Anyone have any knowledge of this brand of exhaust - sounds incredible !!
Secret Weapon Exhaust
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1st gen update that I received just now by email
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Thanks for checking in! We’re running a bit behind schedule on all first-generation R8 systems. During the process we discovered that several fitment adjustments were necessary compared to the second generation, mainly due to the transmission’s location.
The good news is that production is already underway, and we currently have a unit in our studio for scanning and fitment testing. Based on this, we estimate your system will be ready in about one month, so your ETA is approximately the Second half of October 2025.
We’ll keep you updated as things progress, and we really appreciate your patience while we make sure everything fits perfectly.
Best regards,
Lucas Chahin
Secret Weapon
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___
Thanks for checking in! We’re running a bit behind schedule on all first-generation R8 systems. During the process we discovered that several fitment adjustments were necessary compared to the second generation, mainly due to the transmission’s location.
The good news is that production is already underway, and we currently have a unit in our studio for scanning and fitment testing. Based on this, we estimate your system will be ready in about one month, so your ETA is approximately the Second half of October 2025.
We’ll keep you updated as things progress, and we really appreciate your patience while we make sure everything fits perfectly.
Best regards,
Lucas Chahin
Secret Weapon
___
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Not sure about you but my confirmation email says November. But they asked for some pretty specific data from VF regarding the supercharger (AFR, EGT) for their side of the build.
And VF is going to do the install and re-tune to match. So I’m pretty excited about how this should turn out.
Thankfully Matt got me a capristo system quick to tide me over.
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December here
I guess I’ll mention to them about the VF SC on mine as well. Thanks for bringing that up. Hopefully Christmas comes early
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How have you been contacting them? They haven’t responded on my side at all. Appreciate it. Thanks
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Instagram and whatsapp.
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Thank you
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Anyone have install instructions ?
Curious to see how the install is done with motor in place.
Per tagperformanceAZ, the motor is not 100% in place.
Curious to see how the install is done with motor in place.
Per tagperformanceAZ, the motor is not 100% in place.
Secret Weapon provides a thorough manual guidebook with the purchase.
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52 Posts
I had my shop review the instructions.
Essentially you're doing everything necessary to remove the engine, and then just cranking it up a bit to access the headers instead of taking it all the way out. In their opinion the labor savings was between 1 and 3 hours, with some risk of damage from not taking it out.
They suggested taking it all the way out and I agreed.
Maisteer had made another video but one that is much more relevant to our quest for that sound.
well worth watching:
well worth watching:
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Another update for anyone looking at the system and the idea of an engine-in install..
I'm going to have VF do the install of my kit, since they've done outstanding work for me so far, and will re-tune for the supercharger/new headers. I had them review the manual provided. Their feedback as follows:
"After reviewing those instructions, them saying 'you don't have to remove the engine' felt a bit misleading. As you are essentially doing everything to remove the engine, except actually removing it and instead simply tilting it to get the headers out.
If it were my car, I'd just pull the engine (an extra 2-3 hours or so) and stop any risk of banging up a panel or the side of the block trying to snake a massive header in between the frame and the engine."
I'm going to go with their recommendation.
I'm going to have VF do the install of my kit, since they've done outstanding work for me so far, and will re-tune for the supercharger/new headers. I had them review the manual provided. Their feedback as follows:
"After reviewing those instructions, them saying 'you don't have to remove the engine' felt a bit misleading. As you are essentially doing everything to remove the engine, except actually removing it and instead simply tilting it to get the headers out.
If it were my car, I'd just pull the engine (an extra 2-3 hours or so) and stop any risk of banging up a panel or the side of the block trying to snake a massive header in between the frame and the engine."
I'm going to go with their recommendation.
Quite the asterisk! Had a 911 that we tried for way too long to replace a power steering hose. Finally bit the bullet and dropped the engine. Should have done it that way from the start.
That's a lot of information to take in, and it's still not everything yet. I need time to digest them. My few takeaways for now are:
- Even firing is the baseline to create resonance. A 72 degree v10 can do that, but that's not the only way, 68-degree Carrera GT or 90 degree split-pin Gallardo can do that just as well. The Audi v10 engine, with 90 degree odd firing, is objectively not as good sounding as other V10s. Uneven pulses can be delayed to created resonance, but that only work for a certain RPM according to the video. Somehow Secret Weapon was able to solve that, the howling from 4k rpm all the way to redline is pretty awesome.
- The sound of the LFA is not simply the 500hz resonance as people been trying to reach. Yamaha may have made the 1gr-gue, but the exhaust tuning is done by another company (Sango) to create a "sobbing sopranos voice", much more depths than just frequency and pitch. Jeremy Clarkson was able to describe that pretty well. One of the tuning stuff is that the exhaust mid tubes are made slightly uneven to create the mildest buzz in the perfectly even pulse, adding complexity to the sound.
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881 Posts
Agreed. I've been toying with getting a VF Supercharger for a while now, and I think pulling the engine is def the way to go. The "extra" labor you'll run into for pulling the motor, will likely save some in terms of the time saved from ease of access during supercharger & full exhaust install, vs trying to fight in such a crammed space. Probably a wash, but def easier and safer way to go.
Plz do post up your dyno results after tune for the headers (I'm guessing you went catless?). Would love to you know if you can crack 800hp when tuned for a fully open exhaust
Re the secret weapon exhaust getting round the lengthening of the headers only helping at certain rpm, I don’t think they have got round that. I think they chose the frequency to produce that sound at a the amplitude of that particular frequency just changes as you approach it and over shoot it.
He mentioned in the video that it would be interesting to hear how it tends towards it and away from it.
Without variable length headers I do think you can avoid it, I think they just chose the best compromise, that’s why it becomes more musical as you increase revs. I actually like it that way because it’s more satisfying when the tone changes to what you want to hear.
If it’s there all the time you get used to it.
This is a shorter clip of the sound which also shows you holding the engine at what is probably the tuned revs, you can hear the sound change as the revs do and not just in frequency and volume.
He mentioned in the video that it would be interesting to hear how it tends towards it and away from it.
Without variable length headers I do think you can avoid it, I think they just chose the best compromise, that’s why it becomes more musical as you increase revs. I actually like it that way because it’s more satisfying when the tone changes to what you want to hear.
If it’s there all the time you get used to it.
This is a shorter clip of the sound which also shows you holding the engine at what is probably the tuned revs, you can hear the sound change as the revs do and not just in frequency and volume.
341 - 357 of 357 Posts
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