Why Upgrade Your S3's Downpipe?
If you’re an Audi S3 8V owner, there’s a high probability that you’re on the lookout for ways to further enhance the performance of your already impressive car.
In this guide, we’re going to go over one of the best upgrades you can make to transform the performance of your S3.
Behold the downpipe!
By upgrading your downpipe, you create a more streamlined pathway for the exhaust gases to exit, reducing backpressure.
This in turn drastically boosts power, torque and helps the turbo spool up earlier so you have power on tap all across the rev range.
On top of the performance gains, your exhaust will also acquire a deeper, more aggressive, and sportier note. What’s not to love?
Before we jump into the best products, we’ll take a quick look at a couple of essential things you should know before buying a downpipe. Let’s take a quick look now then we’ll compare options.
Things You Should Know
There are two main types of downpipes available – catted and catless.
Catted downpipes come with a high-flow catalytic converter, which helps maintain better emissions compliance. This option is generally pricier and may not provide quite the same level of performance as a catless downpipe, but will be road legal and pass emission tests.
As the name suggests with catless downpipes, they do not have a catalytic converter. The lack of restriction results in better performance however these systems aren’t road legal and are sold for track use only.
We’ll cover the catted downpipe options first on the list and then go over the best decat downpipe options at the end.
After fitting an aftermarket downpipe, it’s also recommended to have your S3 8V remapped to make the most of this modification. While just bolting on the downpipe will still provide power gains, an ECU remap will ensure you get the maximum performance possible from the upgrade.
Now we’ve covered that, let’s get into the best downpipe options!
MTC Motorsport Downpipe & Sports Cat
This is a fantastic and well priced option if you are looking to upgrade your downpipe while keeping your S3 road legal.
The downpipe has been optimised for efficient flow and as such provides solid power and audible gains.
MTC Motorsport claim increases of 20hp without any tuning which is impressive gains for a bolt on modification.
The sports cat on this replaces the standard restrictive catalytic converter and sits on the mid pipe section of the exhaust.
Scorpion Downpipe & Sports Cat
Scorpion are another great reliable option when it comes to aftermarket exhausts.
This upgrade provides a more free flowing downpipe and high flow sports cat to ensure your S3 remains compliant for emissions.
This fits onto the standard cat-back exhaust or other Scorpion exhaust components.
Milltek Downpipe & Sports Cat
Milltek are leaders in the aftermarket exhaust scene and are particularly renowned in the VW/Audi community for their high quality products.
Similar to the previous product by Scorpion but coming in slightly more expensive, we have the Milltek downpipe and sports cat.
This 3 inch downpipe connects to a 200 cell sports cat to give you all the performance benefits while keeping your S3 compliant with emissions.
Gravity Decat Downpipe
If you’re looking for a most cost effective (and non road legal) way to upgrade your downpipe, then you can opt for a decat downpipe like this one from Gravity.
The 3 inch bore allows for unrestricted exhaust gas flow all the way through to the cat-back section.
Like all decat’s, it replaces the standard catalytic converter with a straight through pipe. This piping ends at 2.5 inches, allowing it to join onto the standard cat-back system if you wish.
Scorpion Decat Downpipe
The Scorpion decat downpipe is a solid option for those looking for maximum quality.
This 3 inch downpipe eliminates all restriction in the standard downpipe and catalytic converter, delivering maximum power gains.
Like the Gravity downpipe, it can also join onto the standard cat-back.
The Verdict
What option you go for will largely be dictated by your budget and whether you need your S3 to be road legal or not.
For keeping the car road legal and compliant with emissions, opt for a catted downpipe with a high flow sports cat. All the products with the sport cat’s listed on this guide are all 200 cell which means they will still pass emissions tests while providing minimal restriction.
For maximum quality, you can’t go wrong with the Milltek downpipe and sports cat, although the MTC downpipe is also a fantastic option and slightly cheaper.
For a decat downpipe, Scorpion offer fantastic quality so their decat downpipe should be your first choice. If you’re on a slightly tighter budget, Gravity is also a good option.
Happy modding!
