I mean I've had titanium exhausts on my e46 m3, my evos and my subarus. Yes titanium is more expensive but the weight savings are significant, especially for a car like this where less weight makes a real difference.
People don't want to spend $$ on light weight wheel which would have at least 5x the effect of a titanium exhaust because the weight saved is rotational and unsprung.
A lithium battery saves more weight for less cash (in a better location).
Thin wall stainless is already pretty light.
Titanium exhaust should not be high on your list if you are concerned with performance but aren't made of money.
I would love an off the shelf, bolt in Ti exhaust option. Ti tubing will cost ~$4/inch, plus hardware, flanges, muffler, and fabrication work. It shouldn't be out of this world expensive.
Akrapovic is crazy expensive, which comes with the territory when you specialize in porsche and Ferrari parts. Raw materials for a titanium exhaust should run $6-700, and forming a custom exhaust system isn't that difficult for a decent shop. Just make sure you find somebody comfortable welding titanium. $2-4k for an exhaust is ridiculous.
Akrapovic is the pinnacle, and Ti on a bike seems overkill unless racing. I do wonder if the weight savings on a car would be worth the expense. I do know that the full exhaust on my 11 is likely 20ish pounds lighter just by ridding the car of it's oem muffler and resonator and header, and it was 1400$. How much more weight would be shed going Ti?
just run aluminum. From the cat back it will withstand the heat. less money less weight and most arent going to keep these cars long enough to wear out the aluminum cans.
Before purchasing my ST I had a 2013 Subaru BRZ. The company Tomei released 3 versions of a titanium cutback for the BRZ/FRS that was less then $1000. Here are some pictures. I know it can be done for a reasonable price and I was just looking to explore options.
I will clarify. If there's a market for full Ti exhaust and it's not spectacularly expensive, giver. I'm not against any type of upgrade, I am curious as to the cost vs benefit of the difference between a good stainless system and a Ti system. Both would likely yield similar output improvements, both would offer a weight improvement(advantage titanium), but will the weight advantage be enough to offset the difference in cost? For a stripped out race car in search of tenths of a second in lap times, Ti would make a difference, but for a street car the advantage might only be a difference in bank balance. Removing the spare tire might give a better return in weight loss, and be much cheaper of a mod.
A titanium exhaust would weigh a bit over half of stainless. I can't find the link, but I think I read that the OEM catback is 33lbs, and whichever aftermarket system being compared was 27lbs (if anybody remembers which thread, a link would be great). A stainless setup will run ~$6-800. I would throw an extra $200 at an exhaust if it would save me an extra 15lbs.
As light as the Fiesta is, any additional weight savings will be valuable for trimming those tenths at an autocross.
If you look at bicycle frames, Titanium can't realize the weight savings that its density suggests even if they use $$$ double butted tubes.
In an exhaust system, the difficulty of welding thin tubes might negate the weight savings compared to thin wall stainless if you use thicker wall titanium tubes.
A bigger issue is the muffler, there are just more options in stainless, including very light weight designs.
I think 321 stainless may have superior fatigue strength which is important in a system that has thin walls and gets heat cycled.
Finally, the welding process for stainless is not nearly as complicated as Titanium, you just need TIG and a back purge, something I can do. Titanium needs a helium purged glove box I think.
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