another C6S6 exhaust post - pics & vid

Per the sound advice gleaned here (pun intended, and thanks vtgt!), I got my exhaust done on my new to me '07 S6 yesterday - friggin liberating it 'twas ridding myself of that insipid OE strangulation system… 2.25" per bank on a 5.2L is beyond dumb. Ditched the 2nd pair of resonators, added a crossover, and replaced all pipes to the OE boxes with 3".

WTF!? How is it possible that mfg’s put cars on the road like this???:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/z1Ep-q2vFybXpcz1RjFbwqbEn9Iyi6uCDNyM-vENxKtszcdU8by4gFnAR0jmSCcnnM0NFnQn58Jo-f-6wUB5lEubxOno6ZgNLcY_urmfKD8Wg0UhC7U3jenQkMhOAjfLDMLhPqJkjZin4RXAnX3cedXePcEUBv3TwR0GtbB-cUYvkRKH9Q6Bi4lJ102D46WDKIaEcwCZO-OsaP9EoiiSRBKL_H1kOXq9oX0hiNVvFlPKRK0mtHRfFWG1HEHBnxqcietHeP151VQXmRTs0SAiJ6aUlSiDMPlgjh3rIDA-9MKVHoG7B_d_ywXnVHyJwdSiI7oHEm5ORNEmVpkF7lYvLgS-5CkDD7J6O6MKbxcEa-MtMjsmVvnQayCdtoEnMewk45EzKB9expM1f6rpNYjdrWj4S_VL8c5xOsLnlxRJlxWyL0Z-HuVySTvAoixzIQh2QKWKcmQJ0uK0Qhvm1qGPFs9DFdK6O8yedb4Bppzm2sU0C3svc5jxv_VqvzVi01V7t6_pPiGoALG63wRLvV7GFa-KxuEm-8dBDAkrOpjulD1b4IMIMMY3VD0iGNk8VSBSLATMqg=w1867-h1050-no

I mean, seriously ???:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/lD4ut-DMdNXB3XqDWfMUQtdK3Cg640BrEOiP3PAxEIC5N1EeIJDWMpwPhfEmjFSV0YTT7tppZtRIVk72OeMouRNmcC8o6tkoH7Jut6v8EzIc5oAhWEk_Js-5poH-WLyDk9SheDlRDpm6IEpxRlw-UtgKYCnlg-NxfUNRCYnH-ToqKQsnlnwReVNXC53zJmtaKApzJsZXAce8Jr3p_u02_9mQ3hE5RsDftWb2mJduD_j-z2h__ex0_iPIqdQxm4uXvxsuuX98mbJWdnjOmU_xUWt_AgqpdVbAJUjr5p8ERC4UbS4keLv46pVWrE2mIWX3Iin5nsprjK9jNfgDsGQwCC1AzxFWMm-PhAK8TmQ_FFuETYSZoGLb8908pnoinMWjw7x-1m7adIbmQ5RTnIUCKU1f4mhjNaEwWYlrJPliIb10rgWdhGv7tKLrh0yL6XjdSfRR1L9TPHr8yKoXabh-GFxjajjlTrLr0zrIO_m_DMFWL8oAu64z_HjDPKgql_ZPNSG2g1fNh_wxI0EZESdpGd1k8AFw9h9FkayNq7LeEdKcLQEzCwoLzCYFfLsHBhyV10E6aw=w1868-h1050-no

