With the return of the a big 5.0L V8 engine in 2011 meant that the Mustang's exhaust system basically had to be completely reworked to provide enough outflow for the engine to dish out its huge 412 horsepower rating. Even though its one of the most efficient exhaust setups that's been seen on the Ford Mustang since the very early '70s, there's still a lot of room for improvement, especially if you're turning your Mustang GT or V6 into a purpose-built track or drag strip racer. The new 2013 Mustang GT and V6, for all intents and purposes, carry on with the exact same exhaust setup that's been present since the 201 model year and are able to reuse practically all of the Mustang performance exhaust parts from the 2011 and 2012 Mustang model years without modifications. We here at Stage 3 Motorsports have verified parts fitment for 2011 to 2013 Mustang axle-back exhausts, 2011 to 2013 Mustang cat-back exhaust kits, 2011 to 2013 Mustang mid-pipes, and 2011 to 2013 Mustang headers. Well, that sounds all well and good, and the well-versed in performance parts among our audience probably already know that a complete exhaust overhaul from the engine's exhaust ports all the way back to the tips can net you massive horsepower gains in the range of 40 to 45hp when properly tuned. Those new to the Mustang performance parts world probably got lost somewhere between ''outflow'' and mid-pipes, so lets start with a very basic breakdown.

So, you have this 2011 to 2013 Mustang and its awesome. They're arguably the best Mustangs Ford's churned out since the late '60s (we drool over the '69 Boss 429s and Mach 1s). In this 2011 to 2013 Mustang is an engine, which is either a 5.0L Coyote V8 or a 3.7L Duratec V6. As these engines run, they produce exhaust. The exhaust gasses pass out the engines' exhaust ports and into the exhaust manifolds. The two exhaust manifolds lead into the factory mid-pipe that also houses the catalytic converters. After the exhaust gasses flow through the cats, it all passes into the kickover tubes that guide the exhaust back to your Mustangs mufflers. The gasses then flow through your exhaust tips and out into the atmosphere. Now that you have the function down, it's easier to see how performance exhaust parts come into play, and it all works very simply. Headers replace your stock exhaust manifolds, aftermarket mid-pipes replace your stock mid-pipe (well, duh), cat-back exhaust kits replace your kickover tubes and mufflers, and axle-back exhaust kits just replace your mufflers and tips.

Now you have to decide what you actually need. While exhaust upgrades have the potential to grab you massive horsepower and torque gains, the vast majority of our customers are more than satisfied with the 400+ horsepower of the Mustang GT or even the 300 horsepower of the base model V6 Mustangs. If you aren't looking for much more power, but the rather meek exhaust notes of the stock mufflers aren't enough for you, then it's time for a [[2013 axle-back kit]:search=2013 axle back]. Axle-backs for the 2013 Mustangs are available in a huge variety of shapes, tip sizes, muffler designs, and finishes. In general, axle-back kits with larger chambered mufflers like those on the 2013 Flowmaster American Thunder axle-back kit will give you slightly deeper notes without adding an obnoxious level of sound. Mufflers with a straight-through or glass-packed designs like the mufflers found in the 2013 Borla S-type ''Stinger'' axle-back exhaust kit not only produce a mean roar, but also turn the volume up for a more noticeable exhaust tone. The loudest of the loud axle-back kits are the muffler deletes, like the 2013 Pypes Pype-Bomb axle-back kit that have a awesomely loud and mean sound that can be heard practically across town.

Once you have your axle-back squared away (or if you aren't interested in sound), then it's time to focus on power, and real horsepower gains start at the mid-pipe. The stock mid-pipe has crimped bends and very restrictive catalytic converters that cause tons of back pressure that chokes your engine and costs you power. Mid-pipes come in two basic designs with either an H-pipe or X-pipe configuration. H-pipes and X-pipes are shaped like their corresponding letters in the alphabet and vary slightly in performance and sound. In general, a 2013 H-pipe will produce slightly less power than a similar 2013 X-pipe, but has a throatier, old-school sound with slightly less rasp than the X-pipe. Both X-pipes and H-pipes are also available in off-road and catted variations. Off-road mid-pipes will give you the most horsepower by deleting your 2013 Mustang's catalytic converters, and replacing them with straight pieces of tubing. Off-road mid-pipes generally require custom PCM tuning to avoid engine damage and disengage your oxygen sensors. Catted mid-pipes are generally considered ''49 state legal,'' and can be used on road cars in states that haven't adopted California Air Resources Board (CARB) air quality standards and testing. For those of you living in California or other states that have adopted CARB guidelines, your only real option to get more power is to use a cut-and-clamp mid-pipe that gets welded in behind your stock catalytic converters to replace the inefficient stock tubing.

Next, there's the headers. Headers come in two varieties: short tube ''shorty'' headers and long tube headers. Shorty headers are replacements for your stock manifolds that can be dropped directly in without any additional parts. Long tube headers are more extensive and feature long primary tubes that trail down to a large diameter collector housing. 2013 Mustang long tube headers require a corresponding short X-pipe or H-pipe in order to fit. In most cases, it's a good idea to buy a 2013 Mustang long tube header and mid-pipe combo package outright in order to avoid fitment issues and to get all your components installed at the same time. Long tube headers require custom tuning that also qualifies you for our Loyalty Tunes Program that gives you free tunes for life on selected tunable products purchased from Stage 3 Motorsports. We here at Stage 3 recommend going with long tubes over shorties for the 2013 Mustang. The exhaust manifolds of the new 5.0L Mustangs already have a ''shorty'' design and most short tube headers won't net you a lot of extra horsepower for your money. Long tube headers, a short mid-pipe, and the required tuning can get you utterly massive horsepower gains and make your 2013 Mustang really sing. There is one slight issue, however. Currently, we can not offer email tuning for the new 2013 Mustangs, but we expect to be up and running on the new models in just a few weeks. In the mean time, you can check around for a local chassis dyno that's capable of adjusting your PCM calibrations.

One thing we really didn't mention are 2013 cat-back systems. While there's nothing really wrong with cat-back kits, they really aren't necessary for most situations. Axle-backs give you sound, while headers and mid-pipes give you power. Cat-backs are kind of stuck in the middle. On one hand, they do produce slightly more power than an axle-back kit on a good day with the stars and planets aligned just right, they don't really produce enough spare horsepower to justify their price. Still, if you want to squeeze every last bit of horsepower possible out of your 2013 Mustang, then grab up a cat-back and get going.

So, there's the 2013 Mustang's exhaust system and upgrades in a nutshell. A very loud and high horsepower nutshell. The Mustang's exhaust system is pretty simple, and most of the parts are either direct replacements and bolt-on gear that doesn't require cutting or welding (except for clamp-on mid-pipes, obviously). In the end, 2013 Mustang performance exhaust parts offer probably the best bang for your buck when it comes to performance. A complete exhaust overhaul that includes a set of long tube headers, a mid-pipe, and full cat-back exhaust can net you up to 50 horsepower with a generous gain in torque at a fraction of the cost of a forced induction system. We'll keep you folks updated on the tuning situation and let you know when tunes by email become available again.

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