Well-known aftermarket exhaust purveyor Borla is applying an ancient technology to its new product and I am tentatively intrigued. Its new “Polyphonic” exhausts use a series of different-sized pipes to make multiple notes simultaneously just like a pipe organ.
Of course, the shape and length of pipes has forever and always been one of the main factors in tuning an exhaust note for sound. But I want to believe that this is somehow taking that to another level.
According to the press release Borla’s PR agency sent me, company Sales And Marketing VP David Borla “applied his knowledge of music theory to combine specific notes, which are proven to work together in natural harmony.”
Sounds cool to me, actually. Why the sales and marketing guy is working on practical product development makes a little less sense, but when your name’s on the building I guess you can pretty much do whatever.
It seems natural to apply music theory to tuning exhaust notes, but this is the first time I’ve heard of a company actually doing it. If it ends up sounding good, the first logical rebuttal will be “yeah, but does it make more horsepower?” If it does sound good, I mean, really good, I might be willing to sacrifice a few HP. But I guess we’ll have to wait a few more days to hear.
Despite my pleas, Borla is reserving the actual auditory demonstration for the SEMA show next week.
There was a time when I would have told you the only aftermarket exhaust worth having is the largest diameter your car can physically fit, but have since grown to appreciate a subtler style. That said, I still love when a car sounds right. And while some machines have a perfect purr from the factory, there are some vehicles that can really come to life with the right set of pipes on it.