Oh dear, does this mean any company that supplies/fits an aftermarket exhaust/de-cats a car or modifies the ECU that makes the exhaust louder than the the legal limit can now be fined? Many aftermarket exhaust must be louder than the the limit mandated for standard road going cars with the OEM exhaust system. There must be a few suppliers of sports exhaust systems for the MX-5 that run the risk of being caught up in this.
I think decats or pop bang modifications are just asking for trouble, i don’t see any issue with stopping either practice. Its the people that take it too far that always ruin it for everyone else, a clamp down on louder exhausts than standard will only happen because of those that have been taking the p*ss.
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I couldn’t agree more!
Spot on, totally agree. To have a nice burble and a bit of engine note is one thing, to cut the resonators out and alter your ecu to overfuel so that you can sound like a rolling firework is another.
It has been illegal for some time now to remove emissions equipment ( cats, DPF’s , PPF’s etc )
But the rising rate of stupid maps to create pop and bang on the over run has got beyond a joke.
I think the above ruling will either force manufacturers to scrap the catless exhausts OR they will just cover themselves and clearly state that their products are for offroad use only.
The regular upgraded exhausts that retain the cat ( or sports cat ) and maintain a sensible noise limit will still be available.
These topics make me die. Hardcore OEM boys vs OEM + vs Modders. Any piece of regs against “loud” cars or cars that disturb little villagers have people whining. Pops and Bangs yes fully agree but that’s more about damage to car than the pop corn noise. A decent tuner should never do the map - Old school spark plug cossie days proves that. But to many people think loud cars equal hoonigan’s or there completley standard 4x4 mx5 is the best, i would probably also imagine you shake your head at spirited driving? Sound detectors around citys are purely implemented for the visiting super car months or Novitec / Modded super to hyper cars. see most of the OEM+ guys here do track days all with lower Db ratings required to drive then the roads in uk. I dont think youll ever kill sound or theatre in cars even with Elons crusade.
Someone turned up at our house the other week in his company car. Gone are the days of the utilitarian family saloon which increased my tax bill by £25 a week as a "taxable benefit ". He was driving a state subsidised Porsche Taycan with a raft of tax breaks for someone who admits he doesn’t know what he’s worth. It was his “toy” apparently.
When I pointed out that sports cars are supposed to sound like sports cars he said it had some sort of piped exhaust note. He turned it on when he went and it sounded like a low flying jet buzzing the roof tops as he whooshed off down the road.
The state gives with one hand and takes with the other. You just have to be on the right side of the divide.
Bit of an update:
Good read.
Not sure some of the modified car brigade have registered that the authorities also use FB & forums.
So when a new model comes out is it “modified”?
Is the MX-5 ND a modified NC or NA?
NO - that is the official type approved version that the manufacturer has released.
The legal definition of “modified” is a change from the manufacturer specification / design.
Ah. You mean like driving around with your headlights on in the daytime, compromising the peripheral vision of oncoming motorists, particularly the elderly, with all that means for the safety of cyclists and pedestrians. Our superiors know best.
Much better than fitting an after market back box that sounds suspiciously like an"approved" Mercedes AMG sports exhaust system but at a fraction of the cost. Mustn’t do that.
I know my place.
Completely agree.
And as for backwards steps - I wonder which clown decided to illuminate dashboards all the time.
The amount of people I see driving around with no lights on because they can see the dash is crazy.
Plus the introduction of the DRL’s on cars marked an increase in accidents between cars and motorcycles because the motorcycles that used to stand out with lights on now vanish in a sea of lights
In the past I’ve fitted a standard replacement exhaust for a car from the motor factor, equivalent part number and everything, and it was louder than the original. This issue seems too subjective to properly police so unless people are out to make a racket then I doubt anyone has anything to worry about.
I also think that any reasonable police can generally tell the type of driver and car that are a nuisance rather than genuine enthusiast drivers. That’s been my experience anyway.
I did that in my Mazda6 a while ago. Five miles through town and then a mile on a dual carriageway until somebody flashed me. I normally have the auto headlight sensor switched on, but for some reason had switched it off. Daylight running lights on the front, bright enough for me to think the lights were on, nothing on the back. Easily done!
I don’t think this is the target market for plod or vosa.
It is the removal of cats, dpf’s, gpf’s, silencers etc + the remaps deliberately designed to pop and bang that they are after.
There is a clown with an Audi RS4 near me - you can hear the idiot coming for miles.
Car is very loud even on idle and wakes the dead on wide open throttle.
It looks like I am in the slightly Naughty Camp.
I run a well modified Mk1 Eunos. It has a straight through 2.5" exhaust system attached to a very expensive Simpson Racing Manifold I have a high flow metallic cat fitted and a silenced mid pipe.
The car is Ok on decibels for motorsport but only just from the exhaust. The ITBs can make a huge amount of noise though even with a foam filter fitted I have recorded over 100 decibels just from the engine at WOT. My tune is not for pops and bangs either. Drive sensibly around town and in traffic its not antisocially loud. But it can be earsplitting as I found out when it was held at 8000 RPM on a rolling road.
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