A few days back, Aaron W brought in his Mk 7 VW Golf R to see Sr Mod Expert Alan about fitting the Golf R with a new exhaust.
Sr Install Technician Dave removes the OEM Exhaust System
There are quite a few exhausts for Mk 7 VW Golf GTI & R on the market, but one of the few to offer both quieter cruising but also a loud race-car wail is the new Switchpath Cat-Back Exhaust for VW Golf R from AWE Tuning.
AWE Tuning is renowned for their outstanding quality and almost obsessive attention to even the most meticulous details. Given their history and the fact they spent hours harmonically tuning this system, we can bet that this thing’s going to sound bloody good.
Already lowered on H&R Springs for Mk7 VW Golf R and rolling on a set of matte black Forgestar F14s, the exhaust was really the only major piece of the puzzle missing to getting the Golf R looking and sounding as aggro as you’d expect a 2.0L turbocharged AWD hot hatch to.
Good for a not-insubstantial +17hp / +23tq gain at the crank, the AWE Tuning Switchpath Exhaust offers an improvement in performance you’ll notice every time you sink your foot to to the floor.
Removing the exhaust system also required dropping the center driveshaft, making the Exhaust on the Golf R more complex than that of a GTI and most other cars.
Part of the reason for the difficulty is this: This whole length of exhaust pipe is all JUST THE DOWNPIPE. Yeesh.
Here’s a view of the full length of the exhaust system from the front of the car rearward.
The AWE Tuning Exhaust has been paired with the optional catted downpipe, offering even greater gains.
Aaron opted for the Diamond Black tips for his AWE Switchpath exhaust, keeping the black-on-black-on-black theme going with another element.
After sliding the tips on, Dave carefully positions each tip into its final position. Getting the tips lined up in exactly the right position takes a special kind of finesse, and Dave’s keen attention to detail makes him the ideal man for the task.
With the tips in their final positions, the system gleams like a polished jewel.
Stepping a few feet back, we get an excellent view of the complete exhaust system.
Here’s the straight on rearward tip-up view of the AWE Tuning Switchpath Exhaust. Though not visible, the system’s valves open up flow to the outer two exhaust tips.
With the car back on the ground, all that was left to do was to step back and appreciate our work. Check out the photo gallery below.
AWE Tuning Switchpath Exhaust for Mk 7 VW Golf R w/ Diamond Black Tips
Forgestar F14 19×9 ET45 Matte Black 235/35-19 Hankook Ventus V12 Evo2 Tires on H&R Springs
Forgestar F14 19×9 ET45 Matte Black 235/35-19 Hankook Ventus V12 Evo2 Tires on H&R Springs
Forgestar F14 19×9 ET45 Matte Black 235/35-19 Hankook Ventus V12 Evo2 Tires on H&R Springs
Forgestar F14 19×9 ET45 Matte Black 235/35-19 Hankook Ventus V12 Evo2 Tires on H&R Springs
Forgestar F14 19×9 ET45 Matte Black 235/35-19 Hankook Ventus V12 Evo2 Tires on H&R Springs
Forgestar F14 19×9 ET45 Matte Black 235/35-19 Hankook Ventus V12 Evo2 Tires on H&R Springs
From every angle, this system looks as good as it sounds.
Forgestar F14 19×9 ET45 Matte Black 235/35-19 Hankook Ventus V12 Evo2 Tires on H&R Springs
With the car AWE Tuning Quad Exhaust for Golf R installed, this R looks how the car should’ve come as factory equipment.
Interested in modding your Golf R, GTI or Rabbit? Check out our guide to the Best Mods for the Mk 7 VW Golf GTI & Golf R. Talk to our Mod Experts like Sr Mod Expert Alan, give us a call at 714-582-3330 (x8006 for Alan), chat live on ModBargains.com or just stop by the ModAuto showroom in La Habra, CA any day during business hours to see what we can do for your ride.
Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you next time!
Story, & Photos Nick Gregson