Carnewal Exhaust

[Stugoldthorpe]

Forgive me if this has been covered before but has anyone any experience of the Carnewal GT modification? I'm thinking of the factory PSE as a retrofit by the OPC but at £1800 versus £400 for the Carnewal the latter seems to be more attractive. It does seem to be very highly rated and doesn't suffer from drone....

 

[Motorhead]

Hi Stuart,

The only person I've met on here who's had a Carnewal exhaust fitted - on his 987.1 Cayman - is 800MAN (Kev).

I believe that he's very pleased with the result, so I suggest that you PM him for more information.

Jeff

 

[MrDemon]

great mod and very common

one word of warning, don't mod your own exhaust if you ever want to sell the car.

buy a complete unit and keep the oem on in the garage.

well that's my advice anyway, as come sale time you can sell the modded one and refit the oem one and every one is happy.

 

[tcreswick]

I have a Carnewal GT exhaust on my 987.1 S. It's great and it sounds amazing on the track, I highly recommend it.

My car lives in Central London (zone 1) so if that's convenient you're welcome to come and have a listen.

 

[crafty72]

I have a Carnewal GT exhaust on my 987.1 S. It's great and it sounds amazing on the track, I highly recommend it.

My car lives in Central London (zone 1) so if that's convenient you're welcome to come and have a listen.

Hi I see you use your car on track with the Carnewal GT exhaust do you know what the DB readings are for the static test please ? Thinking of one for mine but track days are clamping down these days and don't to fit something that fails the noise test. Thanks

 

[Derek H]

I went to Belgium and had the Carnewal GT exhaust fitted to my Gen 1 Cayman S in April 2014. Most of the time it's great but we have another Gen 1 Cayman S with the standard exhaust and I must admit that I do enjoy driving that occasionally! The standard car feels so much smoother and more refined. The Carnewal noise is great when I'm in the mood but it also adds a roughness to the whole drive train. When driving back from LM 24 hours this year, I contemplated putting the standard exhaust back on but haven't got round to it yet. The factory switchable PSE would be the ideal for me.

 

[800MAN]

Thanks Jeff for your introduction in this post.

From my point of view, the Carnewal gives the Cayman another personality.

At Aunt Sally speeds, it is no more intrusive than the standard system.

However, when Dr Jekyll turns into Mr Hyde the howling takes on a another dimension !

If you do plan to move your Cayman on at some point, then Mr D's recommendation to keep the oem for saleability and have the Carnewal as an investment I can understand.

But in reality, once someone has heard it in full flow, then it can only be a selling point rather than a deal breaker for next lucky owner.

In September after the Register meet, Kevan (Cayman Register Secretary) and myself had a fine Sunday drive through Derbyshire, followed by a couple of motorcycles.

At our pitstop, the bikers came up to us and commented how good the noise was from my Cayman, it must have been something to hear it from their standpoint.

Whichever option you choose, whether to go with Mr D's or a straight swap (factory PS exhaust would also be good if money no object) its a no brainer.

Enjoy your decision.

Kev 800MAN

 

[tcreswick]

I've done a lot of track days with the GT exhaust and not had any issues. I think the highest that it's ever tested out at is 101 dBA static and I suspect the meter was being held unfairly close considering it's a mid-engine vehicle. I've never had a black flag on track.

I know there are a few circuits with rather quiet days (around 95 dBA static) which would almost certainly be off-limits, but that would be the case for quite a few cars.

 

[crafty72]

I've done a lot of track days with the GT exhaust and not had any issues. I think the highest that it's ever tested out at is 101 dBA static and I suspect the meter was being held unfairly close considering it's a mid-engine vehicle. I've never had a black flag on track.

I know there are a few circuits with rather quiet days (around 95 dBA static) which would almost certainly be off-limits, but that would be the case for quite a few cars.

Apologies for thread hijack but great info thanks !

