Monday 6th February 2006

Quieten your Caterham

Noisy track day cars tamed

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Quieten your R400

Exhaust specialist BTB Exhausts, which specialises in race and trackday systems and silencers, has produced a silencer for the Caterham R400. This adds to the R300 and R500 silencers BTB already produces.

"This silencer is specifically designed for drivers wishing to use their cars at circuits that have drive-by noise monitoring," said MD Joe Ellis.

According to BTB, the new lightweight silencer box features unique internal baffling and is priced at £380 plus VAT in mild steel or £450 plus VAT in stainless steel including fitting and noise test.

Ellis said: "The noise problem has intensified after several landmark rulings in favour of local councils forced the circuit owners to adopt continuous trackside noise monitoring in order to comply with planning requirements. The problem is compounded by many car users' belief that more noise means more power - that's not the case at trackday level, or even for some race cars.

"We've already a great deal of experience in terms of supplying power-efficient silencers to leading F3 and BTCC teams, and this has enabled them to test at circuits normally made unavailable to them because of strict noise regulations.

"There's a bonus for trackday enthusiasts as a result: by applying the same exhaust technology it is possible for them to enjoy their highly modified cars' full potential whilst still satisfying circuit noise requirements, a matter which is coming more and more to the fore.

"Furthermore, BTB can offer a free noise-testing service to all members of recognised trackday clubs so that they can establish their cars' noise levels before wasting their time and money taking a non-compliant car to a noise restricted circuit. If there is a potential problem, then BTB can accurately advise and quote for a suitable system that solves that problem."

• BTB Exhausts

[4wheel drifter]

Any plans for a silencer for the CSR 260?

[lukeb]

Dunno, you'd have to go a long way to beat a Raceco silencer IMHO. Sounds like the BTB ones are 'off the shelf' - Raceco manufacture the silencer using your existing one as a template, so you know it's gonna fit without drama.

[furyous]

Do you have any contact details or a website on Raceco ?

Cheers

[jeremyc]

furyous said:

Do you have any contact details or a website on Raceco ?

www.raceco.com/

I can wholeheartedly recommend their exhausts: fantastic pieces of kit that have allowed me to get my Caterham on trackdays at Goodwood and Castle Combe (amongst others).

[stringer_m]

4WheelDrifter,
we believe we've cracked the exhaust noise problem with the CSR however, and this is a general point about the silencing of cars - the exhaust noise is not the only factor. I suspect that, like us, many a noisy Caterham owner will cure the exhaust noise issue relatively quickly but then have problems with induction noise which is definitely trickier to solve.

[4wheel drifter]

Max, So is it OK for Donington and Bedford now then?

[gra001]

Does a SUPERTRAPP not solve the problem??

[dannylt]

Costs power, can be difficult to fit, and doesn't quieten enough?

[rubystone]

Another vote for the Raceco - but I agree, induction noise is the main issue...

[jimmyslr]

Raceco top kit and look lovely too. On induction side there are various airboxes around. I have a Bernard Scouse one on mine, but it has non-standard throttle bodies which allow this to fit.

[dino ferrana]

Lots of people recommend Raceco as being very nicely made, light and quiet without sapping power. Supertrapp's are a real last resort and could be detrimental to the longevity of some engines.

I think the best long term thing is to lobby councils to abolish these ridicolous and damaging noise limits.