Please forgive me for any typo or spelling as I typing from my tablet on a train. A few local guys here in the Tri State area found me and wanted some input on doing a exhaust test for the XF S/C. I have directed them to my buddy who has a shop that would assist us in these tests ( Mufflex).

The first thing we did compared price and a few different exhaust systems we had access to. They wanted to hear my Mina and look how it was made and sounded in person so we all met up and compared what we each had currently on our cars. Here is what all agreed on:

1) The Mina exhaust was nice and deep and was just about right in volume all around and the price and availability was unbeatable. The fit and finish was very nice as well. We rated this the best bang for the buck over all the rest for a bolt on. The Mina was also the best unit to not have the crakle, pop sound on decel over the rest.

2) The Spires and the QuickSilver exhaust the other 2 guys had both looked the same with just the tips being slightly different and the sound was both the same as well. They both were great in volume but had that crackle and pop on decel very much and kinda sounded unpleasant. Both were very pricey and took some time to get. They both were made very nice and the welds. But they both dont seem like they are mufflers but just bullet resonators.

3) The Arden, this guy bought it used and both of the pipes were bent in shipping so we had to have them straightened and then put on and alighned. The Arden looks just like the stock exhaust but without the vacuum actuators. The sound is pretty good and just a tad louder than the Mina.

4) Paramount slip on muffler delete. Jaguar XF Exhaust System and Jaguar XF Exhaust Mufflers super sport jaguar xf exhaust cat back
This guy got this from some guy in Florida for $475. I was shocked to see this as all it is ,is just stock tips on straight pipes. Great for ligh weight and easy fit. The sound was not as loud as I thought and the crackle and popping sound was almost the same as the SPires and Quicksilver exhaust. My shop said they could make and sell these for $285 since it is so simple and sounded better than you would think.

5) the abouve guy agreed to let us tamper with his setup and to try a few things out. His car is a 2011 XFR, we took off those Paramount pipes and slipped on my stock exhaust, we then removed the rear resonator and tested it with a X-pipe, a H pipe, and just straight pipe. The straight pipe sounded the best with the stock mufflers.
Then we tried the x pipe with the straight pipes in #4 abouve and it was loud enough just before it sounded to obnoxoius. We then noticed there was another resonator just before the CATS and this guy let us try 1 last thing. We removed both stock resonators and left the stock exhaut on. The sound was pretty good volume wise but had lots of crackle,popping.
Then we but the paramount tips on and it was to much for a lux car to have IMHO.

6) Not tested but have seen and researched the VAREX internal cutout mufflers. I think these are the best way to go on every application. For the XF I would try to use the paramount straight pipes wit htips and replace the rear resonator with just 1 of the Varex units. This would keep the cost down by 50% and give me the control on how loud it would be. By doing it this way it would be loud with it open due to the resonator removed.
There is a forum member here who just removed the stock muffler and used 2 varex mufflers, his sounds great but when open is not as loud as you may want, personal preference.

Final thoughts and inf: 2 of the guys took a good amount of pix and some video of still and moving and will wait for them to post on youtube for me to put the link here.
When it comes down to it for me I would say the MINA is #1 for bolt on due to they all dont offer more power than the next and the $ is a huge savings with mina as well as support and availablity. Going forward I will use those XForce Varex units as it will give me control of the sound, thus should make everyone happy as you all can choose how loud you want it all with 1 product. These Varex units are not like all those electric cutouts you see previously, they are much better and last much longer due to them being internal and not exposed to the elements like the others that get siezed up and are way to loud and sound untuned.
All we need is a USA seller of the Varex and see if they warranty these like all the above mentioned and I am sold going forward on all my cars.

XForce. Performance Mufflers, Exhaust Systems & Accessories. About the Varex™ remote controlled Sports muffler.

 

Interesting.

I have the Mina and I think it sounds just right for the XF.

 

don't all the xfsc crackle and pop on deceleration? Mine does all the way through 1st on decel and most of the way through second. Mine pops on manual 1-2 up shift also? perhaps my car has aftermarket exhaust? I bought it used (14k miles) and have never been under it.

