MDC9966

I've got a pair of NPP muffler on my LS2 currently. This weekend I found and purchased a Borla Touring mufflers set (the first version that looks like a series of snakes), It has a mild sound from the clips I've heard.

Considering changing the NPP mufflers for these, but do not want the drone. They are an older design but still sold by a few vendors. Not the cleanest look under the car, but under the car isn't my concern. I do like the idea of a deeper sound and fairly quiet cruising around with the top down, plus the 4" tips looks amazing!

Any experience or anybody using these here?

not08crmanymore

I've never met a BORLA system without drone of some kind.. What I have met is a set of headers in conjunction with the stock NPP muffler that give off one hell of a sound and no drone at all. AND they actually add a little (15-25hp) power too.

sramzzz

I have the Borla S Type II and no drone at highway speeds. The touring are a little too quiet for me based on audio clips I listened to. Can't speak to the original version, but I did hear that the Borla S type original version did drone but I don't recall how bad it was.

Trebor

I have the GCA by Borla touring on 2006 A6 base and there is no drone. They are the old style on top of one another. They could be a bit louder. Sound good when I get on it

Turbo6TA

I have a set of the first series of Borla 'Touring' mufflers on my supercharged with headers 2011 GS.

I removed the NPP mufflers because they were just too loud at WOT once I installed the headers.

There is no 'drone' at any speed / RPM.


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MDC9966

Update, I replaced my npp with series 1 Borla Touring. A little rumble at idle, and just a little louder than stock quiet at cruise). A little rumble on acceleration. Love the 4.5” tips,
No drone at all that I can tell.

thanks everyone

MDC9966

Just an update, still zero drone. After having them in for a while, I’m going to be swapping them for a Borla sport now, a bit more sound. I’d go back to the npp but love the look of the 4.5” tips. If anyone is in or near Greenville SC and wants to get a set of Borla touring for a good price, let me know. I’ll add to the thread when I change and record a sound clip before I take them off.

Bek Bek

When you ran the npp, did you run it through its standard vacuum controlled settings or with a mild to wild switch? If you ran it with a mild to wild, how was the drone with the flaps open around town driving and getting up there to highway speeds compared to the Borla Touring? Also I’m interested to know how the sound changes for you with the Borla Touring or the Borla Sport that you may switch to with the addition of headers. I am looking into potentially switch to Borla Touring with headers in mind because I want the ability to drive around with little to no drones with headers. The npp with headers is dead quiet with the flaps closed but I hear they drone a good amount when open around the city which is what prompts some to switch to something like Corsa sports or Borla tourings if they have headers.

MDC9966

The NPP I have uses a stand alone vacuum switch connected to the mild to wild controller. I also used a check valve at the source to hold vacuum regardless of the motor. I did this so I have the ability to keep them open or keep them closed as I chose. When open, they drone. When you want them open, it's not a big deal, just part of the sound. The big attraction for me was the ability to choose when I wanted the sound, and when not. The only draw back is not having the look of the 4.5" tips.

Borla touring, rumble at idle, ZERO drone at cruising, or highway speeds, or around town. Very very close to stock exhaust sound while driving. I still have those, I would think with headers, it would be a good choice. A little to quiet in my opinion.

Borla Sport, nice rumble at idle, performance sound while driving, also ZERO drone.

Hope it helps.

Bek Bek

The Borla Touring sounds like since it’s near stock sound levels but has no drone at any speeds, it would probably be the best candidate for a mixture of good volume and little drone with headers while driving around the town. I can only see the drone getting worse like many have said with npp + headers and having the flaps open around town. The thing is I would love the sound you get with headers and want to drive all the time with it, but if that puts out a lot of drone because you would need the flaps open to hear it, the opposite effect would take place for me. I won’t be able to have it as quiet as the npp with flaps closed but still keep it relatively quiet. it seems like I could comfortably drive it around at almost any speed with Borla touring because of that. This or the Corsa sport as they have better volume control and drone control with throttle input than the Borlas but overall have more volume equal to the Borla sports. I don’t think I would want them that loud though.

Do you plan on putting on headers and if so, what exhaust setup would you run with these headers now that you have the experience with both Borla touring, Borla sports, and npp?

Turbo6TA

Your correct ... The Borla Touring has a great sound but still fairly quiet when installed with a set of headers ... and no drone at all at any speed.