my local bender is simply awesome… great guys to work with, talented, wanting to please, and accommodating. They did an outstanding job here, and CHEAP! Those bends down around the rear suspension are intricate and took a lot of work to get right - not like Audi who says yeah you know what’s good let’s FLATTEN IT DOWN TO NOTHING there.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/9avHahB7Ws_2s8_tj1DzxGpKyZaEUh5NEOpl1wsGFjOyGA6cr70Af2aOCJBk8TeufKsbs5RVf0PwyMKo4OME_akQ1zfi86C8QZ-K3bKpqkHHiOcLJqg1Z2Q06fN34XZmhtJvMKM_UJLWhBk92pXGaXWpUuMbInxvaDfHAUJNgnzuZhvbuI6V1XFB3g9V4TZfVhTagoIje39cqxd8ZbsYzcV0bVb0TNJWKou68JuDCGA6xk87dgjoOoRkXNn_CTYn8sdtYNrscfmNXvh6NmWhrVVO9iKaX5jm03iQh_ZAiBsELISFBcRih5IVIasSXajdXExWWIkwFh1lh0m0om0Bs6IqRmSabHCdzbNQasY9OFbK9s-1Cwbjmt8e30pENvaAtPJCL_YRBQCM2lKj8mV62WRYKymIn3CB886_jOOkn30qobljkIZsnyrrGRqxVDb6ldwdXE_KENGTBZdhF_iGuv0PHyvg-wlcW39MCIawpLe9Kd3qtZQVglclBj67Xsyi9NXjML5eOQBtgAsBtO0QjCyZ2hEdl14knzys2weFDIbdDYfsXZ_Blki1RDAhxA-VI_dIbQ=w1867-h1050-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/k-tcjEKEZq2ZCWH7TaMcIyWh9OOEWGAy6_PTn6ivIBkAdsxFEMc_2NEcAHyHYaPMqWL5NKOkxPMzfsdYvO2OHBMWH3R9TqLXbskFxN5VEvZoJd7T7Ah4wIvO9nue9QqADI5Kf56wgNMEuUC_HkhxjsZnxxz4YuIE4rFnJe24htpu8Bs9tEbw43hmU1s7e6q8ZC7StaOAiOQcpPevKmk5wgG3ZOi7rCKweqtinYHctX7toYo3OXNY5jtt1kIXMmwuzCoHPlX52N_ymLsesi7lRcc8yCFAFbGDY43rcJWKObxahgog9j8hXpUfyr78uY1Ol2FN_L17cqU5cvlPiuaBxwZn2lTbEvhqJELYlrPL2rqR6auOU_GrZrMi4pvKFGhhzfuldxuFn2FfSDd9_HV9i_xAXEUuLx5AiBS_sD9jyvZauJCYxjh2HYFJPDYbcSq_1i6eAKRr45bv46qzgif34LdZy64hdAj6eTn2skOrckQUqWK4HX3ykaf5zsMRDvrDEg9LXzeQ9FdZVU5JatH1kb3NzaOOGLR2ZEq8EAeSTpnsBq-sURs_e1t7wMiU9QY96mvCww=w591-h1050-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/YOjM9RkwmJiio1mFSGA9swuN2RydMPMXD_tgvRC0kU9TRGZn8SlIs3a4XeoMPR6F-RIQM7sxZwNVqo-3HFGulVjdkNdMVeGSrBfzKNp-DgkX7-hGXCaQAgXa9P-DqtvhOI5kQcjbwYYDIwn6kNrucEuvwhhmhunnXU7yl_fDKLezRJ8BU2vdZbrIuWav9EQzmsTD1RJV0em7AKly313mUhneyWQ9dLAgRHoXomWnQHsJyn5hgrxzrxVO4v9zuBz2ykUh6g_Fw-k9ZqaKdAG34GNqIfjg6gJVmZzRhHlZzPp1IWA0rviU_85aXsvBlh-dBH3_L9AM2Etcl2WHhAcA8t1c1i8ZGczVg7BYnewVG6FJiLKzncaczoQ3LWJ9X0q-i9h3PrlRtOzNNfUeiBiq_pnMogi4lXMIhAo7bP88hfDUQjYDI1zm19g4MUF-CzhSCO0XF85l1z_4-IQvfDq6hbU6Wysd5n2b-DSWZKbw-8iOmZfXXrefOYy6ufDy19YrXj4P5P7V9BBI_hajwXnRnRM-1iCYmR0ElOeRtxpyhk4TM-ckpeepCA3bYil_cJEW321I0w=w1867-h1050-no

