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Exhaust System

goofyone

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does anyone have an updated picture of the muffler/tailpipe configuration

Jim
On the P4 the exhaust runs diagonally under the drivers seat to where it exits on the right side. This is roughly the expected final position however in the production model the exhaust should be integrated better so it does not hang below the car which should help with aerodynamics and to protect the exhaust from damage.
elio4_front_line_art.jpg

elio_mule4_side_drwg_small.jpg
 

Ekh

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I remember the pipes from my old Corvette ran thru the transmission crossmember. Was alot of fun changing the exhaust pipes. I ended up putting on Hooker sidemount exhausts, which really looked fine - Sidemounts would look pretty good on the Elio too -
View attachment 1077
But those pipes sticking out the side will cost you an mpg or so.
 

goofyone

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In the video I got today of the P4, the muffler is toward the back wheel and appears to be flush. Here's a frame grab. The video is posted in the photos/video forum.
View attachment 2365View attachment 2365

Yes this is exactly the position shown in the CAD drawing above for the muffler which is pretty much under the passenger's feet. This is also just about where it is expected to be in the final vehicle unlike the CAD drawing above which shows the exhaust hanging underneath. There is actually a story behind why the current P4 exhaust is different from the CAD drawing above. The P4 was originally built exactly as show in the CAD drawing however on a trip to New York City for a TV show the hosts unexpectedly drove off with the prototype and ended up knocking the exhaust system off by striking an exposed manhole cover which was elevated because the street was being repaved and had its surface layer of asphalt removed. This little incident was actually made worse by the fact that the P4 sits 1.5 inches lower than the final ride height however it did demonstrate why final exhaust system was planned to be tucked up into the frame instead of hanging down below the frame rails.
 
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skygazer6033

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It appears to me (providing there's room) a better location for the muffler would be along side the swing arm under the rear cover. Aerodynamically that's one more part not hanging out in the slipstream. A less obvious advantage is that by dumping the exhaust into the low pressure area behind the Kamm cutoff it may even raise the pressure slightly, contributing to aerodynamic efficiency. Of course this would need to be verified in a wind tunnel.
 
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