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Volkswagen MK7 GTI Exhaust Upgrade Guide
When it comes to aftermarket exhausts, these are often overlooked because of the lack of performance benefits. But unless you’re wanting to make your MK7 GTI a sleeper, who wouldn’t want their MK7 to sound mean and aggressive. The real benefit from adding an exhaust is going to be looks and sound. In this guide, we’ll be going into a few exhaust setups we like for the MK7 GTI.
MK7 GTI Upgraded Exhaust Performance
We want to preface before getting into this post that when we speak on “exhaust”, we aren’t referencing downpipes at all. A separate post has been dedicated to downpipes here. In the entire exhaust system, downpipes will provide the most performance benefits by far. If you choose to go with a full catless exhaust, you will be looking at hp gains of 5hp at most. So if you are buying an exhaust for performance benefit, we advise you to better use the money elsewhere (tunes, downpipes, intercooler, etc). However, if you are looking for a more aggressive sounding MK7 GTI, then sure go for it!
There are a couple of benefits you can expect when getting an upgraded exhaust: looks, sound, weight reduction, and slightly increased airflow.
We’ll be covering these brands more in-depth:
- Corsa performance Catback exhaust
- AWE Tuning Track Edition Exhaust
- Borla Catback Exhaust System
- Remus Catback Sport Exhaust System
1. Corsa performance Catback exhaust
Corsa Performance provides an easy bolt-on installation and a great-sounding exhaust system. The exhaust is 3″ in diameter with two single 4″ tips which provide a little increase in airflow. Something special with Corsa is their patented no-drone, Reflective Sound Cancellation (RSC) technology.
This system is on the higher end of the price scale when it comes to other options on the market, but you can rest assured that you’ll have a great-sounding exhaust with very low to no drone. This exhaust will only fit on the MK7 GTI and not the MK7.5 GTI’s.
Price: $1,229.00 + Shipping
Performance Gains: +76% Flow Increase & -1 Weight Savings
DIY Difficulty: Intermediate
Buy Here: Corsa performance Catback exhaust for the MK7 GTI
2. AWE Tuning Track Edition Exhaust
AWE Tuning is a US-based aftermarket manufacturer for over 10+ brands, Volkswagen included, known for the high-quality parts they provide. AWE guarantees no CEL and perfect fitment for installation. This exhaust features 3″ and 2.25″ diameter with 102mm dual tips and a lifetime warranty.
The thing we like most about this system is that AWE allows you to choose your driver experience by providing a track mode and a touring mode. They also let you choose what kinds of tips you would like for the look you are going for: black or chrome. Let’s say you purchased the Touring option, but would like to go to Track, they provide a conversion kit so you don’t have to buy a whole new system.
Price: $749 – $949 + Shipping
Performance Gains: Dyno Results w/ downpipe
DIY Difficulty: Intermediate
Buy Here: AWE Tuning Track Edition Exhaust for the MK7 GTI
3. Borla Catback Exhaust System
Although Borla may be known for creating exhausts for trucks, they make some pretty sweet-sounding exhausts for smaller cars too. As you can hear in the video above, this exhaust provides a low and aggressive tone. Based on their website, they provide a million-mile warranty as long as the part is registered with them.
This exhaust features a 2.5″ pipe diameter, which is a little smaller than some of the ones listed and has 4″ tips giving it an aggressive aftermarket look. This system only fits the MK7 GTI, not the MK7.5 GTI.
Price: $977.99 + Shipping
Performance Gains: Weight reduction and increased airflow
DIY Difficulty: Intermediate
Buy Here: Borla Catback Exhaust System for the MK7 GTI
4. Remus Catback Sport Exhaust System
A rather unpopular, but underrated option is the Remus sport exhaust. Remus is an aftermarket Austrian-Based manufacturer that focuses on German-made automobiles. This system is not an overly loud exhaust, but it provides a deep, aggressive note that you’ll want your MK7 GTI to sound like. Since Remus works directly with German OEMs, there is no need to worry about the fitment.
This is the priciest system out of the group, but these are hand made and Remus ensures the quality of their products. It features an aggressive look with double dual tips and 5 options for the finishes: chrome angled, street race polished, carbon race polished, titanium internal tips angled, and street race black chrome. Remus really allows you to hone in on the look you are going for with an aftermarket exhaust. This system only fits the MK7 GTI and not the MK7.5 GTI.
Price: $1,419.21 + Shipping
Performance Gains: Dyno Results with front AND back exhaust
DIY Difficulty: Intermediate
Buy Here: Remus Catback Sport Exhaust System for the MK7 GTI
MK7 GTI Exhaust Conclusion
Now that we have gone through our favorite aftermarket options on the market, there is another way you could impact the sound of the exhaust to save money. You CAN do a muffler delete and spend about half of the price of an exhaust system. Although we don’t really recommend this if you are going for look or slight performance benefits, this is a cheaper alternative if you are only going for sound.
Again, we want to reiterate, don’t get an exhaust if you are looking for massive power gains, because that’s not what exhausts will provide you. Yes, a straight back exhaust will obviously provide less restrictive airways, but it will only provide MAYBE 15-25hp. At the price, you can get a tune that will 2x or 3x the power.
To read more up on what mods we suggest for your MK7 GTI, go to “The 5 Best Mods for the Volkswagen MK7 GTI“.
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