The downpipe is the tube that runs down from the turbocharger. This is where back pressure builds up: the turbine has to push the exhaust gases through a narrowed section and often through a catalytic converter. Enlarging it frees up the turbine, allowing it to build boost earlier and more decisively - this is the exhaust modification you feel most on a turbocharged engine.

What changes behind the wheel: the response. The turbo takes less time to spool, and the power continues higher in the rev range. On a remapped engine, this is the part that lets the ECU deliver what it promises; without a remap, the ECU compensates and much of the potential gain remains untapped.