Tuning cars is an addiction – there’s nothing more to it.
It might start with a set of spacers, perhaps a spoiler or a splitter – but once the bug bites you will never leave a car stock again.
This particular 812 is no different – and you’ll see exactly why…
Initially the brief on this car was very simple, we were to install the Stage 2 Novitec exhaust system which consists of the following parts:
- Novitec back boxes with valves
- Allows for switching between loud and quiet channels
- X pipe in place of the middle muffler
- Blends the two exhaust banks together and results in a higher pitched exhaust note
- Remote control system to operate exhaust valves
This is a system we have installed countless times and results in one of the best sounding exhaust notes on the road today. The Novitec system opens up the lungs of that monstrous V12 and helps it sing.
When the customer came to collect his car we had another 812 in for an exhaust installation, specifically a Stage 3 N LARGO exhaust with cat replacement pipes which is one of the most brutal sounding cars we have ever come across. Needless to say, when he heard the decat 812 and then hopped into his own Stage 2 car he clearly needed more…
The very next day we received a call asking about what other options were available to take the car to the next level, clearly, the first solution was to install the decat pipes. However, this configuration can, in some instances, result in a fuel smell in the car and is unbelievably loud.
Now for some customers who track their cars, the fuel smell and volume aren’t a huge issue, but for those who want to use their car on a more regular basis, the Stage 3 exhaust might be slightly overpowering.
This left one solution, Sports Cats. The catalytic converters in the 812 are 800-cell, meaning that within the mesh inside the cats there are 800 cells per-square-inch. Luckily, we had a set of Novitec’s incredible 100-cell sports cats on the shelf, ready to go into our customer’s car!
This means that the particles that the cats are designed to capture are still captured, unburned fuel is also collected before it exits the car AND the volume is reduced slightly when compared to a cat replacement pipe. Not only is the volume tamed slightly, but the emissions of the car are also controlled.
The 100-cell sports cats are much less restrictive than the factory ones, so after installation, the ECU is not calibrated to operate with the cats and the car will display a Check Engine Light. We have a fantastic solution that we have employed often in the scenario, Capristo produces a small unit called the OBD Wizard which plugs directly into the OBD port and tells the ECU that the cats are working as expected. Thus, clearing the warning light
The final configuration for the Stage 2.5 exhaust is as follows:
- Novitec back boxes
- X pipe
- 100-cell sport cats
- Remote control system to operate valves
- OBD Wizard
Honestly, this may well be the best sounding 812 we’ve done to date, it may be the most expensive exhaust configuration but the result is absolutely stunning!
Looking to learn more about the 812 and Novitec’s options? Check out our latest guide detailing the whole catalogue on offer…