Many regard the Lexus LFA as the pinnacle of automotive sound. Its 4.8-liter naturally aspirated V-10 engine is coupled with an exhaust system crafted by Yamaha, meticulously tuned to replicate the auditory experience of V-10-powered Formula 1 cars. Altering this setup in any manner would only diminish its quality, as demonstrated in this video comparison.
Supercar Ron on YouTube opted to modify his red LFA with a set of BBS wheels and an aftermarket exhaust, the name of which remains undisclosed. While the wheels are aesthetically pleasing, it's evident that removing Yamaha's finely tuned exhaust was an error. A dyno video posted on TikTok, featuring side-by-side clips of the stock and modified exhausts, is all one needs to understand the difference. While the aftermarket exhaust is undeniably louder, it lacks the refinement and sophistication of Yamaha's original setup. If given a choice, we would always prefer the stock pipes.
"It's the worst mistake I've ever made with a car," Ron confessed in a YouTube video. When he first shared the modified exhaust sound on Instagram, he was met with a barrage of negative comments. "Absolutely ruined the sound," one commenter wrote. "Stock exhaust sounds much better," another added. "The one car that doesn't need to be straight-piped," read yet another comment.
In the video's description, Ron acknowledged, "Turns out when Toyota spends millions of dollars tuning an exhaust to perfection with Yamaha engineers, it's not wise to discard the work that made it possible." He has since reconciled with the car community and restored the LFA to its original exhaust setup. Thank goodness.
