It’s not often we draw comparisons to Dr. Frankenstein here at Scuderia Car Parts, but when we fired up the SVJ after it had had its Capristo system installed we did all look at each other and think “we all asked if it could be done…but none of us asked if we should”. We all stood in stunned silence after we’d finished revving the car – we had created a monster.
Once the shock had subsided we were all cackling like a pack of hyenas – to say that this exhaust leaves an impression is the very definition of an understatement.
…and then the police showed up.
So this install followed much the same formula as that of the SV, the system was composed of the following parts:
- A set of twin connection, secondary cat-replacement pipes with flex-section (prevents the cat-pipes cracking when engine moves under load and exhaust is rigidly mounted)
- A CLS Module which allows removal of the original cats
- A high flow twin-channel rear silencer with integrated valve operation
- a remote control kit with vacuum system (to allow sound volume control)
The first point of order is to compare the OEM cats to the Capristo cat replacement pipes, the difference is twofold – not only (obviously) are we now lacking the cats themselves but if you have a look at the path the exhaust gases now take out of the car there are no kinks or bends, it is a pure straight shot into the rear mufflers.
Moving downstream of the cats we arrive at the rear muffler…and it’s quite frankly hilarious how much smaller the Capristo unit is than the OEM unit. Just have a look below:
The obvious take away from comparing the standard system to the stock system is that the whole design brief behind the original exhaust was to tame the sound coming out of the car – the engineering focus was clearly on restriction and reduction of noise…not so with Capristo. The Capristo unit has very clearly been engineered solely & specifically to get the noise straight from the engine and out of the back of the car…and the best part is that the entire exhaust system sits on one level.
Rather than having the exhaust run from the manifolds down under the belly of the car (like an F12), or having the manifolds dive under the engine before rising back up into the back box (like a Speciale) the manifolds on the SVJ rise out of the engine and run straight into the cats, which run straight into the back box which points right out of the back of the car. You can essentially see into the engine down the exhaust pipes…and the net result of this is flames, big flames and lots of them.
So by this point we have established that this system is probably one of the most raucous systems available for any car in the world today, but is it liveable?
The reality is if you’ve got an SVJ you probably didn’t buy it so you’d go unnoticed, but just in case you want to turn off the flamethrower and fly a little bit under the radar we always install Capristo’s amazing CES-3 valve control unit. This allows you to have total manual control of the valve actuation via the remote-control fob included as part of the exhaust package. The original system was also valved, and thus the original valve functionality is preserved – Corsa opens the valves the entire time, Strada quietens the car right down. What the remote kit gives you is override control of the stock valve actuation – you can now open and close the valves as you see fit, regardless of what driving mode has been selected. Cold starts on a decatted SVJ with the valves open are simply unholy, this now gives you the flexibility to reel it in a little bit so as not to deafen every living creature within 3 miles of you!
This exhaust is the Lamborghini of exhausts, loud, aggressive, brash and dramatic. The ultimate exhaust for the ultimate car.
Have a look at our walkaround video, stick around till the end to see some flames!
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