The Fake Exhaust Holes Of The Paris Auto Show Floor

It’s perhaps one of the most annoying design trends in the industry now, and no, we’re not talking about the lobster claw taillights again; this time we dive into the universally hated fake exhausts.

Having a sizeable set of exhaust tips is always eye-catching so pretty much every new model comes with them, despite most being obviously fake; the whole trend started a few years ago, with some cars having regular exhaust pipes resting inside much bigger polished tips but it went downhill pretty fast since then.

With the kind help of our photographers at the Paris Auto Show, we gathered an image gallery that shows who’s faking it and who’s really faking it. Some models go as far as having a chrome-trimmed hole that leads to emptiness while other don’t even bother drilling a hole at all. So, let’s investigate.

Audi A6

The new A6 doesn’t even care of pretending to have twin trapezoidal exhaust tips, so Audi just added a really shallow plastic cover within the trim pieces and called it a day.

BMW X5

The new BMW X5 on the other hand has the decency to actually route its exhaust pipes into the bumper. Still a bit frustrating but way better than the worst offenders here.

DS3 Crossback

Moving on to the new DS3 Crossback, which is actually one of the most honest new cars as far as exhausts go; just look at that snug fitment of the pipe within the tip! So satisfying.

KIA ProCeed

The new Kia ProCeed might be one of the most impressive wagon models we’ve seen this year but it too can’t escape from the fake-huge-tip syndrome. At least the real exhaust is nestled in there.

Mercedes – Every.Single.Model

Mercedes, along with Audi, is one of the worst offenders here, as every model comes with these infuriating pieces of trim on the rear bumper that pretend to be the exhaust tip, only to find out that the actual exhaust hides behind them.