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While Flowmaster offers exhaust systems for a wide range of automotive applications, over the years the companyโs products have become synonymous with the sound of muscle car performance. Hot on the heels of the 2024 Ford Mustangโs debut, the company has introduced new Outlaw and American Thunder exhaust systems that are compatible with the new 2.3-liter Mustang EcoBoost as well as the 5.0-liter V8-powered 2024 GT and Dark Horse models. We sat down with Flowmasterโs Mark Emerson to get the details on the companyโs latest offerings for the revamped pony car.
ML: First off, how far back does Flowmasterโs connection to the Mustang go? When did the company first start developing products for these vehicles, and how has that connection evolved in the years since?
ME: That goes back to the Fox-body Mustangs of the 1980s and 90s, and weโve expanded the lineup to offer products for both older and newer Mustangs since then. Itโs always been an incredibly popular vehicle โ especially when it comes to modification. And exhaust systems are one of the first modifications that enthusiasts do to their vehicles, so we always want to make sure weโre supporting both the classic models as well as latest iterations of the Mustang.
Flowmaster has been a mainstay of Mustang performance for decades, beginning in the Fox-body era of the 1980s and 90s. "We always want to make sure that weโre supporting both the classic models as well as latest iterations of the Mustang," says Mark Emerson of Flowmaster.
ML: What types of use-cases are these new exhaust systems aimed at?
ME: The focus for Flowmaster systems like these has always been aimed at kind of dual-use, street/strip types of applications โ something that can complement the vehicle whether itโs a daily driver or a track car. In terms of the different styles of mufflers that are part of our initial offerings for the 2024 Mustang, we looked at what the most popular models were for the previous generation Mustang, the S550, and that helped to set our priorities for development. And for the most part, that tends to gravitate toward some of the more aggressive-sounding systems that we offer, so we wanted to focus on that group at launch.
ML: Letโs talk a bit more about that development process. In terms of the hardware that underpins it, is the design of the new S650 Mustang a significant departure from the car that preceded it?
ME: We got pretty lucky here โ Ford didnโt make a lot of big changes to the underbody of the car. With the axle-back kits, the main difference is that we had to make these new systems longer to accommodate the new length of the 2024 Mustangโs rear valance. In fact, our resonator-delete scavenger kit for the previous generation S550 Mustang bolts right on to the 2024 model. That meant that we could transfer over a lot of what we had already developed for modern Mustangs, which in turn allowed us to get these new systems to 2024 Mustang owners quicker than we would have been able to otherwise.
Click Here Now to see the complete line of Flowmaster exhaust systems for 2024 Ford Mustang.
The new line of Flowmaster exhaust systems for 2024 Ford Mustangs includes cat-back and axle-back setups with two different types of mufflers. The kits are available for active and non-active systems.
ML: Are there multiple types of Flowmaster exhaust systems available for the 2024 Mustang now? And if so, can you tell us a bit about how they differ from one another?
ME: There are six kits in total that are available right now, and theyโre divided up between two styles of muffler โ the Outlaw kits, and the American Thunder kits.
The Outlaw is a race-inspired muffler, so it delivers the most aggressive sound we offer. The American Thunder systems, meanwhile, use a modified version of our Super 44 mufflers. From a design standpoint, itโs similar to what we used in those classic Fox-body kits, so those chambered mufflers provide a more traditional Flowmaster tone.
ML: Do these new Flowmaster kits offer a performance benefit over the 2024 Mustangโs factory exhaust system?
ME: Stock systems are better than they used to be back in the day, but there are still some performance improvements to be had by upgrading. Where we saw the biggest improvement was with the full cat-back system, which gained 18 horsepower and 18 pound-feet of torque at the rear wheels in the V8-powered GT model that we tested. The valved axle-back kits did nearly as well, gaining 17 horsepower and 17 pound-feet of torque at the rear wheels in that same vehicle.
One interesting thing we discovered is that 2024 Mustangs that are equipped with an active exhaust system from the factory actually have a slightly different engine calibration than cars with non-active exhaust, and we noticed bigger improvements with the former versus the latter.
