mate, your full of it!!! i have increased peak KW by 20 At the wheels from Bolt ons. and this HAS been proven time and time again. get the RIGHT bolt ons, and you WILL make more power. VAREX mufflers are excellent, and i am so glad i have one. It doesnt drone, and is sufficiently loud or quiet whenever i want it to be. as far as mandrl bends being pointles... why would they make the system from mandrel bends stock then? Bolt ons only remove factory power losses, they don't make power. Stock systems are generally smaller than the ideal system, hence the use of mandrel bends. You'll also find that in a mass-production facility, they are generally as easy to do as press-bends. you make me laugh, remove factory losses?? c'mon man. you think car manufacturers, design exhaust systems to make less power??? seriously! economy is one thing but when you're after sales... well thats when facts and figures stack up. if you can get mandrel bends for the same price as press bent straight pipe, let me know,... i want in! Yes - not intentionally, but to save a couple of bucks they will. It's a well known fact, hence the reason people buy aftermarket extractors. Check out 1UZ-FE exhaust manifolds, then come back to this thread :) Actually 1UZ manifolds are made that way so they can fit in the respective engine bays they are going in, not to save on cost. But I see your point......