The FK8 is the first Civic Type R to retail in the USDM, and it’s quickly become one of the most popular hot hatches available today. It pushes 306hp in the US market (316hp in Japan/Europe) out of its 2.0t engine, controlled by a 6-speed manual. The aggressive aero and unique triple exhaust pipe outlet make it stand out against the crowd, especially as a Civic on 20″ factory wheels.
However, for all the noise it makes, the stock exhaust falls flat and suffers the same exhaust woes as most other inline 4 engines. A car that makes aggression the forefront of its image should, well, sound aggressive, right? Luckily, the engineers at Remus Exhaust took care of that. Their renowned Sport exhaust systems that find themselves on countless European car builds are also available for the FK8 Type R, and this cat-back works wonders on the FK8.
Before we move further, let’s talk about that iconic triple-tip exhaust the FK8 is known for. From the factory, the outer two exhaust tips are a larger diameter than the center one, effectively making the Type R breathe through two different exhaust diameters. Is it purely for looks, or is it functional?
As it turns out, all three exhaust tips are functional. According to Honda’ s Senior Product Planner Rob Keough in an interview with Road & Track, the middle tip features a resonator, while the outer two tips have straight-flow mufflers. At low RPMs, air flows through the resonator, giving a louder, more aggressive sound in the lower end. As the car speeds up, the resonator fills up with air, and airflow is routed to the outer mufflers and away from the center pipe. This reduces drone at cruising speeds and ensures the exhaust can still maintain back pressure despite an additional outlet.
Back to the rest of the system. On the factory Type R exhaust, the 60mm (~2.3″) tubing was engineered for daily comfort and “sound” (let’s be real…), but is restrictive to the airflow, thus hindering backpressure and missing out on performance.
Remus makes room for performance by widening the diameter to 76mm (~3″), and actually gaining about 7hp in the process. This exhaust system opts for 3 tips of the same size (chosen from 98mm or 102mm options) connected to a single muffler for increased optimization of direct airflow and that super aggressive note that Remus is known for. Speaking of exhaust tips, the Type R receives the same tip options as the BMW platforms, including 102mm straight-cut carbon fiber exhaust tips.
Now, we get it – some FK8 owners want to daily their Type R, and don’t want their exhaust to attack them from within the cabin during traffic on the 405 South. These owners might be worried about this single muffler design that gets rid of the “dynamic” drone reduction of the stock exhausts’ resonator, but Remus has a solution: the Remus Sound Controller. Owners of the Remus catback exhaust have the option to add this controller to their system, which adds a valve to the center exhaust pipe, and communicates with the car via OBD2.
The valve can be closed to keep things subtle, opened to let the full force of the exhaust sound roar, or set halfway to allow aggressive volume only on the top end, and is controlled via a remote control button or sound control app. This ensures that your FK8 can sound as beastly as it should while maintaining daily drivability.
If you’d like to hear the exhaust with valves both opened and closed, you can check out the following video from Remus themselves, and some sound clips on our instagram.
If you want to transform the sound of your Type R with a Remus exhaust system, you can also contact any one of our team of highly trained and experienced Mod Experts. Each one has a rich history of car modding and can help with mod suggestions, fitment help, and more! To reach our general Mod Expert line call (714) 582-3330 or email Sales@Modbargains.com. We also have live chat available at Modbargains.com during normal business hours.