When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I'm one of those that dearly love my 4.2 XK exhaust note. I'm driving a Cat, and when open her up, the sheer deep and guttural 'growl' is music from my cat that always puts a smile on my face.
The rice crispy 'Snap crackle and pop' of my 5.0 XKR has no emotional feelings to it. In fact I consider it the opposite.
Well, I have to agree with that. A friend of mine has the last of the XKR’s finished in a stunning Italian Racing Red. It is an absolute animal, but as you say, the exhaust note is somewhat soulles, as I just love slipping back into my 4.2 winding down the windows and listning to that perfectly tuned symphony.
One late evening I was driving down the highway near my house and I live near a lot of exotic car dealerships Ferrari/Lambo/Mclaren/Aston Martin . It was after midnight so it was pitch dark. I had my windows down and in the distance I hear a incredible exhaust note not Italian so I know it wasn't a Ferrari/Lambo. I look in my review and the car was coming fast at a incredible pace. He flew past me and took the next exit that was the same as mine.
So I get to the light and I pull up behind the car and couldn't believe it was just like mine a 07 Jaguar XK it had a aftermarket exhaust that sounded AMAZING. It had a growl at idle that was awesome.!! I wish I knew what exhaust that was.
On a related note (pun intended), and sorry if this is a little off-topic for the OP, but could anyone (Ranchero?) go over to the new post on the forum re the "Final Fifty Convertible FS"?
The dealer put the car up on the rack for me and let me take a pic of the exhaust system the owner put in. Looks all new from the cat back. (I'm not wild about the resulting exhaust note but sounds like some folks here might love it.)
Question: how hard/expensive would it be to bring it back to stock?
Thanks in advance...
Looking at the picture it appears that the only thing removed was the back box (rear muffler). I don't believe there are any extra pipes required so it would be just the cost of the muffler and labor. Maybe $1500-$2000 for the muffler and an hours worth of labor. My guess
the pipe diameter did increase - I can remember when I put the Paramount back box from my 4.2 onto the 5.0 they had to put in some kind on connector because of the different gauge.
The centre pipe diameters are the same on the 4.2 and the 5.0, 55mm OD, if you had a 4.2 rear muffler installed on a 5.0 then they would have had to modify the pipe routing, because it's different on a 5.0 around the diff, to clear the E-Diff.
Paramount had a more aggressive exhaust option when I got mine done, which was essentially just having straight pipes and no back box. Even on the one I had, instead of the rear mufflers being a wide oval maybe 15 inches at the widest point, the new ones had cylinders maybe 10 inches around.
I had the paramount taken off my 4.2 and the old ones put back on when I traded it, cost was bugger all, though I'd kept the old pipes to do that.
The day I picked up my XK from a dealer who's speciality is used Hi Performance sports and luxury cars, while they were preparing my papers, they started a car in the attached garage. The air moved with the roar of that engine. I asked is that mine?? The salesman chuckled "No, that is the Ferrari.". I guess you get what you pay for.
On topic note: If you intend to modify an exhaust on any car, other than stock, be careful that it conforms to US regulations, or you may find the car to no longer be street legal.
On topic note: If you intend to modify an exhaust on any car, other than stock, be careful that it conforms to US regulations, or you may find the car to no longer be street legal.
Almost every aftermarket exhaust fails State legal requirements.
I've had that conversation more times than I car to admit, and wish muffler shops would start getting fined for the noisy crap they install.
I added the Exhaust Cutouts last week with the remote control to my 2014 XKR. Was worried about clearance so I got the oval type, no clearance issue. only room I could fine to fit them was right be for the muffler.
Sounds great when I want them with a click of the remote, then back to stock.
