Anyone ever fitted one of these to a 5.0 xkr? What are they like?

Jaguar XKR 3 Stage Active Exhaust


The only video available is the thrashing the car flat out, you can't tell from this. I want to improve the note slightly, but not ruin the car.

Taking the two centre boxes must make it slightly louder.
I like way the car pops and bangs in manual mode at the moment, just wanted to know if it still did this with the stage 1.

 

I get my spires system fitted on Tuesday (Stage 3) ... I will post a video for you if your interested?

 

Removing the central resonator and replacing it with an "X" pipe is an old trick that need not be expensive. Magnaflow makes an "X" pipe that can be easily fitted by any competent exhaust installer. If you want a bit more noise attenuation over a simple "X" pipe, then consider Magnaflow's or Dynomax's "X" resonators which enclose an "X" pipe within a resonator.

The big money in these systems seems to be in the rear muffler design. I think Jaguar has done an excellent design with its active exhaust. The core purpose of an active exhaust is to provide more attenuation at low throttle settings/high load where drone occurs; and then a more open exhaust at higher rpm/fuller throttle. It appears to me that some of these aftermarket mfgs. parallel the Jaguar active exhaust concept, but kick the noise level up a couple of notches - all for very big money.

If you want more sound, consider a much cheaper alternative to an expensive aftermarket rear muffler. I know of two alternatives: install electric cut-out gates ahead of the rear muffler. The XKR muffler has electric cut-out gates/valves that are within the rear muffler. Alternatively, consider the comparatively cheap light-weight Dynomax VT mufflers for a custom fit. The Dynomax is an active exhaust design with a spring-loaded valve similar in design to the XK's internal muffler valve. I don't have direct experience with electric cut-outs, but they seem to be much more reliable than the cut-outs I knew back in the 50s. I have used the Dynomax VTs on another car which had a huge drone problem with an after market exhaust. The Dynomax VTs practically eliminated drone; and no reliabilty problems after 25K miles.

Personally, I like the active exhaust concept. A loud race-car-type exhaust is fun, but it gets very old in daily driving. The active exhaust gives on an option.

 

If you could please. Overrun and manual mode I would like to hear.

The front pipe conversion is relatively in expensive.

 

Thanks for the post CJ.

Did you look at the Paramount system? No exhaust box at the back.
This is what they say about it.

When fitted the system gives a fantastic deep V8 tone with a distinctive crackle on the overrun and a distinctive sporting note that closely resembles the Aston Martin V8 Vantage.

Its hard to tell with the video. I wish they would video some normal driving.

How do you get the old exhaust system home afterwards?

 

My 2007 XK sounds almost exactly like that stage 3 system. All I did was remove the rear muffler totally and running the pipes directly out the back. Saved about 30lbs of weight as a added bonus and cost me $275!
If you don't like it just put it back on. All that is muffling the engine is the stock cats and reasonator.

 

How did you get on with the exhaust CJ. Any pics or Video.?

 

Wouldn't removing the rear muffler for straight pipes bring drone? Here is my exhaust saga so far:

1) Bought Mina Gallery rear muffler exhaust. Wasn't as loud as I would have liked.

2) Replaced the resonators with straight pipes. Liked the aggressive sound but a little too much drone. May have been the Mina muffler as the stock one generally won't have drone even with resonators removed.

3) Put one resonator back on. Still too much drone

4) Put the final resonator back on and also the factory muffler returning to stock as I was considering trading for 997TT or R8

5) Decided to keep and wanted aggressive sound again. Had two resonators removed with stock muffler. But this time I added an x pipe instead of straight through pipes. Sounded very complex/sophisticated. I liked the sound but wanted it louder

6) Put the Mina muffler back on. So now I have have no resonators, an x pipe and Mina muffler. Sound is louder than stock muffler but some drone is there. Right now I am ok with moderate drone because the sound is quite nice. Complex yet audible. Not so blap, blap-ish.

I would like more noise without extra drone.

Rey, are you saying replacing the X pipe with a Dynamax resonated X pipe would do it?

Hawaii are you saying by removing rear muffler the sound is louder but since resonators are still in place there is no drone?

 

We cant seem to get to the bottom of this. The people who sell the exhausts just video it being thrashed. We need to know what the overall sound is like. Driving normal, on overrun etc.

I was thinking of the straight pipes and leaving the rear box as is. It can be silenced with the button. I like the pop and bang on overrun it has now. Will it still be there with the centre boxes taken out?