 

[Stugoldthorpe]

Thanks guys for all your input - particularly Kev 800MAN who has underpinned my expectation. Its such a shame that the factory exhaust sounds is a little 'tame' and that we have to take matters into our own hands to unleash a more realistic soundtrack but then I guess the engineers at Porsche are, like all other manufacturers, hamstrung by drive by legislation in terms of noise pollution. The main thing I was looking for assurance on, was ensuring I am not turning what is a premium product into something that sounds like a modified Impreza or Astra VXR (although it would never sound that bad) but something that sounds 'classy' and in keeping with a premium 'gentleman's' sport's car. My original plan was to retrofit the PSE system (along with some others mods such as a sport programme and sports steering wheel with 'proper' paddle shifters) but the Carnewal system at nearly a quarter of the cost is infinitely more attractive. My general rule of thumb is that you get what you pay for but sometimes that is usurped by the fact that someone is just making a fortune out of you (read designer ladies clothes...!)

I think in real terms the PSE system IS good value, bearing in mind that its a completely new installation, along with associated electricals and the like, but I have often found in the past with these kind of things that you drive out of the dealership (having raised expectation in our mind over the last few months) feeling a bit of a fool having just spent a small fortune on something that hasn't really made a lot of difference.

The Carnewal therefore presents the least risk, and comes very well endorsed - thanks again and I will report back when the deed is done (probably in a couple of months seeing as the HMRC want me to send them some cash at the end of this month....!)

 

[tcreswick]

I've never compared PSE to Carnewal side-by-side but I think the Carnewal sound is a lot better. It helps that it's got the rear cats removed so you're going to get a (marginal) increase in performance whereas to the best of my knowledge the PSE system is really only an acoustic difference.

As others have noted, the engine note under 3500 rpm is pretty much unchanged. You'll notice it when you depress the clutch at idle and the timing changes and it sounds a lot nicer at startup. It sounds absolutely amazing at 6000+ rpm on the track, and I've left more than one GT3 owner looking a little depressed at the much more civilised sound coming out the back of his Porsche.

I don't think you have to worry too much about it sounding like a modded hatchback - the flat 6 has such a nice sound to it. You're just letting it breathe a little better

As for the guidance about keeping the original exhaust - certainly you can do this but I didn't bother since my car was already 9 years old at the time of purchase and per the other comment above I'm pretty sure anyone in the market for a Cayman of this age will be quite happy with the enhanced sound this exhaust brings. Given the (relatively low) value of the vehichle I suspect it will make a much easier sell.

 

[Stugoldthorpe]

Hi - mine is a 2011 PDK (one of the last GEN2) so at a shade over 5 years old it has still quite a relatively high value but even so i'm not worried about the re-sale value being affected by the exhaust. As a few have said the sound will probably enhance the resale as opposed to stifle it!

 

[Motorhead]

Stuart,

Just a small point but be aware that there are differences between the Gen1 and Gen2 (DFI engined) Cayman exhausts. The Gen1 has 2 cats per bank (a pre-cat at the manifold and the main cat with the silencer) while the Gen2 has only a single cat per bank at the manifold. Whether or not this has any significant effect on the Carnewal modified exhaust's sound I can't say.

I think that most - if not all - of those responding to your original post may well have Gen1 cars.

Jeff

 

[Stugoldthorpe]

Thanks for that heads up Jeff - much appreciated. I thought it was starting to go too easy...

Sorry i I don't mean to sound like a Gen2 snob (rereading my post and saying my Cayman still has a relatively high value) it's just that I read so many horror stories about the Gen1 engines that I didn't want to be worried about a catastrophic failure so (hoped) that going the extra mile for a DFi would remove that worry and allow me to enjoy the car more. My own experience with cars that have had known 'issues' is that it WILL happen to me and I won't be one of the many that escape unscathed! My wife's 2009 Toyota RAV4 180 had the head gasket blow that destroyed the engine and that turned out to be a known issue, replaced that with a 2012 Landrover Freelander 2 that blew the rear diff (another known issue) in France. ...

So, approaching my 50th and having wanted a Porsche since my dad's friend took me for a spin in his copper brown metallic 911 Turbo in 1976 (bet he wishes he'd kept that instead of chopping it in for a brand new Saab 99 Turbo) and following an unexpected cash splash and being married to an exceptionally understanding lady the quest for a guards red Cayman S started.

anyway, I think I will ask the question of Carnewal and see what they say with regard to the Gen2 sound and see if I might be the first on here to report back!

