R.A.I. Motorsport Announces our B7 2.0TFSI Downpipe

[Sales@RAI]

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/uu360/RAImotorsport/RAIlogo2small.jpg

R.A.I. Motorsport is happy to announce our downpipe for the B7 A4. This is the only 3" downpipe available to the market, perfect for the guy looking for a K04 or BT upgrade in the future. We started by checking the factory system offered with the car and found restrictions in the factory catalytic converter and bottleneck directly after it.

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/uu360/RAImotorsport/stock_dp_restriction_2.jpg

Here are the specs:

- T304 Stainless Steel tubing
- Stainless Steel race catalytic converter
- Stainless 3" V-band assembly
- 3.5" from the turbo to cat, 3" from the cat on
- Gets rid of the bottleneck between the cat and downpipe on the factory system
- Deeper exhaust note
- Connects to the factory slip-fitting using a machined reducer

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/uu360/RAImotorsport/Audi_B7_A4_DP_OffCAR.jpg

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/uu360/RAImotorsport/Audi_B7_A4_Flange_CU.jpg

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/uu360/RAImotorsport/Audi_B7_A4_JBung_CU.jpg

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/uu360/RAImotorsport/Audi_B7_A4_DP_ONcar.jpg

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/uu360/RAImotorsport/Audi_B7_A4_DP_From_Engine_Bay.jpg

The price is set at $600, but can be ordered without the cat for $540. Call the shop (443)242-6436 or PM me for more info [up]

- Clint

[1auburn]

What transmissions is this compatible with? All or just manual?

[Quattro]

hmm, ill give you guys a call tomorrow. interested.

[kharsnett]

What transmissions is this compatible with? All or just manual?

X2

[SykoraA4]

id love to hear this on a stock exhaust. I want one of these with an electric cut out before the flex pipe. wired up to a funk button. sneaky sneaky.

[AudiWxGuy]

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/uu360/RAImotorsport/RAIlogo2small.jpg

R.A.I. Motorsport is happy to announce our downpipe for the B7 A4. This is the only 3" downpipe available to the market, perfect for the guy looking for a K04 or BT upgrade in the future. We started by checking the factory system offered with the car and found restrictions in the factory catalytic converter and bottleneck directly after it.

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/uu360/RAImotorsport/stock_dp_restriction_2.jpg

Here are the specs:

- T304 Stainless Steel tubing
- Stainless Steel race catalytic converter
- Stainless 3" V-band assembly
- 3.5" from the turbo to cat, 3" from the cat on
- Gets rid of the bottleneck between the cat and downpipe on the factory system
- Deeper exhaust note
- Connects to the factory slip-fitting using a machined reducer

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/uu360/RAImotorsport/Audi_B7_A4_DP_OffCAR.jpg

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/uu360/RAImotorsport/Audi_B7_A4_Flange_CU.jpg

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/uu360/RAImotorsport/Audi_B7_A4_JBung_CU.jpg

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/uu360/RAImotorsport/Audi_B7_A4_DP_ONcar.jpg

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/uu360/RAImotorsport/Audi_B7_A4_DP_From_Engine_Bay.jpg

The price is set at $600, but can be ordered without the cat for $540. Call the shop (443)242-6436 or PM me for more info [up]

- Clint


Welcome to the party..I suppose you guys may have arrived a little late. Seems like a good product though!

[Vorsprung]

oooh purty =)

[Alkemix]

Threads like these are like porn, but for cars.

[Glassnpowder98]

Haha, the smiley thing in the first pic is awesome! Too bad I jumped on the 034 cat group buy or I'd be all over this... Hopefully I'll be able to get out to the shop soon!

[Sales@RAI]

What transmissions is this compatible with? All or just manual?

If we get an automatic car in here we can make the automatic DP, but for now this is just offered for manual


Welcome to the party..I suppose you guys may have arrived a little late. Seems like a good product though!

not quite sure what you mean. This is a product that no one else on the market sells, with only the highest quality materials and countless hours in fabrication.

[RAI Motorsport]

Here are some notes on this product from our R&D Dept

"....customer complaints of loud exhaust systems on the market have been identified with virtually every system offered. Our full turbo back is larger diameter while managing to be very tolerable as far as sound output. Further testing required for actual cabin decibel levels in the 2000-3000 rpm range. Customer feedback leads us to believe this system has overcome the drone problem. The process and components to make the turbo-back system puts cost above the industry average......"