My GS is supercharged, cammed and has headers with cats ... nice sound that is not the least bit obnoxious and is neighbor friendly.

MDC9966

I don't plan to go with headers myself. I would think the touring would be a good choice for you. Sound is so individual. The previous poster seems to have more experience with the Borla touring and headers. I'm in Greenville, SC, I'm open to selling the touring Borla if you're interested. Send me a IM and I'll send you some pictures. They are like new condition, I'm just clearing out the garage. $500

kite167

I have a supercharged GS w Borla ATAK on it. It's not loud enough for me.. 🤣😂

Torqued Off

I have Borla Type II Stingers on my 2006 base model......no drone to me, but then again, I expect to hear the exhaust....which is why I bought it. In any case....its a beautiful sound.

cmonkey713

My 2007 had long tubes, high flow cats and Borla touring mufflers. There was very notable drone in top gear at around 1400 to 1700 RPM at highway speed. When wifey was in the car I would have to shift to a lower gear to get out of the "Drone Zone". It would also drone is the engine was under load at cruising speed. Corsa's don't seem to drone nearly as much but don't have the deeper sound of Borla.

Bek Bek

Thats interesting to me. I have watched some videos on the Borla Touring with Long Tubes and it sounded extremely subdued for a vette with headers. It wouldn’t seem like it would have much drone if any at all and a few others felt like their Borla Touring setup with Long Tubes didn’t have drone but I guess everyone is different.

I think it’s been proven across the board that the Corsa’s have less drone than Borla’s but my only problem I see with the quietest variant of the Corsa available (Corsa Sport) is that they are far louder than the Borla S Type I/II let alone the Borla Touring. The volume of all the Corsa Sports with Long Tubes on videos I watched sounded nearly on par with something like a Borla Atak and that’s simply too loud for a daily especially in California. Cold starts in the morning would be hell for my neighbors and police around me would know I’m running headers based off the volume alone.

I’m totally fine with the sound profile though and actually like the tone along with the drone controlling capabilities nearly every Corsa sport owner says it has but that volume is wicked. Borla S Type II sounds a bit lesser in volume than the NPP on open when you get on it but pretty quiet sounding on the videos at least when cruising around with for sure less drone than an open NPP with headers. Corsa Sport will have less drone, even better at controlling volume with the throttle, but absolutely pops and crackles constantly on decel while also having a much louder high end in volume, cold starts are absurdly loud sounding too. I think it would be too loud in the morning for me to just start up when I want in the neighborhood and too loud on the high end as it’s way louder than an NPP with headers which most describe as “satan ripping ***”, can only imagine the Corsa.

cmonkey713

Bek Bek
The drone that I personally experienced did not really bother me because I was used to it. Wifey on the other hand would not want to even ride in the car unless I shifted out of the "Drone Zone". Maybe it was the combination of the long tubes, high flow cats and the Borla's. It was also very noticeable when the engine was under load at any RPM. Several friends have Corsa's, and they have almost no drone, but I just did not care for the higher pitch sound. My 2007 was a coupe would magnify the sound given the rear hatch greenhouse effect. I have seen many owners over the years selling or trading their exhaust systems because they were too loud or not loud enough. My advice would to try to catch a ride with someone who has the exact system in their car that you are looking at to get a first-hand experience of what the sound may be in your car. I can just relay my experience.

Bek Bek

I agree, I think the best thing would be to see if I can catch a ride with people who have the Borla S Type II setup and the Corsa Sport with headers although I feel that’ll prove difficult. However, no better experience than personal experience with listening in person because everyone’s ears perceive volume and drone differently.

On a related note, I recently found this video of an owner showing the difference in sound on cold start with revs on a Corsa Sport and a Borla Atak (everything else stock). Surprisingly enough, the Corsa Sport was rivaling the Borla Atak in sheer volume alone. The owner said that the volume difference on the outside of the car is similar between these two setups but the interior is a fair bit quieter on the Corsa Sport end but he said both have no drone. This is without headers of course.

This goes to show my hunch, the Corsa Sport is much louder than the Borla S Type II in volume which could prove to be a problem for me in morning cold starts and strolling around where I feel I could keep the volume down better with the Borla S Type II. Only difference is the Corsa Sport is probably better in tuning out the drone than the S Type II but the whole purpose of the second model for the S Type is to not have drone?

cmonkey713

Only your ears will know for sure.