Flowmaster's 2024 Mustang exhaust systems are available with ceramic black tips or polished stainless tips. The non-valved kits use four-inch single tips on each side, while the valved kits use dual four-inch tips on each side.
ML: Speaking of active exhaust โ if a 2024 Mustang is factory-equipped with an active exhaust system, can they retain that multi-mode functionality if they upgrade to one of these Flowmaster kits?
ME: Yes โ we have a valved Outlaw kit thatโs specifically designed to be plug and play with 2024 Mustangs that are equipped with a factory active exhaust system, and that valved design allows you to retain that mode-based functionality. The volume of the system can still be altered by changing those modes, much like you would with the factory system.
Since the Outlaw muffler is a motorsport-derived muffler, it will be louder than the factory system regardless of which mode you have it in, of course. I think thatโs part of the appeal for a lot of folks โ this is a way to customize the vehicle, make it your own. You can definitely tell the difference between a 2024 Mustang with a factory active exhaust system and one with the valved Flowmaster kit โ itโs going to have a distinct tone to go along with the different look at the back of the car.
Flowmaster's new designs keep the essential potent look of the 2024 Mustang's factory exhaust system, but amp that appearance up with larger-diameter tips.
ML: Letโs talk a bit more about the look of the system. How does the design differ from the factory setup in terms of aesthetics?
ME: These Flowmaster kits are offered with either ceramic black tips or polished stainless tips, so it really just comes down to the look that the customer is going for with the vehicle. The non-valved kits use four-inch single tips on each side, while the valved kits use dual four-inch tips on each side. Along with the different finishes offered, the tips on the Flowmaster systems are larger in diameter as compared to the factory exhaust.
ML: Are there any other options or upgrades associated with these Flowmaster kits for the 2024 Mustang?
ME: With all of the axle-back kits we offer, you can also use the existing scavenger X-pipe kit, which deletes the factory resonator. That can actually be used with either the factory axle-back exhaust or the Flowmaster axle-back kits, which means that a customer could install an axle-back kit now and then later decide to do this upgrade to essentially turn it into a full custom cat-back system.
This combination is slightly different from the full Outlaw cat-back system that I mentioned earlier, though. While the scavenger X-pipe kit uses 2.5-inch pipe in order to maintain compatibility with the stock exhaust system, the Outlaw full cat-back system for 2024 Mustangs uses 3.0-inch pipe throughout and utilizes our D-port assembly in the X section of the system. That gives it a bit more low-end flow, and it also has a slightly deeper tone to it.
Flowmaster offers exhaust systems for nearly all possible variations of the 2024 Mustang, including 2.3-liter EcoBoost and 5.0-liter V8 GT and Dark Horse models. These kits also fit either of the two mainstream production Mustang bodystyles: "Although Ford adds additional structural bracing to the convertible models โ some of which is near the mufflers โ it doesnโt interfere with this design," says Mark Emerson of Flowmaster.
ML: Can you give us a rundown of which 2024 Mustang models these Flowmaster kits are compatible with?
ME: All of these Flowmaster kits fit both the 2.3-liter EcoBoost and 5.0-liter V8 2024 Mustang models, including Dark Horse โ compatibility really just comes down to whether or not the factory system is active or non-active. All of the mounting points are the same, and Ford bumped up the pipe size on the 2.3-liter cars to match the GT and Dark Horse, so that makes it easy. Itโs also worth noting that these Flowmaster systems have been confirmed to fit convertible models as well. Although Ford adds additional structural bracing to the convertible models โ some of which is near the mufflers โ it doesnโt interfere with this design.
ML: Any other 2024 Ford Mustang-related products on the way from Flowmaster?
ME: Yep โ weโre currently working on a resonator-delete Y-pipe kit thatโs specifically designed the 2024 2.3-liter EcoBoost Mustangs. That should be available before Spring. There could also be a Force II type of system coming further down line, but that really depends on whether thereโs customer demand for something on the mellower side of things.
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