After some research on this forum, I decided to purchase an Akrapovic slip on exhaust for my E90 M3. My reasons for going with Akrapovic were the positive reviews, high level of quality, and what I consider reasonable pricing given the system is titanium and the quality of the welds, materials, etc is second to none. I decided against the full system as live in an emissions county and have heard of the CEL issue. Also, I did not want something much if any louder than stock.
I purchased the exhaust through IND along with a few cosmetic modifications and couldn't be happier with their customer service. Everything was packaged perfectly and shipment was sent promptly.
Initial impressions: The exhaust packaging alone was like no other exhaust I have seen. In addition, the quality of the exhaust surpasses any other I have come across.
I had the exhaust installed at Funktionauto in Dulles, VA. The guys at Funktion adjusted their schedule and were able to fit me in for the install the day after I received the exhaust. This shop is as professional as it gets. I have used Funktionauto on other servicing and modification work on other cars and I trust them completely. The guys at the shop have great attention to detail and I will be returning soon to get my poly Vorsteiner front spoiler installed. Getting onto the exhaust install:
Off with the stock exhaust:
Side by side comparison:
Install complete:
Impressions: If you are looking for a loud exhaust, this is not the one. There is no drone or resonance what so ever at any RPM. The exhaust is mildly louder than the stock exhaust and in my opinion is the way BMW should have made it sound from the factory. You really only notice the increase in sound when you get past 4-5K RPM. I've had my share of loud exhausts in the past and on a car I drive daily, I wanted something a bit more subtle. I couldn't be happier with the Akrapovic slip on system and can always convert it into the full system if I choose to at a later date.