Hello Everyone,

In the past two weeks I've added the A'PEXi non-resonated exhaust to my F along with their intake pipe and drop in filter.

First, I want to say the OEM exhaust weighed 78lbs without any hardware. The A'PEX'i came in at 55 lbs with included hardware. That's a decent amount of sprung weight reduction. The craftsmanship of the exhaust system was flawless, every weld was perfect and the system bolted on with minimal effort. This was a great purchase as far as I'm concerned(20% off MSRP). Unfortunately, I can't upload a video of the sound, but I can say video will not do this system justice. It sounds awesome.

Now lets talk about the intake pipe. I didn't purchase the pipe expecting any gains, but I do hope the silicone pipe reduces heat soak. I'm also hoping the aftermarket filter is an improvement over the OEM paper filter. I purchased the blue colored pipe and surprisingly it is a very close match to the color of our manifold. I won't be taking the car to a dyno, I'll update the 1/4 mile thread after I take it to the track. Here are a few pics of the parts.

 

Unless you have some special way of using your exhaust as a moving suspension part, how's it saving you unsprung weight?

Does it drone?

I wish Apexi and other vendors made exhausts that are black and pipe diameters close to stock. That shiny look cheapens the car imho and proportions out of whack. This ain't a Supra w/ a bodykit. It's a luxury GT coupe with sporting intentions.

 

You're right, I always confuse the two terms. It does drone a bit, but not as much as I expected. Your driving style can definitely control the drone. As far as the look of the exhaust, I can be quoted as saying these mufflers looked like "fart cans" in a previous thread, but that was only because I had never seen the system in person. IMHO, the OEM exhaust is downright shameful, take another look at the pic I posted or better yet, put your F on a lift and see for yourself(if you have one). The A'PEXi system does not look out of place on the car at all, instead it makes the car very aggressive and highlights the reason why I got the car to begin with, for the N/A V8.

 

Don't let the shiny wrapper fool you. The OEM system is much better engineered than any aftermarket system. It needs to meet not only exacting performance targets, but also comply with stringent emission requirements across the globe. Apexi or xyz exhaust vendor is all but a lemonade stand compared to Toyota's industrial empire. What makes you think the very capable Lexus F engineers who built the rest of the car somehow for whatever reason decided to "shameful" us w/ a crap exhaust? C'mon, you're not that silly goose.

My search continues. It may never come to fruition, but I came prepared.

 

I agree, aftermarket exhaust doesn't add much more than a different sound.


personally I like the sound of the RCF, quiet when cruising and no drone, loud and throaty when you get on it.


but I bought this car most for the luxury, I have a 1932 Ford Roadster Hot Rod with loud pipes for the noise factor.

 

Like I said, I'm taking it to the track to find out if there are any gains and now also to see how capable the Lexus F engineers are as well.

 

I've had the car for almost a year(13,000 miles) and the engine sounds great, but anything else is most likely ASC or not coming from the exhaust note. That is why I pulled the trigger on aftermarket(which I havent purchased for any car, ever), the car is now a complete package as far as I'm concerned.

 

Lol I gained about 39 rwhp from a full aftermarket exhaust system with dynos to prove it. The stock exhaust system is horrible for performance but good for emissions.

The stock exhaust system is so bad for performance that if you put the car on a lift, you can see that the pipes looked like they are clamped, I mean what the hell, why buy a performance car if you're going to gimp it from factory!

 

stock exhaust is crap, sounds like crap, looks squashed and is an embarrassment for v8.

 

If you get an RCF it is "mandatory" that you at some point need to do exhaust, wheels, and filter/intake...it is the minimum required lol. I'm running thr PTS Joe Z exhaust system and I am completely satisfied, no drone, throaty and loud when stepping on the gas. Stock exhaust is quiet all that "noise" that you get is electronic...and as far as the quality or engineering of car parts...do you know that most of car parts (including exhaust) are manufactured by 3rd party companies (that might be into the aftermarket part)? Dont come here that some guy at Toyota spent sleepless nights designing the exhaust blah blah blah

 

OEM is engineered to comply with all regulations including NVH. I switched to Joe Z exhaust and there is a definite increase in power across the board, but there is also an increase in "noise" at certain RPM while not unpleasant to me would without question be outside the NVH standards. The factory exhaust is awesome for a consistent quiet tone with minimal impact on power. The Joe Z "Lemonade Stand" exhaust, aside from a substandard weld here and there (frustrating on a $2000.00 system but who is going to see it?) is definitely superior in terms of power.

With that said I'm considering making a change because I like the blue ends on the Apexi. :0)

 

Hi Rakwon, I ordered the resonated version and am waiting to install it. Did you do this yourself?
If so, did you have to remove any underbody panels in order to get the 1 piece midpipe out?

The Apexi one comes in multiple pieces vs 1 piece stock.
I plan to take this to muffler shop as I don't have the proper tools to do this at home.

 

Hey bud,

I had the install done by a shop, but I watched during the entire process. There are a few underbody panels that need to be removed, but are easily put back into place. These panels also cover the bolts that hold an underbody brace, which also needs to be removed. The entire install takes about 45 minutes. Also, have the shop take a look at the instructions, which detail how the parts come together and what sections to use the hardware provided.

 

Yes sorry about the extra coloring here and there... Handcrafting can be tricky at times...
But as you already know we stand behind each weld for its long term durability

Below is an example of a 2015 OEM RC F exhuast with very low mileage..

The Oem welds are beyond substandard IMHO and actually one shows the beginning signs of a weak spot on the weld with moisture causing rust build & scaling...

In a few years this will be a problem on this particular OEM system..





Fact: Not at all exhausts are created equally (even oem)


Joe Z

 

just my two cents .... I had a 2014 is350 with the joe z exhaust and it was bad ***........... had the car for 6500 miles and it sounded good .... no complains very good quality.