"The down-pipe section of the turbo-back system proved to be the biggest performance enhancement of the entire system, dynomometer testing results in data section. Utilizing the down-pipe with proper ignition timing has shown gains averaging 20 wheel horsepower with unitronic stage 2 specific tuning (baseline not available, beta testing car had competitor 93 octane software). Producing the down-pipe independent of the complete exhaust will allow for competitively priced solutions......"

"....to meet RAI Motorsport modular protocols, a v-band assembly should be installed prior to slip fitting. This allows simple future upgrades to convert system to turbo back. Outsourcing reducer for slip fitting is required, machined unit will be used to preserve quality standards. The reduction size is too great to flare in house without sacrificing the quality of the steel...."


just though i would share some of this, most of this report is our eyes only it also has been edited by me..[up]

[italia8287]

how many cells is the cat? also will this throw a cel and will it pass all the emissions nonsense?

[RAI Motorsport]

300 cell per Sq. Inch catalyst flows at 578 CFM, we added a jbung as well for redundancy, it will not throw the cel.

[bmc333]

I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this - but will it pass emissions?

[RAI Motorsport]

yes

[jayphil82]

You mentioned that this will be perfect for KO4 upgrade but I heard that the flange on K04 (all comming from S3/TT-S) had a different flange pattern... so basically this will not bolt-up to a K04 right?

Let me know because I plan doing a HFC or downpipe in the near future and later put a KO4 on. I want to make sure I will not need to purchase a new HFC or downpipe for the KO4...

This seems to be a great product!
Thanks guys to help the Audi community.

[bmc333]

yes

[o_o] really??? - not the answer I was expecting at all! [o_o]

Will be staying tuned for the automatic version of this...

[Eweezy27]

Mine just passed emissions the other day and I have the full turbo back system [up]

[Sales@RAI]

Mine just passed emissions the other day and I have the full turbo back system [up]

[cool] and it sounds/performs good too. Can't beat it

[bmc333]

Mine just passed emissions the other day and I have the full turbo back system [up]

NICE!

[Jer]

[cool] and it sounds/performs good too. Can't beat it

Not seeing a full turbo back system anywhere.

[RAI Motorsport]

[o_o] really??? - not the answer I was expecting at all! [o_o]

Will be staying tuned for the automatic version of this...

we need a automatic to come in in order to make this for it. if you want to be the beta tester let me know, you will receive a deep discount, free dyno runs, and discounted unitronic tuning.

[bmc333]

we need a automatic to come in in order to make this for it. if you want to be the beta tester let me know, you will receive a deep discount, free dyno runs, and discounted unitronic tuning.

You've got my attention - PM me some more info regarding where/when (how long). I live in Northern VA and am usually free on the weekends.

[AudiWxGuy]

If we get an automatic car in here we can make the automatic DP, but for now this is just offered for manual



not quite sure what you mean. This is a product that no one else on the market sells, with only the highest quality materials and countless hours in fabrication.


Ummm...you can get a catless downpipe from VMR for half the price or less of yours. Yes, it's not 3", but it is a very similar product. And there are other places that make a high flow cat if you want to pass emissions.

[Vorsprung]

It's also a full 3" downpipe, and I don't remember anyone else making one.

[Jer]

Ummm...you can get a catless downpipe from VMR for half the price or less of yours. Yes, it's not 3", but it is a very similar product. And there are other places that make a high flow cat if you want to pass emissions.

Half the price? I think I paid $70 for my VMR so it's more like 1/10th the price. Cat is a nice touch but I don't live in a emissions county (thankfully) so not a big deal for me.

[Glassnpowder98]

Ummm...you can get a catless downpipe from VMR for half the price or less of yours. Yes, it's not 3", but it is a very similar product. And there are other places that make a high flow cat if you want to pass emissions.

You're correct that it's a high flow cat, but it also includes the rest of the downpipe as well...

Compare this... What regular HFCs and test pipes looks like
http://www.labreemotorsports.com/images/Products/VW/b7_a4_20_cat_n_test_pipes.JPG

to the complete downpipe and cat R.A.I is offering

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/uu360/RAImotorsport/Audi_B7_A4_DP_OffCAR.jpg

[jayphil82]

There is other companies that make downpipe for us but without the HFC / test pipe section.

Basically you will end up paying about the same price of this new RAI downpipe if you buy a HFC and a downpipe from other companies...

