The VR30 Deserves Better Than the Factory Exhaust
The Nissan Z NISMO is the flagship of the RZ34 range. It gets the upgraded twin-turbo VR30DDTT with a factory bump in boost pressure, revised suspension tuning, larger brakes, and the aggressive NISMO bodywork. It is a serious car from the factory. But Nissan, like every manufacturer, has to engineer the exhaust system to meet noise regulations across every market the car is sold in, and the result is a factory exhaust that is deliberately muted. For a car with NISMO on the badge, the sound character does not quite match the intent.
The owner of this Z NISMO wanted the exhaust to reflect what the car actually is. Not obnoxiously loud, not droning on the highway, but genuinely deeper and more characterful under load so that the VR30 sounds like a proper performance engine. He uses the car daily and was clear that cabin comfort at cruise speed was non-negotiable. This is a car that gets driven to work during the week and enjoys spirited runs on the weekends, so the exhaust had to work in both contexts.
Why the HKS Full Dual Muffler
We recommended the HKS Full Dual Muffler catback for this application. HKS have been building exhaust systems for decades, and their product development on the RZ34 platform shows. The Full Dual Muffler is a true catback system, meaning it replaces everything from the mid-pipe flange back to the tips. It bolts directly to the factory mid-pipe and catalytic converters with no cutting, welding, or modification required. The system is constructed from stainless steel throughout, with a dual-muffler design that uses two separate silencer boxes to control the exhaust note.
The dual-muffler approach is the key to getting the sound right on a daily-driven car. A single-muffler or straight-through design on a twin-turbo V6 will inevitably produce resonance and drone at highway cruise speeds, typically in the 2,000 to 3,000 RPM range where the engine sits most of the time. The HKS system’s two silencers cancel out those problematic frequencies while still allowing the exhaust to breathe freely at higher RPM. The result is a system that is quiet and refined at cruise, but opens up with a deep, aggressive tone when you get on the throttle.
The Install
This is a straightforward bolt-on job, which is one of the advantages of choosing an exhaust system that is specifically engineered for the platform. The car went up on the hoist, the factory catback system was unbolted from the mid-pipe flange and removed from the factory hangers, and the HKS system went on in its place. Every mounting point, hanger position, and clearance dimension is accounted for in the HKS design, so there is no faffing about with adaptor brackets or forcing pipes into position.
The pipework routes cleanly along the factory path with proper clearance to the underbody, tunnel, and rear subframe. Once installed, we ran the car through a full warm-up cycle and checked every join for leaks before bringing it back down.
Titanium Tips and Presentation
The finishing touch on the HKS system is the titanium exhaust tips. They feature the signature burnt blue finish that comes from the heat treatment of the titanium, and they sit cleanly within the NISMO rear diffuser without protruding too far or sitting too recessed. It is a small detail, but on a car like the Z NISMO where the rear end design is a focal point, the exhaust tips need to look right. The HKS tips complement the aggressive styling without looking aftermarket in a cheap way.
The Sound and the Difference
With the HKS system fitted, the VR30 finally sounds like the engine it is. At idle, the note is barely louder than stock, just slightly deeper. At cruise on the highway, there is no drone whatsoever. The cabin remains quiet and comfortable, which was the owner’s primary concern. But get on the throttle and the character changes completely. The twin turbos spool up with an audible whoosh, the exhaust note drops into a deep, purposeful growl through the mid-range, and it pulls cleanly through to redline with a tone that matches the car’s performance.
It is exactly the kind of exhaust upgrade that makes sense on a car like this: a meaningful improvement in sound character and personality without sacrificing the refinement that makes the Z NISMO a genuine daily driver. No modification to the factory catalytic converters, no check engine lights, no neighbours complaining about cold starts. Just the VR30 sounding the way it should have from the factory.
