Tomei Introduces (2) Versions Of Their Popular Expreme Ti For The VB WRX
5 FEB 2024 - Jeff Willis
The AWD supersedan marked it’s 20-year anniversary in 2022 with the release of the new chassis design known as the “VB” version of Subaru’s latest WRX. RallySport Direct, as well as others in the aftermarket raced to acquire one from local dealerships for R&D purposes. The new FA24F features a 2.4-liter flat-4 engine that produces 271 HP and 258 LB-FT of torque which is very impressive in stock form. Several well-established brands in the industry went into overdrive designing and producing the basic performance upgrades that included cold air intakes, downpipes, and especially cat-back exhaust systems.
11 years ago, RallySport Direct installed a Tomei Expreme Ti Cat-Back Exhaust System on one of the shop’s GD STI models. Titanium wasn’t new to the performance aftermarket, but it was certainly new to the world of Subarus. Tomei really stepped up to the plate investing their time, careful craftsmanship, along with quality titanium materials to provide Subaru WRX and STI models with a full titanium complete bolt-on solution to save weight while adding more horsepower.
The Expreme Ti cat-back system quickly gained popularity as it certainly piqued the interest of enthusiasts because they had examples available for a variety of models in the niche market. The successful sales and performance results justified Tomei to further continue the production of the Expreme. Other established performance companies were also producing their versions in titanium exhaust systems, but production numbers were very limited. With Tomei’s Expreme Ti, you were not just getting a performance upgrade for your Subaru, it honestly looks good enough to be a titanium sculpture that would look great displayed on your living room wall. But we like going fast, and Tomei offers owners of the VB WRX with a few options.
YOU HAVE (2) CHOICES – SINGLE EXIT OR DUAL EXIT
For the VB WRX, you have an option to choose from a single-exit layout to a dual-exit layout. Depending on how you look at it, you really can’t go wrong on either choice. With the single exit setup known as the Type R, you save a little more weight when compared to the dual-exit design known as the Type D. However, with the Type D there is more titanium to view if you are at a car show or your local car meet.
TITANIUMN
The obvious feature of the Tomei Expreme Ti is the full titanium construction. But there’s a lot more to the fabrication process as titanium cannot be bent conventionally like aluminum can. Because of these reasons, the Expreme Ti utilizes the traditional JDM method of pie cuts. Now aluminum is more forgiving in terms of stretching during the bending process, titanium would otherwise split. However, pie cuts were often practiced in aluminum to maintain the pipes structural strength. With titanium, the back-purged welds need to be precision to ensure for a proper fitment. And because welding pie-cuts is a time consuming and labor-intensive process, titanium exhaust systems will be as straight as possible to allow those exhaust gases to freely exit without turbulence and restriction.
WEIGHT SAVINGS
Titanium cat-back exhaust systems really benefit those with dedicated race cars that are on a diet. However, for the grassroots enthusiasts, many will enjoy track days but need their AC to get through summer days and enjoys the comfort of OEM seats. If you don’t want to hack up their interior to save weight, titanium is the best route to lose a few pounds without having to take drastic measures to the interior or exterior. Aside from a lightweight battery with is also a great method, the OEM mufflers are very heavy, and the Tomei Expreme Ti sheds a good amount of weight with the performance benefits. Let’s check out the differences:
- STOCK VB EXHAUST WEIGHT: 48.1 lbs
- TOMEI EXPREME TI TYPE R (SINGLE EXIT) WEIGHT: 17.9 lbs (-30.2 lbs)
- TOMEI EXPREME TI TYPE D (DUAL EXIT) WEIGHT: 26.5 lbs (-21.6 lbs)
AESTHETICS
It’s those subtle touches that make a large difference in the overall execution of the exterior. Titanium has a distinctive look to the trained eye when compared to traditional 304 stainless steel cat-back examples. From behind you will notice real titanium muffler sections with those burnt titanium tips as titanium naturally reacts into a blue finish from heat. This provides the exterior with race-inspired looks that serve a purpose that is more than just looks, and that is the performance. Aside from performance gains, the Expreme Ti really complements the exterior for those of you who like to enjoy local car meets and shows.
PERFORMANCE
What makes cat-back exhaust systems one of the main ingredients in modifications, is that it can work from mild to heavy increases in boost and horsepower. An important note for those new to the path of modification is that when you do perform exhaust upgrades, always start from the back then work your way to the downpipe. Never upgrade your downpipe first because an aftermarket downpipe will have a larger piping diameter, but the smaller piping with the OEM exhaust will bottleneck the flow. When at stock power levels, it is best to start with a cat-back exhaust system to allow the turbocharger to freely push those exhaust gases out to an unrestricted flow path of straight and enlarged titanium piping. The Expreme Ti features 3.2-inch main piping on both Type D and Type R models, which can support all levels of power that the FA24F can produce whether it be mild, or heavily boosted and built.
SOUND
Titanium does generate a very distinctive exhaust note. It can be a love or hate relationship as other titanium cat-back systems create a ‘tinny’ exhaust sound. The Tomei Expreme Ti systems are all business in terms of power so yes, they will be a little on the loud and aggressive side when compared to other systems, however, they will include a silencer to reduce the exhaust note for those of you who need to leave early in the morning for work. Here are the tested decibel levels performed by Tomei, but note that Tomei will have (2) versions of their silencers, and there are the differences:
- Type R w/version 2 silencer: 89db
- Type D w/version 2 silencer: 85db
- Type R w/regular silencer: 95db
- Type D w/regular silencer: 90db
- Type R without silencer: 99db
- Type D without silencer: 95db
THE VERDICT
If you identify as a demanding enthusiast who only wants the best cat-back system for your new WRX, the Tomei Expreme Ti will confidentially stand among the other options. Tomei produced this exhaust system with the finest materials, craftsmanship, and fabrication methods with hanger welded onto the OEM locations to be a direct fitment. The weight savings for the Type R are 30 lbs. over stock while you save 20 lbs. if you choose to go with the Type D example. The overall finish is pure art and although you’ll never see it while driving, it gives you comfort knowing you have an exclusive example on your WRX among several other options available in the aftermarket. 10/10 stars, your WRX would highly recommend this modification.