The point is do not compare a test pipe or HFC only to this complete downpipe!

[Vorsprung]

^^^ exactly

[Sales@RAI]

Hey guys, I'm all about saving people money. If there was a cheaper downpipe with the same quality I would tell people to buy it. When you start piecing these quality components together it adds up fast. T304 is not cheap, and 3" pipe vs. 2.5" is more than you would think. Feel free to call us and we can do a breakdown for you. I would never want a customer of ours to be anything less than impressed.

[RedS-line]

^Labree's downpipe is 250. It is ONLY a downpipe but their catpipe aka highflow cat is 300 and their testpipe is 210. that totals to 550 with cat and 510 without cat. Both will work on automatics. Your downpipe looks great and may have a larger downpipe with a better cat, but it is not cheaper. How about some dynos comparing 3'' to 2.5'' ? that might help show the value of yours better.

[Sales@RAI]

^Labree's downpipe is 250. It is ONLY a downpipe but their catpipe aka highflow cat is 300 and their testpipe is 210. that totals to 550 with cat and 510 without cat. Both will work on automatics. Your downpipe looks great and may have a larger downpipe with a better cat, but it is not cheaper. How about some dynos comparing 3'' to 2.5'' ? that might help show the value of yours better.

I'm glad you responded, I don't want people to be afraid to challenge us on these issues. First, their downpipe/test pipe combo still bottlenecks the exhaust right after the cat. Second, I am not sure what materials they use but we generally spend a bit more than most to ensure only the highest quality materials are used. We do not have a dyno difference between 3" and 2.5" but with the direction the market is going, it seems people want to do k04 and BT upgrades and 3" allows for that extra flow. Also, we put the j-pipe on the downpipe to get rid of the CEL associated with a high flowing downpipe. I am not putting labree down in any way. The more parts we have in the market the better, I just wanted to state the differences.

I hope this helps you understand why we set our price where we did. Like I said, I have been working on Audis for the past 5 years (my name on here was AudiA4_20T), and I did not work here until the summer. If there's one thing I've learned it's that spending the money to get something that is done right saves you money in the end. I chose to work here because we go the extra mile to make only the highest quality components with perfect fit and the fabrication department here cannot be beat. You buy it once, and it will outlast the car. That is the kind of thinking we do here.

I hope that helps [up]

[RAI Motorsport]

We are in no way attempting to make the cheapest components. Our philosophy here is to make a higher quality product with no compromise and sell less then making something cheap and selling more. I know that there are people out there who's most important factor in purchasing anything is price. We have no desire to modify our philosophy to cater to these people. We have sold many of our higher priced products to people who's biggest concern is quality. I feel most people into tuning european cars are like this, but there are many who are not. Fortunately their are options for both types.
The labree system is nice for what it is, i can also manufacture the same thing and have a much higher profit, we chose to make less profit on a nicer product. I rather do that then ever hear about something we made failing, or not being optimal. We know that our downpipe with proper tuning makes more power than any other offering. We also anticipate more even more power out put to be given without the cat and even more tuning.

Keep the questions and comparisons coming, I feel this will solidify us as a more premium tuner. I love the fact we operate like this, this is something Clint and i butt heads on all the time. While developing anything he is very concerned about the price and we rely on him for input of the consumers reactions. Believe me when i say if clint had it his way we would do everything for free. What this means to you guys is you have a voice in our development. the best way we saw this to work is by lowering our profits, and in time refine the manufacturing to allow us to be more competitive. This is more info then i should be giving but i like putting it all out there. I hope this puts some concerns at ease and lets more of you see what it is we are trying to do.

[joshd2012]

Don't let these guys tear you down. It looks like a nice product and the price is right!

My plan has been to get a Stasis exhaust, and like (I think) all exhaust systems sold, it is a cat-back system meaning it comes with its own downpipe. So does that mean if I get your downpipe/cat combo, the downpipe I just paid for won't be used? Is there a company out there that makes a "downpipe-back" system? Otherwise, it seems anyone who buys this pipe will need a custom exhaust.

[Jer]

So does that mean if I get your downpipe/cat combo, the downpipe I just paid for won't be used? Is there a company out there that makes a "downpipe-back" system? Otherwise, it seems anyone who buys this pipe will need a custom exhaust.

