812 GTS - Novitec 'upgrade' package - thoughts?

The piece I like, along with for the Pista, is the one that goes on the front bonnet by the windshield. It looks good in CF and covers that flat black dip on the hood.

 

Im doing full exhaust with sport cats and x pipe for mine.

 

I've just installed the exhaust and the Xpipe on my GTS. I have to say the difference is BARELY noticeable.

Is this possible???
Spent >$15k on two parts and get so little back?
Are 100 CEL sport cats + textronic a must-have to make it sound considerably better*?

*By considerably better I don't mean obnoxious. I don't like de-cat sound. I just want to increase it considerably. I like how these sound, for instance, and I don't think they're de-cat:





Thougths?

 

This was my experience installing an X pipe, mind you on an 812SF. I hesitate to do it on my GTS because what I gave up in low end grunt sound, I don't feel I made up for in high end scream. Even though the sound was higher pitched much faster, it made the car MORE quiet overall. With the X pipe, you need more air passing, so the sport cats are necessary. Maybe 200/250 from Capristo will suffice, but that'd be minimal. Is it possible for you to record a video with from the cabin with the top down? I'd really like to hear it that way first....especially in a GTS.

 

Here you go.

Inside it's barely a 10% increase? And I have the rear window down:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/yE2YbAkizTkYMMWcA

Outside a bit more... but still not that different:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/GJ6q5sp9TiyURHZ27

I could do one in motion but I'm telling it's hardly noticeable at all. Certainly not for the $$$$$$$

 

So you have any tunnels near by? Curious to how high the pitch gets in the upper rev range. Your clip from outside sounded good, and like you, I’m not looking for too loud, but removing the GPF is the best thing to do if we want to improve the sound. More so than the back boxes I’ve learned.

 

yeah I've gone through several tunnels and, compared to the 458 or the 355, this GTS sounds 'just OK'. I mean I hate myself for complaining about these 1st-world problem... but the fact is that this is my V12 and I'm expecting the best, right?

True that this thing sound best at 7-9k RPM, and of course the problem with that is that you're pretty much flying and braking the law at that point, especially on 3rd+ gear. I'd like to enjoy the 3-7k RPMs as well

 

I get it. I don’t enjoy the sound with the top up, or even the window down, but top down it’s great to me. It’ll be better when I get the cats and x pipe. Above 7k my 812SF with capristo pipe was amazing, but yes, it’s hard to spend a lot of time in that range.

 

My fav by far is top up and rear window down. That's about as great as it can be, and with the sport cats I'm hoping it'll be the best in the world - As Sam says in the video above...

 

Hard to understand. You replaced w sport cats and x pipe and back mufflers and don’t think it sounds different? Is that exactly what you changed? Doesn’t make sense as I first did that also and was major difference and later did full decat which was more.

 

Do you void the factory warranty changing the exhaust?

 

if you read my OP, I mentioned that I replaced the muffler and the the X pipe, but did NOT get the sport cats. I didn’t think it was necessary at first.

Then I drove it a few times and about 200 miles and I’m convinced it’s indeed necessary to make a real difference.
This video explains it well:

 

Slippery slope and lots of opinions about it. Please search for that content on the chat. Short answer is Ferrari will try to void it, but it’ll be hard to demonstrate it. But I’m sure others in the chat can provide a better answer.

 

tunnel with rear window down:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/zoLu7eCBefVo9wm18

Imho it’s nice, but not even close to my Capristo 355 nor the OEM 458.

 

Sorry missed that point as the sport cats were referenced and didn’t realize if you were asking or owning them already. Yes then it is indeed correct that you won’t notice that much of a difference then. I would agree with your assessment then in total.

 

seems to be the consensus all around. Will follow up with you all in 2 weeks

 

Thanks for doing that. I think the pitch is better than the 458, but it doesn’t seem to have the scream in the tunnel that I had with the superfast and Capristo x pipe. Do you feel like you lost low end drama in the sound? And do you feel like the pitch is higher starting at 3krpm instead of 6 or 7?

 

yeah the V12 pitch is definitely the best, but I think at the end of the day it’s an issue of the volume of that gorgeous pitch, which is the center of the ‘drama’, right?

Moreover, I’d like a Ferrari V12 to sound like a v12 ALL THE TIME, if I so desire, with the push of the remote unit button. Sure it’s nice when it’s quiet and I definitely don’t want to disturb my neighbors. But that’s what the remote control offers. When the valves are open though… it should be drama at all RPMs, all the time, not just 7k+.

Btw that’s what I get in my 355 with the Capristo unit. It’s a Ferrari (from a sound perspective), 100% of the time. Even at idle, it’s just delicious. And since I don’t have the remote valve controller, when I don’t want to be loud I simply take it easy on the throttle and shift at lower RPMs. But again… it’s always sounding amazing.

I also got the same result with the Forza Conponenti valve opener in the 458S. With the valves open, the car always sound great, at any rev, and even idle. No need to wait until they (kind of abruptly) open at 3500rpm. And the 458S volume (not the pitch) to me seems much higher than my GPF’d GTS.

Net net, the GTS can be one of the best sounding cars in the world (as the videos above show). So I said to myself ‘screw it!’, let’s invest in making it so! It’s a YOLO situation man! So I’m on a mission to make this dream come true.

 

This is EXACTLY the reason to do it. My speciale sounds good, especially compared to the Pista I traded for it, but it still needs an X pipe non-valved exhaust to get it closer to what I want. My older 458 had a great sound. Having the open top and v12 SHOULD be the best thing since sliced bread. Are you going to go straight for Novitec 100 cell? Karl on here somewhere used 200cell and it was great too. MrJWW has a vid with that car.

 

So glad and encouraging to read your response!

yeah just ordered the 100cel sport cat. 200 I’m sure is great as well, but my guy had one in stock and so I pulled the trigger yesterday.

btw, did you see this for the Speciale?

 

I did see it, yes. I hear there are Novitec inconel manifolds around too. Tempting, but will try the back unit first.

In regards to the 812, when I do it, I’ll do the 100 Novitec as well. I mean, may as well strive for the best sound possible. I think with the valve closed, the Novitec back box is even softer than stock. Do you notice that? Or am I off on that?

 

tbh I have not driven it with valves closed at all since I got it back from the shop. just too disappointed.

but that maybe related to the fact that it does come with a bit of a brake in period. Should get back to normal in a while, I suppose?

 

Yeah, mine are open automatically. If I had 100cel cats I’d probably use it occasionally