks quite nice between the canisters. FYI, these are not my normal wheels. They're ugly flat black painted winter wheels with Blizzaks.
Here is a somewhat closer shot. During the install I was worried that the canisters were a bit too low. Standing back, however, proved me wrong. In addition, my car is lowered quite a bit so it's tough to even distinguish the spacing between the bumper and the tip if you're not bent down looking directly at it.
Almost forgot to add this pic:
For those of you with a Chase Race hitch, take a look at this. The RED arrow is an area that appears to have contact. However, it does NOT touch. The cylinder part of the hitch is in FRONT of the canister. Everything is peachy here.
The BLUE arrow shows where the hitch's bolt touches the canister. It's a bit tough to see here, so I will do a 100% crop on the next photo to show you better. The contact here happens on both sides of the car. I will have to look for a better solution in this area.
100% crop of the area.
Car: 2007 GPW S2000
Mileage: ~53,000
Mods: K&N FIPK intake and Espelir ASD springs
I have recently became the owner of a new (to me) Mugen AP2 exhaust, courtesy of member kevos2k. Exhaust was in great condition and very light. I would say the OEM exhaust is ~66-67lbs while the Mugen is roughly 30lbs. I had a few requirements when deciding on an exhaust:
1. Quiet and no drone
2. Looks good in the AP2 bumper holes
3. Fits with my Chase Race hitch
4. Somewhat light, as my hitch, Thule rack, and bikes that I carry can weigh up to 150lbs. I'm already at -3ish camber and I don't want to wear my tires out too quickly with the car being weighed down.
The choices were to stay OEM, Fujitsubo Legalis R, or Mugen AP2. The latter two are generally quite expensive on the "exhaust price scale", so I jumped on the Mugen when I saw the good sale price that was offered.
Basic info:
The design is a two piece system with the right canister already attached to the piping. The left canister has to be bolted on. There are two version of the Mugen AP2 as far as I'm aware. The type where there is 1 exhaust hanger on the front of the canisters, and one where there is 2. I have the double, and it mounts exactly like the OEM. Here is the description on Evasive Motorsport's website:
Originally Posted by Evasive Motorsports
Includes dual titanium mufflers. Entire system only weighs 29lbs! Mugen Exhaust Systems provide silencing characteristics and the quest for exhaust efficiency: the two requirements imposed on exhaust systems have a contrary relationship, and in practice it is extremely difficult to achieve both. At Mugen, they have continued to employ the straight configuration, with the design philosophy that low exhaust pressure must be provided, and that reducing exhaust resistance is an important part of the ideal exhaust system. The straight configuration is widely used in racing, and is ideal because, as the name suggests, it provides low exhaust resistance. However, large silencers are generally required, as there may be problems with mid to low frequency band silencing and scattering of sound absorbing material such as glass wool with the straight configuration. Incidentally, the inverted multi-layer expansion-type silencer widely used by automobile manufacturers provides stable silencing performance, as the sound passes trough several divided silencer chambers.
The install and fitment of this system was an absolute breeze. There were no gaskets included in mine (maybe because it was used?), but I did not seem to need any. The only sections you have to attach are the main pipe to the catalytic converter and the driver's side exhaust canister. I did the install with the rear bumper off to make things easier when messing with the rubber hangars. When I put the bumper back on, no adjustments were necessary as the canisters fit in their spacing perfectly. I do have a Chase Race hitch installed, and I will speak to that a little further down.
Sound:
Previously (for a short time) I had the Buddy Club Pro Spec dual exhaust. Within a week or two, I had to get rid of it because it was too loud. It was most likely louder than the Invidia duals. The drone was unbearable, and well...it had to go. I have heard people say that the Mugen sounds pretty much like stock (as with the Fujitsubo), however opinions are very subjective...until you actually own the system.
Upon cold startup (30 degrees F), the exhaust is quite loud and deep. The sound inside the car somewhat drones. As the car goes up to normal operating temps, the exhaust quiets down significantly. At warm startup, it sounds almost exactly like OEM save for the initial shot of gases. I have heard that once the system is broken in, the tone will change. I am not sure how many miles were on it previously.
Under 40mph at almost any rpm, the exhaust is actually loud! It has the sound of an exhaust that's droning. It's not as loud as some I've heard, but it's surprisingly loud for what I expected the Mugen to be. Keep in mind that I am basing this being INSIDE the car. I do not know what it sounds like outside. I also have a hardtop, so it's possible that the sound reverberates inside more than a soft top.
Above 40mph (normal driving), the car sounds EXACTLY like stock. It's quiet on the highway even at 80+mph or local roads at 50mph. However, as soon as you dip below 40mph, the loudness comes back. I cannot complain, but I wish it wasn't this loud at low speeds.