That was kind of my point above when someone mentioned they got a turbo back system. I inquired about the full system because if I could get this in a full system for a few hundred more I would be MUCH more interested than getting this, then having the rest made and having to have this chopped up to eliminate the reducer. As long as I'm having parts chopped up it's just as easy to have a test pipe or HFC chopped up to eliminate the reducer.

[Sales@RAI]

Good question! This dp was made as a modular design. We will soon be releasing our turbo-back 3" system that will mate up with no modification to our downpipe. To answer your question, you could get a shop to mate up our dp with another exhaust, I would recommend connecting it at the supplied v-band. Doing that is beneficial as well because it gets rid of that flange between the cat and factory dp (which is a pain to get to and also bottlenecks the system

[RAI Motorsport]

there will be a vband assembly option right before the slip fit, this will allow it to mate up directly to the RAI exhaust, or you can have your unit modified to bolt up to it using a v band assembly. the modification required should be a low cost to the end customer. As we retro fit this to existing exhaust on the market we will make the necessary adapter parts.

[Jer]

there will be a vband assembly option right before the slip fit, this will allow it to mate up directly to the RAI exhaust, or you can have your unit modified to bolt up to it using a v band assembly. the modification required should be a low cost to the end customer. As we retro fit this to existing exhaust on the market we will make the necessary adapter parts.

If you make something that V-bands before the reducer (so it's full 3" all the way back w/o a bottleneck) along with the remainder of the exhaust system for an automatic and keep the overall price reasonable I would be interested.

[RedS-line]

good info. i know i can come off like a troublemaker sometimes but i do feel that this looks like a great product and id probably be down for it if i didnt go the labree route already. I strongly agree with quality over cost but in this internet market the dollar talks and sometimes its the best price that gets the most sales, especially in this economy where some people are broke and still trying to mod. Maybe an introductory price of 499 would get things booming? I think people would still like to see some dyno info, even if it is compared to the oem cat/downpipe. That would make me more willing to spend the extra money over labree or 034 or whoever.

[Sales@RAI]

If you make something that V-bands before the reducer (so it's full 3" all the way back w/o a bottleneck) along with the remainder of the exhaust system for an automatic and keep the overall price reasonable I would be interested.

Our design does have the v-band assembly beore the reducer so it is a true 3" piece. Like we said, if we get an automatic in here, we can give them a nice discount on the downpipe and offer it to the public [up]

[Sales@RAI]

good info. i know i can come off like a troublemaker sometimes but i do feel that this looks like a great product and id probably be down for it if i didnt go the labree route already. I strongly agree with quality over cost but in this internet market the dollar talks and sometimes its the best price that gets the most sales, especially in this economy where some people are broke and still trying to mod. Maybe an introductory price of 499 would get things booming? I think people would still like to see some dyno info, even if it is compared to the oem cat/downpipe. That would make me more willing to spend the extra money over labree or 034 or whoever.

fair enough, I'm a college student so I can relate to saving even a dollar on something, but in the meantime I have been building up my B6. It's bored and stroked to a 2L, big port head, cams, valvesprings, retainers, exhaust valves, full-race mani, 35R, etc. I've spent crazy amounts of money and honestly for just about everything I went cheap on, I ended up paying double. I'm not saying that is true in your case and some people do hardly make a dollar off what they produce, but like I said when you break this down and add up the costs, ours is very competitively priced [up]. I know that may hurt us in this economy but it's our philosophy here.

[1auburn]

Last automatic trans question. If you happen to get an automatic in shop, is there a difference between the cvt and say auto with the quattro? Basically asking if cvt downpipe is out of the question.

[swoardrider]

So the big question I have is:
On a purely performance level (sorry environment), is this RAI downpipe with Cat going to flow better than a stock downpipe with testpipe (no Cat).

[Vorsprung]

fair enough, I'm a college student so I can relate to saving even a dollar on something, but in the meantime I have been building up my B6. It's bored and stroked to a 2L, big port head, cams, valvesprings, retainers, exhaust valves, full-race mani, 35R, etc. I've spent crazy amounts of money and honestly for just about everything I went cheap on, I ended up paying double. I'm not saying that is true in your case and some people do hardly make a dollar off what they produce, but like I said when you break this down and add up the costs, ours is very competitively priced [up]. I know that may hurt us in this economy but it's our philosophy here.

you have a build thread? [:)]

[Sales@RAI]

So the big question I have is:
On a purely performance level (sorry environment), is this RAI downpipe with Cat going to flow better than a stock downpipe with testpipe (no Cat).