The beefay diameter causes it to hang slightly lower (my bender shim’d that nominal cross brace that’s midway down the system there). Coming from my last car on coilovers and 17’s, I’m not at all concerned with any clearance issues in this application:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/UOKjJH7zuh2sf3zs4wUihOp6RM-CC6xjwLCZUifolUFdC_HyY9spdxp3-7h-b6zU6uOP-jKl2DK_fW-_xZyY9DmTFBOtSFVBHMLPZNfBH324BJD_8UPJ4KF_k4TUXreqZgW-lKOFThlp-DFkXlexw2gFTOgZQv0KrsIUyHkhnYm5odGy0K8gtyVGXk9APRDOc9eAHlVEEAwAETFp0PrfLRDbiyX7z4Atr70_Lrw9S8ItzJxxZ101N5dLl930W9T1i1mxdv83a2WMTMIA2bTgQyonBNYGkA1sZx6mr7PxUIS42-UpmM-VWqc_AAhZZbsHZc4JSGqB3Q5bWIZHcTW2fYZ2j0DdAwrFZQytPPZzH_c35375mw0-ysWKJUq9G6LenBKCsbpCmNthJds-KFR1Txxnax0t6MZLpvC8CxEHnZ5wH8XUY2UCJBIkGogPKbB2LU9JYn_9GJnjV2MQsjpXL4KHHhVkBxh4l0HUcdA3rrHF78CT4e-W0CFPOIU-pLV13nD1zz4TWpcAFM-xh37zW2TeK5LOkG4tapJxodz5WdoLdB1NyNdhfZL_4XWBuhbV5jb1yQ=w1867-h1050-no

in fact, I’m really diggin the view that basically everyone will always have of this heh heh… little peek up the skirt, so to say:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/zpCqY4XOn5IJDCdQ6WgjVlqzu1gPGON_vu94U8b71wU8eCahiCM8-h6POkEMZRN3DFj1JzWrPj-Rszh9SZmcrLp4TCEjnvxaZgtIusi8WWC-FceRdk1GGyUCfQDXh-LrqxL2FSsLIJCCdFotGfJg5LLyuG5INv4Qs2e-FJfY0_RpX03dGfYAegUx-Zyjft265VXIGIJVp6yu-jIbb0mDbByTLT0Ehd-PnHEqLNWS6SS2qUAdYpbdo3FuraULt7X_2d2XF7OH8auqPK4Jt9fA41LpJWyG9IU9M6L6Q0XNZRnAMIOF0DSnu_6NYOks3Gb24qH1XySyGwTpFrmr9x_eG-rjNW7MJONW-pw3AiT-yi9hHc-yEQHL0X1v3W-njacmJJZXRYDNPLIVA3PJ2JhKB1GI3ZvcJhfajJKwHuCPgfePm8amFwhikVRzxeYAVlRAnillgPIqWHH3HF-KNdaJ8MYS9GrUKPfV1oDZiitug2D3fagDpgdrSXQ5lX-l3aLfxmoTuYs8JXCEDSFiNUk1Cth3aVquECAd373AOsG9OazQ8yo-nQ1ER1AMMsVct58XPkbkQQ=w1867-h1050-no

Making space for those final 3" terminating bends @ the boxes caused the boxes to shift rearward… just enough to now make the OE tips poke suggestively from their nacels. Perfect!

Sound-wise… thus far I’ve taken 1 vid of the initial startup / idle / rev, but need to get it uploaded etc. so that will be in the morning. But… after having my bud do a couple WOT blow-by’s in it for me earlier today, all I’ll say is dayum… sounds gooooooooood. Picked up a bit more sound, but it’s very (very) rounded, flat-plane sounding, tuned, exotic, mechanical, wondrous. And oddly enough, there’s this supercharger-esque “belt whine” of sorts you can prominently hear now… sounds tits!

Most importantly, power / flow - the gains are tangible. The car is now nasty / almost violent. Perrrrrrrrrfect! With nearzero in-cabin discernable effect (cough What’s Her Face will have noooooo idea cough). Winning!

You can hear the sound gained upon startup, and then static rev’ing is especially positively affected - whereas the stocker would barely gasp a pair or 3 of reluctant “rev-ups” with successive boots of the throttle… now? Oh man, kick away at that bastid, and the tach just sings and the pipes rip 'n roar. Gnarly.

I think my fave thus far is the bear-down upon decel… whoa that’s addictive. First gear parking lot trolls are bemusing. Tho, the WOT honkin WAIL is pretty spectabulous as well. Fekkyeah, I’m diggin this thing.

Pop’d in my K&N’s that arrived today, all told I’ve tended to a glut of sins of these with those, the APR tune, and the pipes.

Now… about that mpg… fakk! Still seeing 10’s and 9’s. That ain’t easy to do! WTF? I don’t drive like that big a toolbag. Crykie. Good thing gas prices have plummeted… I had my biturbo12 during the $4.49/gal craze here yearses ago. No thanks. Now I’ve got 2 cars that struggle to hit 12’s… suuuuuper lol / d’oh.

again, thanks vtgt for the instigation to go big or go home on the diameter… sage wisdom and appreciated!