SIDE EXIT EXHAUSTS

01 TVR Sagaris

Mad-looking car. Mad-looking exhausts. TVR’s raucous and outrageous 4.0-litre straight-six motor was liable to burn the ankles of onlookers, and the fingers of drivers when the savage power overwhelmed the rear tyres.

02 Dodge Viper

Because each bank of cylinders had its own manifold and exhaust, if you stand by the side of a Viper while it revs, you’re only being treated to the sound of five cylinders, hence why the 8.3-litre Dodge can make a noise curiously akin to an Audi Quattro.

03 Mercedes-McLaren SLR

And there you were thinking side-exit pipes were just for show and style. McLaren routed the SLR’s out just aft of the front wheels – at great complication and expense – so the car’s flat floor and rear diffuser were not compromised aerodynamically.

04 Caterham Seven

Nerd point: how can you tell if a Caterham Seven uses the old K-Series engine, or a newer Ford powerplant? For one thing, note where the exhaust exits. For Rover engine cars, the passenger gets deafened. On Duratec models, the driver is the one who scolds their shins when clambering in and out.

05 Shelby Daytona Coupe

What’s better than a side-exit exhaust? Yep, two. Now try two each side for best results. Especially when they’re singing the song of a 390bhp 4.7-litre Ford V8. Only six originals were built in the Sixties, and command a multi-million dollar premium when they occasionally pop up for auction.

06 Mercedes-AMG G63

An SUV does not require side-exit pipes. Vulnerable to off-road clouts, not to mention in prime position for scaring nervous child passengers, they are nonetheless a G-Wagen staple seen on AMG versions since 2004’s G55 AMG.

07 Jaguar XKSS

The street-legal sister car to the gorgeous D-type, the Jaguar XKSS was a run of only 16 cars made back in 1957. Being essentially a road-going Le Mans car, the XKSS’s side pipes ran hot and spat fire, but Jaguar fitted them with a guard plate before unleashing them onto the public highway.

08 Chevrolet Corvette C2

From 1965–67, Chevy had a quality optional extra for the Stingray: an ‘off-road exhaust’ package. That wasn’t an early take on the off-roading supercar, à la Huracán Sterrato: it was ‘off-road’ as in ‘on-track’. Despite costing only $131, it was a rare choice – only one in 10 Vette buyers ticked the box.

09 Singer DLS-T

Wow. Even half a year on, it’s not got any less outrageous, has it? The turbocharged Singer uses side pipes to steer exhaust gubbins away from its rear diffuser – a packaging nightmare in an arse-engined car. But one we’re very glad Singer went to the trouble of creating.