(e mail: kquistorff@mindspring.com)

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: The A’PEXi GT exhaust, recently made available in the US, is the only full stainless steel primary-cat-back system w/muffler available to date for the MR2 Turbo. According to A’PEXi, the GT was developed by their race team in Japan for use on their MR2T race car. It has a single, driver’s side outlet with 115 mm (4-1/2 in.) tip. The pipe is 65 mm (2-1/2 in.) diameter from the primary cat flange to the braided flex pipe, then increases to 75 mm (3 in.) to the muffler inlet, and finally to 95 mm (3-3/4 inches) between the muffler and tip. The stock secondary cat. converter is eliminated with this exhaust. The complete exhaust weighs in at 24 lbs., a bit lighter than stock. It consists of two halves which join at a 2-bolt flange above the engine support / cross-member and it fits to the stock mounting hardware with absolutely no interferences.

THE GOOD:

1. Every inch of the system looks great, including polished muffler & tip with perfect weld beads throughout, and it will stay that way, thanks to the generous use of stainless steel throughout. And it’s extremely rugged – flanges are approx. ¼" thick. My first impression, along with everyone else who happened to be at my local speed shop when I picked it up, was . . . . WOW!!! (Will that really fit under my car?) This system looks like it means business.
2. The exhaust is lighter than stock, unlike several of A’PEXi’s competitors’ offerings. The reason it’s lighter is it’s a whole lot shorter than any dual tip system. The muffler is small enough to fit in a relatively straight line between the primary cat and tip, so the pipe takes a relatively straight, short route to the back of the car.
3. A’PEXi includes a removable "Super Silencer" that slides into the tip and is held in place by a single bolt. With it in, it’s noise-legal (<95 dB) – A’PEXi says it’s about 91 dB, which sounds about right. With it out, you get another 7 dB, and it’s very noticeable, as is the increase in top end power.
4. My car pulls stronger everywhere, even with the silencer installed, but especially at high rpms with the silencer removed. No pops, backfires, surges, etc.
5. A’PEXi’s customer support is phenomenal. I got one of the first 10 units imported from Japan and was very reluctant to buy without seeing it or at least reading an impartial review first. A’PEXi responded to my multiple phone and e-mail inquiries with answers to all my specific questions, and then some. These guys know their stuff and are happy to share their knowledge. This was a refreshing surprise to me after dealing with complete obnoxiousness and lack of product support from one of their competitors in regards to a popular intercooler kit for the MR2T.
6. The price was very competitive at just under $700 – I think it lists around $800. Compared to what A’PEXi’s competitors are offering in their high end exhaust systems (none of which are all-stainless), it’s a bargain.
7. The fit was perfect. Installation was a breeze, and there were absolutely no clearance problems. Even the massive tip fit perfectly centered in the stock body opening with adequate clearance all around. Also, there are no parts that hang down low. I’ve had the system installed for four months and haven’t scraped anything yet.
8. All necessary parts were included. Even the gasket for the primary cat flange was there, which saved me the usual "oh sh*#!" trip to the dealership. All the mounting bolts were provided in stainless steel.

THE BAD:

1. The instructions are in Japanese. But the install is so simple and obvious that your significant other could figure it out in less than 2 minutes.
2. The stock pipe front section is impossible to remove unless you have a lift. You must get the car at least 3 ft. off the ground to even consider wrestling the thing out. Even then, it requires some massaging to clear everything. Just check out the instructions in the Toyota shop manual, and you will see what I mean. I lost several hours trying to figure out how to get the car high enough, then finally resorted to the hacksaw method. What was Toyota thinking? The flange should have been placed at the engine support / cross member, like A’PEXi did it.
3. The silencer became very difficult to replace and remove after I ran the car for awhile without it. It turns out the tip on my unit went out-of-round, apparently due to heat cycling of the weld along the bottom of the tip. I contacted Eric at A’PEXi to discuss this problem and his response was this was the first reported case, and this tip is used on many other A’PEXi exhausts. He committed to replacing the entire exhaust under warranty, assuming this did not result from improper use. Since I cannot easily put the stock exhaust back on, I decided to first purchase another new GT, then return the original one for refund.
4. I wasn’t sure whether to list this as a GOOD or BAD, but, for me, it’s a BAD – Like all performance exhausts, it’s louder than stock. Not excessive, especially with the silencer installed, but I like a quiet interior so I can really hear my stereo. For you guys that like an aggressive sound, you’ll be very happy with this exhaust.

THE UGLY:

1. The pile of stock piping, heat shields, and muffler sitting in the corner of my garage. I should pitch it but have decided to hold onto all stock parts in case of the unthinkable - future sale of the car.