TESTED: Ford Performance Cat-Back Exhaust and GT350 Valence

Ford Performance by Borla Touring Cat Back exhaust vs stock 2016 Mustang baselineThe new exhaust put down an average of 377whp at 6,450rpm and 345lb-ft of torque at 4,000rpm on a slightly hotter 89*F day with similar humidity. This gives us a peak to peak gain of 7.09whp and 3.02lb-ft of torque and a maximum gain of 13.62whp and 13.26lb-ft of torque at 5,400rpm. The freer flowing mufflers and replacing the resonator with an X-pipe improved the efficiency of our engine across the board with an average increase of 5-7lb-ft of torque from 2,700-6,700rpm.

We were very pleased with the power gains from our new exhaust which spanned the entire rpm band. The power curve is more linear between 4,000-6,000rpm, and there’s a nice gain all the way to redline. We pulled the car off the dyno and compared the sound of the Ford Performance exhaust to a stock S550 Mustang:

>Upon cold start, the engine roars to life with a much louder and aggressive burble during the high idle warm-up phase before dropping down to the normal 650rpm idle where the exhaust quiets down to not much louder than stock. A warm start-up has a very mild but noticeable initial growl.

On the road, the exhaust is quiet, docile, and drone free when maintaining speed on the highway. Surprisingly, the throttle response is slightly improved during light acceleration at very low RPMs. The engine actually feels like it’s breathing better and is less bottled up, even at very low speeds in a parking lot or when smoothly accelerating from a stop.

Under light load, there is more growl that is sporty but not obnoxious or overwhelming. When you open up the throttle and rev the engine out, there is a lot more noise, drama, power, and sense of occasion where the Ford Performance exhaust comes to life and screams with the trumpeting rasp that we were looking for. The sound is almost as aggressive during high rpm deceleration off throttle as it does under acceleration. When the exhaust is hot, there is an occasional mild burble and overrun popping that I find enjoyable.

Shelby GT350R wing and lower valence with Ford Performance by Borla Touring Exhaust on 2016 Mustang GT CSWe love the aggressive stance that the GT350 lower valence gives the S550 Mustang, and we were very pleased with the pitch and volume of the Ford performance Touring Exhaust.

Overall, we were very happy with the Ford Performance by Borla M-5200-M8TBV Touring Exhaust System. It gave us a nice bump in power, a 30lb weight reduction, a greatly improved look from the GT350 quad tip exhaust and lower valence. Most importantly, it was a perfect fit for our goal of being quiet when we want it for normal driving yet being louder with a ton of character and increasing the trumpeting rasp pitch of the exhaust when driven hard. We feel this is an excellent balance for a sporty daily driver.

SOURCES:

BillyJohnsonRacing.com

Ford Performance

Palm Beach Dyno

RareFab

NanoPro MT

For more S550 Mustang-related product reviews, check out:
TESTED: BG Syncro Shift II Gear Oil
TESTED: Steeda Anti Wheel-Hop Package for S550 Mustang
TESTED: Continental ExtremeContact SPORT Tire (on S550 Mustang)

3 comments

  1. Great sounding cat back. But how much louder is the sport from Ford Performance? Also is the tone deeper on the Ford Performance than on the Borla?

      1. I have a 2017 GT PP and I have the Ford Performance power pack level 2 installed by My local dealer. Would I benefit more from the touring or sport cat back?

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