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Topgear Mild Sport boxes - review/clip/comparison

Alex

Well-known member
Joined
6 Mar 2014
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22,079
As some members already know I had problems with my DANSK back boxes that were fit 3 years ago when I purchased the car. Both have snapped in the same place at the front end of the flexi pipe. Also the poor customer service and help I didn't receive from all parties I contacted (read here for the full abomination: http://911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=120362).

Topgear got wind of this and sent me a brand new set of their Mild Sport boxes free of charge as they were disgusted at the customer service I'd received and felt sorry for me (as well as some free publicity from your's truly :grin: )

Special thanks goes out to Alex - their Sales Director & serial poster Phil997. :bow:


I've had them a couple of weeks now but my mechanic is that snowed under he's got to the point he'll only do work for MI6 & Farmers. But since I'm his Engineering machinist and always look after him, I managed to persuade him to stop on late Tuesday night to fit them. Took us 3 hours and was a bit of a pain removing the DANSK boxes but we got done by 10pm and I was on my way.

Removing the DANSK & fitting the Topgear

We got the car up on the ramps and started with the drivers side box. He's already had it off the previous month to fix one of the flexis. Box came off pretty easy buy the hard part was removing the intermediate plate that bolts between the box and mounting bracket. These plates have a tube in either side that the bolts go through. ALL bolts were welded into the tubes and knocking them out brought the tubes with them and just pushed right through the thin poor quality stainless box brackets on the DANSK. Plenty of heat and we managed to salvage the tubes and refit them in the plates.

The Topgear boxes are slimmer than the DANSK so nicely slide in between the bumper, tyre and engine. With the DANSK being fatter they are a very tight squeeze getting them in and out and risk damaging something.

Fitting the Topgear boxes was a doddle and my mechanic much preferred working with them than the DANSK.


The build quality

My mechanic is a wizard! He knows his stuff and has seen a few things in his time and he's only 30. He's the guy the local dealerships call when their guys can't remove parts. From the moment he pulled the Topgear boxes out the packaging, he kept commenting on how good the qulaity and build of them was. Excellent weld, thicker stronger mounting brackets. So easy to work with and just felt so much 'better' than the DANSK. Also making note there was no 'weak link' flexi pipe too. How this may affect the system - I don't know, but I'm right in thinking the original Porsche boxes also don't have the flexi?


The sound & performance

I'll admit, as I drove off from his secret hanger, taking care not to collide with the military Afghanistan poppy field destroyer (used to prevent funding for terrorism from opium harvesting) I wasn't inspired on the drive home. For some reason I had it in my head the car was much slower and the battery in my hearing aid had gone flat, although the first thing the GF said when I walked in the house was - "your car sounds good".

I thought best to leave it a few days before commenting on my thoughts as I don't like knee jerking or jumping to conclusions. 4 days later, a few blasts, plenty of top down motoring and a demo to a couple of the mates and between us we've come to the following:

Lack of performance was down to the difference in sound and in my head - the car is still as fast (I think).
More of a deeper bass tone and not as much grunt (throaty I think would be a better term) as the DANSK.
Less offensive than the DANSK.
Still lets you know you've got a flat 6 hanging out your back end.
My mates love them and think they sound much better than the DANSK. One mate saying it sounded more like a performance car instead of some chavy hot hatch.

Anyway, comparison sound clips of the Topgear and the DANSK are below.


Any other business

We couldn't get the driver's side tail pipe to locate centrally in the bumper aperture, although looking at the boxes on both sides, they look to be perfectly symmetrical. You'll see in the clip it's offset to the right but we gave up trying to sort it in the end as it was getting late. I'll revisit this at some point. Don't know whether it's box related or tailpipe related.
I perhaps haven't done myself any favours fitting both the boxes and the gearbox mount around the same time as both have totally transformed what I had before and it's a bit tricky trying to decipher noises, etc.
I also have the cheap Chinese manifolds on the car (as I also did with the DANSK clip below) and when first fitting them, it changed the exhaust note. This may also be the same with the Topgear so they may not sound the exact same as what they would with standard OEM headers on.



The Clips



The new Topgear Mild Sport Boxes:





The old DANSK sport boxes previously fitted:

 
Alex, I agree with your mate that said it sounds more like a performance car now. much smoother tone and not so raspy :thumb:
 
I listed to both, Dansk first, definitely prefer the sound of the Top Gear boxes.

Makes me wonder how my car sounds in comparison.
 
Must be honest - to my cloth ears I can't tell much difference. There IS a difference but I can't discern it.

Certainly nothing wrong with the sound from the Topgear boxes though - will gladly have them on my car!
 
The Topgear boxes sound like the dogs @ollocks.

Lovely. :thumb:
 
Totally agree with the comments made about Topgears service as I have just had them fitted to our Turbo and they could not have been more helpful in their supply and advice

Nicer sound on ours now following the change so very pleased

Regards
 
I have mild sports on my Targa fitted by the guys at Topgear in Bridport

Sound good and the TG guys are really helpful
 
Really good to hear so much positive feedback about Topgear , I will let Alex the sales director know when I speak to him next I know they will be very pleased that their service and support is a topic of such positive discussion. :thumb:
 
He must have liked my clip........it's now on every website that sells Topgear exhausts :grin:
 
alex yates said:
He must have liked my clip........it's now on every website that sells Topgear exhausts :grin:

:grin: :grin: :grin: :thumb:
 
Alex

Are you running standard cats?

Would you happen to have a static db reading for the Top Gear Mild Sports?

Ideally at 4.5k & 5k rpm circa 2ft from the tailpipe

Any help appreciated :thumb:
 
Standard cats but cheap Chinese manifolds. No db measure. If I can, I'll post results.
 
Awesome, thank you sir! - I am interested in a set but need to ensure they can get past the noise police at trackdays!
 
You could always opt for their valved version and turn off the loud button should you need to. :thumb:
 
It sounds great to me. I wish I bought them For my previous car rather than get the gundo hack done.

I see that they also sell a version for a 996 turbo.. I would also be interested to hear these if anyone has them fitted.
 

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