You can get it catless so yes this would flow more for sure, there is no restriction


you have a build thread? [:)]

Haha it's kind of a joke in the b6 forum if my car will ever get finished but yea this is it

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=172150

[swoardrider]

You can get it catless so yes this would flow more for sure, there is no restriction

Let me re-phrase the question. What I'm asking is:
Will your 3" downpipe WITH cat flow as good or better than a catless OEM downpipe?
Thanks

[IceMole]

in the meantime I have been building up my B6



[:D][:D][up]

[Vorsprung]

Haha it's kind of a joke in the b6 forum if my car will ever get finished but yea this is it

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=172150

Ohhhh thats you ok haha

[RAI Motorsport]

video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDoUgWYD8Es

[swoardrider]

bump for my earlier question:

Let me re-phrase the question. What I'm asking is:
Will your 3" downpipe WITH cat flow as good or better than a catless OEM downpipe?
Thanks

[RAI Motorsport]

bump for my earlier question:

Let me re-phrase the question. What I'm asking is:
Will your 3" downpipe WITH cat flow as good or better than a catless OEM downpipe?
Thanks

we are working on your answer right now, i dont want you to think we are ignoring your question. but this is a very hard question to answer. there are many variables in trying to calculate this. George and I have tried to eliminate some of the variables to give a estimate on the flow a test pipe, but we dont have NASA capabilities here lol.

To give you an idea of what we are trying to figure out, these are some variables that we need to calculate it.

-Air temperature at entrance of tp vs exit
-Air flow effect, meaning turbulance at the exit of the test pipe from the gas hitting the walls of the flange to force itself out.
- Engine output of of gas
- As rpm increases how much more air flow turbulance occurs
- the effect of the "waiting" to exit the test pipe vs. the new air being introduced

these are only a few variables we need to figure out to give only a rough estimate on how much does the flange walls or downsize disrupts the flow of gas. We know the catalyst we use in its current configuration flow 578cfm. this is the only restriction in the system. So ordering without the catalyst will out flow any unit on the market.

To simplify, we have to compare our catalyst that flows 578cfm against the bottle neck of a oem downpipe mated to a test pipe. It is possible to compare, but just 2 totally different methods of figuring our how much volume they can flow.

Some of our figuring from development on the b6 test pipe we make shows that the test pipe work well as kind of a holding chamber. But once its volume is filled it looses its efficiency. But with any test pipe after it looses its efficiency it is still much more efficient then the oem catalyst configuration.

This is a really great question. One we asked ourselves when we went with this catalyst configuration. This is why we discharge from the turbo at 3.5" diameter. We just relied on existing turbo theory to dictate the discharge design. The fastest way to answer this is to put them on the dyno, as soon as i get a test pipe only car to compare to i will post the results. I have a feeling on what they will be. I feel the test pipe might, just might make a bit more initial twist torque, where the downpipe with catalyst will benefit from making more power throughout the entire power band.

Hope this helps and again...great question. [wrench]

[swoardrider]

No problem with the wait. I'm just stoked you guys are putting this much thought into it. True engineers! [hail]

[9Hooker]

you are flowing 578CFM at what pressure?

[VAstyle]

PM sent... stage 2 coming.

[Msu2312]

are you guys making one to fit the CVT ?

[Quattro]

i think so.

[europaisch]

I don't know what you tiptronic guys near MD are doing? If I was nearby I would head out to be the auto-transmission test pig.

[Silververtu]

I don't know what you tiptronic guys near MD are doing? If I was nearby I would head out to be the auto-transmission test pig.

me too, I wish the shop is closer and I will be the white mouse.

[Insane_Audi]

let me get this straight, this bolts straight up to out ko3 and goes back to where are downpipe meets the rest of the exhaust? and then we have to go custom exhaust because noone sells a 3"?

so we are paying 600-700 for your dp + the custom dp back system for 600(approx)
vs
the awe/apr/stasis catback and 034 hfc for 1400?

is it worth it for the 3"?
i dont understand

[bmc333]

let me get this straight, this bolts straight up to out ko3 and goes back to where are downpipe meets the rest of the exhaust? and then we have to go custom exhaust because noone sells a 3"?

so we are paying 600-700 for your dp + the custom dp back system for 600(approx)
vs
the awe/apr/stasis catback and 034 hfc for 1400?

is it worth it for the 3"?
i dont understand

And for the bottleneck removal - the whole point of this part. THAT is where the gains are - keeping the air moving and not bottlenecking up at the connection point between cat and turbo at that flange.

