No more fake exhausts! Audi commits to real ‘hot pipes’ for ICE cars

Audi will no longer adorn its petrol, diesel and hybrid cars with chintzy fake exhaust pipes, the maker has confirmed. The move comes after extensive customer feedback, with prospective owners turning their noses up at the current trend for tail-pipe trims – often moulded as part of the rear bumper - that aren’t connected to the actual exhaust system.

Speaking to Auto Express from the reveal of the latest petrol-powered Audi A5 and S5, a spokesperson for the brand said: “All PPC (Premium Platform Combustion) cars will have ‘hot’ tailpipes; functional tailpipes”.

A number of existing Audi models, as well as several from rival manufacturers, have recently hidden their exhaust tips below the bumper. This is largely due to the design complexities and safety concerns of having a hot metal tube in such close proximity to so much plastic trim, but there are financial and aesthetic reasons for the trend, too.

The trend of moving the exhaust exit pipes beneath the car and fitting exhaust-like trim to the bumpers has been met with near-universal disdain, however. The changes Audi is making are the result of “customer feedback”, the spokesperson told us. “It’s for the design”.

While there’s no confirmation the new Audi “hot tailpipe” design policy will manifest itself on the maker’s smaller, MQB-based models, all of the larger PPC-platform Audis will get functional exhaust tips going forward. That starts with the A5, and will presumably include the forthcoming Q5, A7 and Q7 models, plus any future successor to the A8, which is likely to be badged A9.

In a similar vein, the decision to remove the fake pipes from its petrol models means that Audi’s EVs will feature a cleaner rear end, free from ICE-mimicking visual trickery. This is already the case with the Q4, Q6 and Q8 e-tron models, and is expected to carry over to the forthcoming A6 e-tron due soon.

Now read more about the new Audi A5...