 

I'm the guy in NZ with the Varex system. Its been a year now with no problems and I'm glad I went with the remote controlled system as often I like it quiet, its just nice to have the choice as the XFR can be nice, well mannered, luxurious and quiet when need be. A couple of things. I brought the VK05 automatic control kit that you can preset using rpms to control the opening and closing of the valves. This does not work as the Jags wiring is too well shielded(?) for the unit to pick up the RPM's. Another thing is the motors work fast and therefore the valves are fully open or fully closed but for me this if fine as its all on or all off for me The final thing is I could move the control unit from the spare wheel well to a spot behind the rear seat as sometimes the remote has to be pressed a couple of times to work but I am ok with that as its a clean looking install the way it is.

There is no performance loss with the valves closed at WOT so I guess exhaust pressure is fine? In fact the car feels real quick with the valves closed. I also have the Viezu tune and pulley.

Crap vid but shows the difference open/closed.

 

No crackle and pops here with the 4.2SC and the Mina Exhaust.

 

Which did you buy for the install and which tips did you use? Any pix of the under neath so we can see your install please?

 

Pretty sure I got the VMK10-250 and then brought my own tips from a speed shop. They fit nicely with wiring into spare wheel well and wired into ignition from the fusebox in the trunk. Done with original system left intact for when I sell the car.

 

I've tried various exhaust options on my previous '09 XFS and my current '11 XFR (as well as other cars, obviously). My XFR currently has an X-pipe where the center resonator was, and RRP wireless remote controlled cutouts before the OEM rear mufflers, and I definitely get the decel popping when the valves are fully open, but it's usually a lot worse when the engine/exhaust aren't fully warmed up (it's almost nonexistent when it's been driven hard for awhile).

I originally had a resonated X-pipe (muffler built around the X-pipe) in place of the center resonator, but ditched it for the bare X-pipe because the resonated X-pipe was too quiet, but still had the decel popping. But, I've found that it's fairly easy to shift around the decel popping, when desired (office parking decks, etc.). Or, if I really want to make sure I don't get any decel popping, I can can get it back to almost stock quiet (way too quiet) by completely closing the valves at the push of a button. I personally like the option to go from stock quiet to wide open, or anywhere in between, without having to permanently commit to one or the other, and would definitely recommend some type of cutout to anyone considering exhaust options.

 

Since we are on the topic of cutouts. Correct me if I'm wrong, but were the cutouts are located on either vehicle there is no performance benifits being they are at the rear of the exhaust. Outside of getting a great sound and being able to tame it on command. I like the idea of cutouts but I'd also like the HP. So I plan to put cutouts as close to the CATS as possible so the gas doesn't have to travel through all that pipe and exits directly after CATS. I think there would be some real HP to gain by doing this. Please anyone chime in, I'm used to working with American Muscle and that's the common place to put cutouts, it's like running open headers.

 

Sorry in advance for the long response… I'm not one of the HP scientists on this forum, and this is merely my opinion (clearly), but it's my understanding that any catback system really only offers nominal HP gains, especially when not used in conjunction with some other upgrades (I have the K&N drop-in panel filters, a Mina pulley, and ECUTG tune, in addition to my unique exhaust setup).

On my previous ‘09 XFS, I simply replaced the OEM center resonator with a resonated X-pipe, then straight piped the rear mufflers to new dual tips. I absolutely loved the sound, and the reduced weight and any additional HP created were just a bonus. But, even though it was perfect to me, my wife used to give me grief occasionally (like when I fired it up in the garage at 5 AM), and it could also get a little embarrassing when clients got into the car or when I was trying to drive discreetly through a parking deck.

