Cobb Tuning Mazdaspeed 3 Catback Exhaust

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1 - Cobb Tuning Mazdaspeed 3 Catback Exhaust

Introduction:

Cobb has been very quiet since the release of their FMIC in the beginning of the summer. For fall, Cobb has released their Catback Exhaust. Suggested at a retail price of $725, how could Cobb compete in an already saturated catback market? It's quite simple actually, their catback system is the quietest system out there, without compromising horsepower and that in itself, makes this a contender.

The cat back is made from 3 inch mandrel bent T304 stainless steel with a custom resonator and high-flow muffler, weighing in at 35 pounds. The system uses a custom made muffler and resonator to achieve a performance sound, but remain within 11 dB below the SAE J1169 sound limit. Even with a aftermarket downpipe, the system still remains below the SAE limitation. For those of you running a racepipe or racepipe with a downpipe, know how loud the markets catback's are. I know prior to installing this system on my car which consisted of a racepipe and GHL catback, the car was loud, obnoxious and lost its cool factor. Ive been complaining for over a year about the noise of this car. GHL made claims about how their system is drone free, which is a false statement all in its own. If anything, i felt like the typical ricer out there, making all kinds of noise and drawing unwanted attention to the eyes local law enforcement. Not very cool in my book and could get you a nice fine for violating smog laws, among other things. Please review this link and this link about the seriousness of SAE J1169 and its 95 decibel limitations which could render the majority of catbacks, illegal if continued lobbying goes through. California and various other states now have legislation that makes exceeding this limit an offense, resulting in a "fix it" ticket and required testing certification. Ask your local Evo and STi owners about it...

One of the most unique factors about the Mazdaspeed 3 is its sleeper status, which is lost with any catback out there, especially with the addition of a race pipe or racepipe/downpipe combo. Sure, you could keep your stock 2.5 catback system, choked up with smaller diameter pipe, 3 resonators and a restrictive muffler. On top of that, people have sealing problems with most racepipes/downpipes of 3 inch diameter due to the 2.5 pipe transition. This catback is the answer for people who want a civil car again, without lacking performance. For those of you who like your noise and aren't concerned about it, this CBE system is not for you.

Another thing unique to the Cobb CBE, unlike all of the other systems out there is the fact it doesn't use slip joint connections. The Cobb CBE comes in a rather large box consisting of 2 pieces with a simple flange holding the entire setup together. The flange is then tightened using the supplied 2 bolts/nuts and a custom flange gasket. Although stainless steel has great sealing abilities when used with quality wide exhaust straps for slip joint systems, it can be an absolute pain when uninstalling, or you end up with the dreaded black carbon drip at the seams which is quite messy and ugly in appearance. The Cobb CBE is beautifully tig welded and highly polished.

Next, we begin the basic installation of the Cobb CBE with an addition of a new racepipe...

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