When Audi introduced the A5 and S5 coupés, I became smitten with love when it came to the styling inside and out. Love was replaced with lust the moment I drove an S5, mostly when I heard the sound of the 4.2-litre V8 (the drive and feel of rowing my own gears helped too). The level of lust got high enough that I ended up purchasing one.
Ever since I have owned it, I have wanted to be able to hear the exhaust from inside the car a bit more. For a while, I had considered getting a Stasis Signature Challenge Exhaust. I even had the opportunity to sit in an S5 with the exhaust installed, albeit in an S5 with Tiptronic. I loved the sound of the exhaust during acceleration and engine breaking; but, the droning from idle to about 3500 RPM was extremely wearing. I opted not to go with that exhaust as I couldn’t live with it.
Now, both Stasis and AWE have Touring versions of their exhaust systems that are designed to negate much of the maligned droning. With the availability of both systems have caused my lust for a more pronounced, yet livable, exhaust is ratcheting up. Pricing for both systems is within a couple of hundred of each other (excluding installation), but it is still a decent amount of money.
With that said, has anyone with an S5 with a manual transmission have either Touring exhaust system installed? How would you describe the sound and droning levels from idle to about 3000 RPM? An inquiring mind wants to know.