[Insane_Audi]

And for the bottleneck removal - the whole point of this part. THAT is where the gains are - keeping the air moving and not bottlenecking up at the connection point between cat and turbo at that flange.

ok i guess that make sense, i just cant believe the costs of parts anymore and i understand where RAI is coming from but i almost wish our cars were older so we could get parts priced like the b5 [headbang]

[bmc333]

ok i guess that make sense, i just cant believe the costs of parts anymore and i understand where RAI is coming from but i almost wish our cars were older so we could get parts priced like the b5 [headbang]

Me too but reality is they've done a pretty good job of getting the price to where it is now (they break it down earlier on in this thread). For what this is, I think you are getting your money's worth - this is much more than just a $300 HFC - material/development AND performance wise.

[stupidfast31]

bump. any tiptronic guys come in for this yet? I was thinking about coming out from CT but have no time off from work yet........anyone step up?

[A4B7Quattro]

depending on how long it would take id be down to do it

[stupidfast31]

Call them n go dooo ittttttttt. They had told me two days. Call up Ray at the shop 443 242 6436. Thats who I spoke to when I had called.

[RAI Motorsport]

thanks for explaining the down pipe bmc333 + rep for you.

The best thing about this downpipe is that it is a really good value overall.

Our testing proved that the down pipe is where the power is made in the exhaust system. Adding the remaining portion of the exhaust will only yield a max of 3-5 whp average. Is another 600-800 dollars for only 3-5 whp worth it, that's for you to decide.

Also, the drone issue, which is very subjective. Utilizing the DP with the oem rear exhaust section will provide a great sound that I am sure will please everyone. It sounds very sporty but does not drone at all.

Trust me, this is another one of those things that once people start using it, it will become the norm.

[A4B7Quattro]

Well for a GOOD HFC and downpipe it would be about 1.1k for Tiptronic users, but i did a testpipe and labree downpipe route so ended up costin me 600 in all but i wont pass emissions

[Vorsprung]

Any word on the full turbo back? Might have to buy one from you if i cant get the one i have to work...

[rensho]

what's the general difference for a tiptronic and 6sp DP? There is no way to use one with the other?

I think the Stasis exhaust only comes with the DP on the Tiptronic version. hard to believe, but I read it on one of the other Stasis B7 threads.

[jonjon88ss]

IS THIS AVAILABLE FOR THE TIP YET?!?!?!?

sorry its all i think about lately[:(]

[andyisgood]

+1 someone get to RAI soon!! I need a downpipe...=(
Also thinking to get a downpipe+cat for my auto trans too since i have an AWE exhaust lying around....
Clint, I am guessing it would fit any aftermarket midpipes? the 2.5" midpipe from AWE?

[Sales@RAI]

yea it would fit. No automatics yet

[jonjon88ss]

[=(]

[maidest]

Don't let these guys tear you down. It looks like a nice product and the price is right!

My plan has been to get a Stasis exhaust, and like (I think) all exhaust systems sold, it is a cat-back system meaning it comes with its own downpipe. So does that mean if I get your downpipe/cat combo, the downpipe I just paid for won't be used? Is there a company out there that makes a "downpipe-back" system? Otherwise, it seems anyone who buys this pipe will need a custom exhaust.

So cat-back exhausts come with their own downpipe? Is that definitely true? Also, relating to this downpipe, if you buy it without the cat option, can a HFC be installed with it?

[p1nk50ck]

RAI - this looks great. I took a ride in 2point0's car when he got this done a few months ago, and it sounded great in and out of the car. Not too loud at all. My boy Andrew was at your shop earlier today getting the Uni chip on his candy white GTI. he had nothing but good things to say about his drive home (and he was previously on GIAC x-chip)



So cat-back exhausts come with their own downpipe? Is that definitely true?

if it's cat back, then it should come with a downpipe, hence the term "cat-back" and not "downpipe back" "midpipe back" or "axle back". but i would double check with the seller/dealer just to be sure. some downpipes don't work with FWD or auto transmissions, so those versions might not come with the downpipe since it won't fit.