Thanks again all.

 

[Motorhead]

Yes Stuart, I concur with your comment about Gen1 vs Gen2 engines and is one of the reasons I held out to purchase my early Gen2 Cayman. The DFI engine in the Gen2 cars also gives power and torque improvements over the Gen1 and is also cleaner and more economical to boot..!

If you opt for the Carnewal exhaust I'd be very interested to hear your comments, so please keep us posted.

Jeff

 

[MrDemon]

the gen 2 still has 2 silencers in the rear, which are modded by gert.

the manifolds in the gen 2 have 4 cats ! but to get real sound you need an after market sports manifold.

I have done this with a PSE and it's awesome.

 

[Buddy]

I've met one guy who had replaced his OEM manifolds ( 400CEL ) on a Cayman R with 200CEL Cats and he said that it made a significant difference in the breathing and the sound. As Kev ( 800 Man ) said on our drive in Derbyshire he was at the rear and two bikers were following directly behind him on some twisty climbs. I was in front with the PSE turned on so they would have got some effect off that too in some of the narrow lanes. The PSE on the gen2 is a tremendous option to use, even in quiet mode when over 4,000rpm and burying my foot in the carpet it can get loud around the 6-7,000 mark but of course with PSE active much louder.

 

[richjar]

Hi All,

This post is quite interesting as I have a 987.2 which is pretty highly spec'ed. It did not have PSE, so I was considering PSE retrofit or an aftermarket system / modification.

In the end I went for the OEM Porsche PSE retrofit when the car was in for a service. I had it done at Precision Porsche and they did a very good job from start to finish.

I went for the PSE to keep it OEM and, when cruising the exhaust valves are closed and the car is the standard noise and other times (most of the time) the values can be open and the noise is louder and deeper but not offensive in any way. The difference is more subtle compared with, what I assume the aftermarket system would be.

Happy to meet to compare standard / aftermarket / PSE etc

I live in Surrey and am going to the Silverstone Classic and other events

Cheers,

Rich

 

[Stugoldthorpe]

Gents,

A lot of water (and cash on other things) has passed under the bridge since my original post and I'm returning to update the original post. I disregarded the Carnewal system in favour of a more competitive and easier modification from Hayward & Scott based in Basildon, Essex. The reason being that as a construction project manager a new project starting up in basildon meant a free trip to their workshop as opposed to an expensive trip to Belgium/faffing about with a courier. I'm still trying to figure out how to pack an exhaust system and wondered what would happen if it got lost or damaged (wouldn't be the first time)!

The Hayward & Scott modification basically welds a stainless steel bypass pipe from each of the rear pipes to bypass the rear silencer an exit in front of the silencer box. The result is that it replicates the PSE system but without the switching. Under cruise the modification is undetectable because the exhaust gas flows through the silencer/expansion box as normal. Under load (throttle in carpet) the restriction caused by the silencer forces the exhaust gas to take the line of least resistance and escape through the bypass pipe and around the box thus producing a much louder un-silenced sound.

I can only say it is stunning and exactly what I wanted. At startup it has a lovely bark that turns into a deep rumble until the management reduces the startup idle speed. Under normal use it is not detectable and sound total OEM. Under moderate to hard acceleration it simply expands on that lovely hollow flat 6 howl. It sounds like you wanted it to do when you bought it. We had a trip to Le Mans this weekend and a friend of mine has a Gen 1 Cayman with some sort of aftermarket system that we can't identify and the difference is very marked. His has lost that Porsche sound altogether, in fact it sounds awful.

The cost is £250 plus Vat if you take the system to them off the car (as I did) or £450 plus VAT if the car is taken there as a whole. Time - 2 hours off the car, 4 hours including remove and re-fit if you take that option. I spent £150 plus VAT wth Specialist Cars of Malton to remove and re-fit so the whole thing was under £500 and sounds delightful!

Highly, highly recommended.