So, after hearing the “captain’s exhaust” cabin bypass on a friend’s boat, I decided to experiment with cutouts on my current ’11 XFR, and I’ve loved the results and ROI. To answer your question, though, the cutouts on my rig are placed before the dual OEM rear mufflers at the back, but after where the OEM rear center resonator would be (I replaced it with a bare X-pipe). I actually experimented with opening up the exhaust closer to the front, but it sounded like absolute hell; incredibly harsh crackling and popping. Even with the cutouts placed behind the OEM center resonator, the exhaust sounded way too harsh. On decel, it sounded like gunshots or extremely loud, repeated backfire… people would run for cover. It just sounded really horrible to me, kind of like a rally car or something. It needed the X-pipe placed before the cutouts to reduce the harshness, which it absolutely did.

But, even by placing the cutouts behind the X-pipe, instead of closer to the front, I don't feel like I'm losing much, if anything, because there's hardly anything to slow the gasses down before they exit the pipes, when the cutout valves are fully opened (the extra piping length might also help reduce the harshness). For what it's worth, and I have absolutely no clue if it's true, I've heard from several sources that exhausts on supercharged engines aren't usually as loud as normally aspirated engines, because the supercharger forces the exhaust out faster. Again, I’m not a HP guru and I have no idea if that’s based on any facts, but what I can say is that even with my cutout valves wide open in the current setup, my exhaust system still isn't “that” loud. I actually decided to remove the resonated X-pipe I'd originally installed in place of the OEM center resonator for a bare X-pipe, because the resonated X-pipe made the exhaust too quiet for me, even with the cutout valves fully open. With all of that being said, it’s probably a moot point anyway, because even if placing the cutouts further toward the front sounded better or yielded more HP, I feel like you'd have a really hard time finding a place to fit them (or at least I would).

It seems like my current cutout setup would probably produce as much of a HP gain as any available prebuilt catback system, if not more, because my X-pipe isn’t baffled at all and was a direct swap for the OEM center resonator, without any restrictive welds or tube bending involved. And, as I understand it, most catback exhaust system HP losses (albeit, usually very minor) come from restrictive welds or tube bending, where the gasses must slow their exit velocity, and, at the rear muffler (dual rear mufflers in our case), where the gasses get bound up a lot, which I'm completely bypassing with my setup. But, the flipside of my setup is that what I might gain in minor additional HP, I'm probably sacrificing in added weight, as most of the aftermarket catback systems offer a weight reduction over the OEM system. Plus, my cutout hardware added a few additional pounds. Although, the offset of replacing my OEM center resonator with a very light bare X-pipe probably somewhat reduced that difference (no idea, though, because I don't know what everything weighs). And, as it relates, I even researched swapping my OEM cats for some sport cats to complement my existing setup, but found that any kind of gain was negligible and absolutely not worth it to me.

Some people decide against using cutouts because they’re concerned (probably justifiably) about salt corrosion of the cutout motors, etc. But, I live in the South (Atlanta), so don't have to worry about that at all. And, one of the reasons I went with the RRP cutouts was because of their limited lifetime warranty, which covers anything except physical damage (which I presume salt damage would be). To that point, my original RRP cutouts would rattle a little at idle, every once in a while, if I didn't tighten up the allen screw on each one, usually about once per month. And, when I called RRP and explained the occasional rattle, they told me that they had actually developed a new single-coupler motor design (an upgrade to the double-coupler design I had), which would resolve that issue. So, I sent them my cutout motors to make sure that's what the problem was, and they immediately agreed that the couplers were indeed the culprit, then sent me the brand new single-coupler designed motors at no charge, which was awesome. And, I've had the new ones on for at least 6 months with no rattles or any other issues.