Also, relating to this downpipe, if you buy it without the cat option, can a HFC be installed with it?

i haven't seen a pic of the catless option, but from the looks of the race-cat picture, no. I would guess that you wouldn't be able to put an aftermarket hfc with their catless version. The whole point of this is to eliminate restrictions and bottlenecks, as well as to keep a 3" back design.

besides, putting on another hfc onto this pipe would essentially negate the benefits of having this system. not sure why you would want to do this to begin with. [confused] this is a 3" back system, which i don't think anyone else makes, therefore nobody else's hfc would fit without creating choke points, and why would you want a 3" back system if you're not going to use it to its fullest?

[maidest]

this is a 3" back system, which i don't think anyone else makes, therefore nobody else's hfc would fit without creating choke points, and why would you want a 3" back system if you're not going to use it to its fullest?


I was thinkking cat back meant from the cat all the way to tips, and since the downpipe leads into the cat (if im not mistaken) I was thinking downpipe would not be included, if this makes any sense at all? And as far as the HFC, I was just asking but what you said makes sense I wasn't thinking about it that way.

[andyisgood]

someone PLEASE get down to RAI for them to make the auto trans downpipe.....

[p1nk50ck]

I was thinkking cat back meant from the cat all the way to tips, and since the downpipe leads into the cat (if im not mistaken) I was thinking downpipe would not be included, if this makes any sense at all? And as far as the HFC, I was just asking but what you said makes sense I wasn't thinking about it that way.

our set up goes:

Motor -> Exhaust (turbo) Manifold -> turbo -> Catalytic Converter -> Downpipe -> Midpipe? -> Exhaust

so if you got this RAI racecat/downpipe and their exhaust system together, this would be considered a "turboback" system, as it contains all exhaust components after the turbo.

a cat-back means the system should contain all components from the catalytic converter back. since RAI's system does not separate the race cat from the downpipe, it would not be a cat-back system.

some exhaust systems are axle-back, which usually means that it's just the muffler (anything after the rear axle).

[Sprode]

someone PLEASE get down to RAI for them to make the auto trans downpipe.....

I am headed in with my auto soon as the holiday season is over for them to fab it up.

[jonjon88ss]

YAY

[smokedu]

^^yay x2

[mda0428]

any word, did someone come in to test fit the tip transmision?

[Sales@RAI]

yep the car already has the tiptronic DP and everything is working great. I will keep the forum updated when we get it ready for production. Thanks for the interest!

[jayphil82]

For those wondering which exhaust to buy with this downpipe since most major brands sell their exhaust with a downpipe. Sure you can wait for RAI new exhaust but you can also purchase a Magnaflow for around 650-700 since they do not come with a downpipe.

RAI downpipe + Magnaflow exhaust = Full turboback for around 1300$ which is not bad at all!

[NERO Quattro]

Subscribed.... Any ideas as to when the tip version will begin production (can't wait)? Maybe a group buy to begin with [;)]?

[mda0428]

would be down for group buy as well

[smokedu]

cant wait, hope it fits right on to my awe exhaust

[NERO Quattro]

Any updates?

[Sprode]

I was their tip guinea pig. Fit and finish is great, and it sounds mean. I am happy.

[vdubjetta02]

if they have an un-resonated version i will like it... on youtube your system has resonators and i find it just too quiet

[RAI Motorsport]

we will be making a new thread to introduce the automatic version today or tomorrow.

[Insane_Audi]

your awe is 2.5"..the rai is 3" i think, you are going to need somebody to custom weld your exhaust, it will not bolt right up, that is if the TIP downpipe from RAI is 3" as well

[RAI Motorsport]

it is 3", im not familiar with the awe, but if it mates up to the stock dp it will work with ours.

[Insane_Audi]

how does that work when the stock is 2.5"? wouldnt it need to be 3"?

the RAI dp flange mates with a 2.5 inch?

[RAI Motorsport]

the end of our downpipe is reduced to fit the stock slip fitting. so if the rear section fits into the slip fitting they will work together, only downside is having that pinch. But a positive thing to that is that it will help with drone by increasing pressure. Performance impacts should be minimal.

[Insane_Audi]

the end of our downpipe is reduced to fit the stock slip fitting. so if the rear section fits into the slip fitting they will work together, only downside is having that pinch. But a positive thing to that is that it will help with drone by increasing pressure. Performance impacts should be minimal.

did not know that, i thought going custom was the only option to mate to the 3"

thanks, good to know

[smokedu]

perfect my awe also reduces so it fits right into oem connection can't wait