Above 40 (spririted driving), the car sounds VERY nice. Almost like an "F1" style exhaust. Very "high rev" sounding. You can give it gas at almost any speed above 40mph and that sound will come right back. However, once you get near Vtec, the sound quiets down a bit. I'm not sure if it's the speed of the exhaust flow quieting it down or the K&N intake system making most of the grunt. Needless to say I didn't notice it as much when the rpms were really high. Besides that, I rarely have a chance to drive fast/aggressively so I am not able to provide any more information.
Conclusion:
I love it. The sound is not too loud, not too soft. For those who say it's quiet, sure it's quiet compared to an N1 style or Invidia, but this thing is not quiet. My butt dyno feels as though the car can accelerate faster because of the reduced weight. When I blip the throttle, I seem to get a faster response. It's probably just me, but hey I like it. Can't wait until it gets warmer and I get rid of these dump winter tires.
Additional notes:
I mentioned above that I have a Chase Race hitch installed. This system is designed for the AP2 specifically and it fit perfectly with the OEM exhaust. It did NOT fit with my Buddy Club Pro Spec due to the split of the pipes being too far back. I chose the Mugen AP2 specifically due to the fact that I know it fits with the Chase hitch. This was confirmed by a thread on here that I read, plus one other person who has this exact combination.
No area under the car came in contact with the hitch, however, the plates where the hitch mounts to do make contact with the canisters (see pictures below). The contact is quite forceful so it does not rattle, but over time I am worried that something may happen. I will look into solutions to "pad" the area or something soon. Doing the above driving tests produced no rattle or ill effects, however when the car was warm (after ~30 minutes of driving) turning the car very slowly and blipping the throttle yielded a quick rattle.
Without further ado, here are some pictures. Sorry, no pictures of the install, but as most of you are aware, exhaust installs are quite uneventful.
Oh, and please feel free to PM me or ask me any questions about this.
I bet my car is cleaner than yours! This winter I haven't washed the car yet. This is about a month's worth of rain, snow, and salt. Ugh! You can see that the exhaust lines up perfectly. I did not adjust it at all. The sides of the hitch are spaced perfectly, and actually looks quite nice between the canisters. FYI, these are not my normal wheels. They're ugly flat black painted winter wheels with Blizzaks.
Here is a somewhat closer shot. During the install I was worried that the canisters were a bit too low. Standing back, however, proved me wrong. In addition, my car is lowered quite a bit so it's tough to even distinguish the spacing between the bumper and the tip if you're not bent down looking directly at it.
Almost forgot to add this pic:
For those of you with a Chase Race hitch, take a look at this. The RED arrow is an area that appears to have contact. However, it does NOT touch. The cylinder part of the hitch is in FRONT of the canister. Everything is peachy here.
The BLUE arrow shows where the hitch's bolt touches the canister. It's a bit tough to see here, so I will do a 100% crop on the next photo to show you better. The contact here happens on both sides of the car. I will have to look for a better solution in this area.
100% crop of the area.
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Originally Posted by m R g S r
nice review. man you drive your car a lot. i remember when you got it, and now it has 53k!
Originally Posted by Deception
What does Domo think about it?
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,504
Likes: 1
From: Bergen County, NJ
High flow cat (Berk 63mm) might cut down the low speed drone noises a bit.
Or maybe there is some exhaust leaking causing the drone?
My buddy had a exhaust leak on his SI (Buddy club exhaust) and the drone was really bad.. after we sealed it and drone went down a bit.
Someone else has a Mugen exhaust.. I forgot who... maybe someone could get him to chime in?
Or maybe there is some exhaust leaking causing the drone?
My buddy had a exhaust leak on his SI (Buddy club exhaust) and the drone was really bad.. after we sealed it and drone went down a bit.
Someone else has a Mugen exhaust.. I forgot who... maybe someone could get him to chime in?
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Originally Posted by EternalLx,Jan 17 2010, 03:58 PM
High flow cat (Berk 63mm) might cut down the low speed drone noises a bit.
Or maybe there is some exhaust leaking causing the drone?
My buddy had a exhaust leak on his SI (Buddy club exhaust) and the drone was really bad.. after we sealed it and drone went down a bit.
Someone else has a Mugen exhaust.. I forgot who... maybe someone could get him to chime in?
Or maybe there is some exhaust leaking causing the drone?
My buddy had a exhaust leak on his SI (Buddy club exhaust) and the drone was really bad.. after we sealed it and drone went down a bit.
Someone else has a Mugen exhaust.. I forgot who... maybe someone could get him to chime in?
I thought about getting a test pipe a few times. However, I do not want to have black soot accumulate on the rear bumper. Since my car is white, it will show even more. It's also not something you can just wipe off. You'll need to clay it and all that. My turbocharged Integra had a test pipe, and the rear bumper was darkened a lot right above the exhaust outlet.
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Originally Posted by josserman,Jan 17 2010, 07:01 PM
whats the problem your having?
The "real" problem I'm having is the Chase Race hitch bolt coming in contact with the canisters. I think I have a solution for that, but I'll have to wait until next weekend when I have time to work on the car.