One other thing to consider is that most of the pre-built aftermarket catback systems do offer more of a tuned and/or refined exhaust sound. But, like most things in life, I think the exhaust system decision revolves around personal preference and a few potential tradeoffs, and the decision doesn’t have to make sense or be justified to others (except maybe the occasional police officer, your wife, and potentially your neighbors). I’m not sure if you’re anything like me, but I’m consistently inconsistent when it comes to making most decisions, anyway, especially if there’re emotions involved (and there usually are when it comes to cars). For example, the better sound from the sub box I just built and installed was worth the additional weight added. But, the weight of the spare tire isn’t really worth it to me, unless I’m going on a trip, so I took it out. And, since I weigh close to 225 lbs., a few extra pounds of weight savings on a specific exhaust system doesn’t really sway my decision process too much, especially since the XF(R) was built to be a luxury touring car and not a track car. The addition of 1-2 HP doesn’t usually do too much to sway my decision process, either, especially if the law of diminishing returns is affecting my wallet. But, hell, I’ve seen a guy that weighs a very plump 275 lbs. spend $11,000 on some sort of titanium/carbon fiber exhaust system for his track Corvette because it saved him 30 lbs. or so and made a few extra HP over the OEM setup. I’ve even got a good friend who bought a $25K carbon fiber bicycle, even though he’s a former steroid pumping weightlifter with a huge gut. But, who am I to judge?

Again, to me, the whole thing ultimately comes down to personal preference. And, as I previously mentioned, I’m not nearly as knowledgeable about cars and exhaust systems as a lot of the guys on this forum, but I’d advise anyone looking at potential options to do as much research as is feasible, keeping in mind that most of the information out there is very subjective, as opinions about sound, looks, and price tend to be, and then base their decisions on their understanding of what delivers the most of what appeals to them and the least of what doesn’t. But, for me, being able to go from a wide open catback exhaust sound to almost stock quiet, and anywhere in-between in a few seconds at the push of a wireless button, is the way to go, especially when it’s frequently needed for clients and in-laws, or when I’m trying to avoid waking our sleeping 5-month old son.

Hope that helps…

 

Thanks for all the time and home work you saved me. It's great to have such a great community and knowledge on this forum. I do have a one more question. I already have the Mina exhaust, you said your x-pipe was a direct fit with no welding involved. I have been looking for that kind of installation, if you wouldn't mind sharing. Thanks in advance.

 

I'm sorry to say that I'm not even sure who the bare X-pipe manufacturer is. And, I may have have misspoken when I said, "direct fit," as that term might mean different things to different people. If so, I apologize. But, what I was trying to convey was the ease and cleanliness of the install, etc. If I remember correctly, once the resonated X-pipe was taken off (which first replaced the OEM center resonator), the bare X-pipe then merely slipped into that space because it was much smaller, and it also overlapped the existing piping (which I believe is 2.5" on the XFR) with no rough welds or bending needed. However, once it was slipped on, it was welded into place. So, I'm not sure if that technically falls into the category of "direct fit" or not, but it only cost me about $50 for the labor, so it was close enough for me. Ha-ha.

I'll attach some pix from before & after, including the current bare X-pipe, after I swapped it in for the resonated X-pipe (with which I'd originally replaced the OEM center resonator). Like I said in my previous post, I installed the cutouts before replacing the OEM center resonator with any type of X-pipe (which you can see from the pix), but I quickly learned that some type of X-pipe was absolutely crucial to taming the sound with the cutout valves completely open. Now, with the bare X-pipe replacing the center resonator, it's perfect for my tastes.

 

Clean install! I really would like to put the cutoff where you have it, but I would hate to cut into the Mina Exhaust. I guess my only option is somewhere after the center resonator.

 

Yeah, you're kind of limited on options regarding where to install the cutouts on the XF, mostly because of all of the OEM shielding running most of the length of the exhaust, especially if you don't want to cut into your Mina system (understandably).

Best of luck with whatever you decide.

 

Is there any benefit to fitting the XFR exhaust/mufflers to a XF SC? I see them come up for sale or free on the forum from time to time.

 

Dual tips, and you can take the valves out for a more aggressive sound. That's about it.

 

I have my jag v8 5l NA and i did a muffler delete sounds super good and for half the price of any of these exhausts. It is loud pops on revs and turns heads. Gets me thumbs up on a lot of red lights

 

Hi guys, looking to get an exhaust set up soon for my 2011 XF. Can you guys please post videos of your exhaust systems. Love the Varex option - might get that. @Aj Mann can you please post a video of the muffler delete?

 

I just put this up on Youtube for you, this is the Mina exhaust start up and revving. Don't freak out, the car was already warmed up...I had just gotten back from running an errand :P