ho tongs Evolve E-tronic review

[lilsheep_turbo]

alright ladies and gents

as per the title i am one of the few lucky owners in this planet of the evolve e-tronic exhaust. i have opted for the full exhaust manifold back which includes the evolve x pipe and the greatly anticipated e-tronic...

first of all i just wanted to say that im coming from the M performance exhaust (which will be for sale as soon as i take some pictures of it) which is regarded as one of the best sounding on the market.

so onto the aformentioned E-tronic..

if you guys have been in to the trader section on here for evolve. you will have seen the amount of R and D that has gone in to this exhaust.. I am truly in awe of how much work they have put into it and hopefully all exhaust companies put in the same amount.

The exhaust came in one massive square box and the x pipe a big rectangular box.. very well packaged. From the moment i payed, the exhaust was delivered to my door approx 16 hours later. ie the next morning to praise again to them

install was fairly straight forward to an extent. only slight problem was deciding where to wire the power for the recievers for the valves themselves. essentially it has been wired so as soon as my car is awake via pressing the unlock button on my fob the valves are active.

now the sound... valves closed its a bassy note in the lower rpm, which carries on through too higher rpm, though u can tell has been muffled, closest thing i can compare it too according to my ears is the eisenmann sport but louder... it has a very rich pure sound though. there is a slight drone at 70mph but its a very slight drone but i dont have to raise my voice to hold a conversation. The 2k rpm resonance is very noticable even with the valves closed but its easy to drive around that

valves open: now this is a completely different affair.. the car's rear end absolutely comes alive. its loud but not over the top. This car sounds absolutely amazing at any rpm. this lower rpm sounds big capacity american v8 and the higher rpm is just pure sex to my ears.. i dont think words justify how amazing it sounds at full throttle. My friend the other night said i sounded like a maserati whilst i was coming off a slip road towards the petrol station he was filling up at.. praise really doesnt get much higher than this IMHO when it comes to exhaust noises.. i could easily drive with it open all the time.
downside to open valves.. again at 2k rpm the resonance/boom is very noticable. apart from that nothing else really. i find the drone at 70mph not much louder than valves closed which is amazing considering the real difference in volume between the 2 settings..

sound wise im 10/10 happy on the move.. i do have to say though.. cold starts are embaressing.. its VERY loud no matter valves open or closed. infact i dont think there is any difference between the 2 on cold start up. that said, i have the evolve r cable and my cold start delete will sort that out.
on the plus side (this is not placebo) the car has definately gained some ponies/torque. verified by my ass and neck dyno hehe also my delivery driver agrees. the car has more mid range and the top end has gained alot.

all is not perfect though. i dont know if it was damaged in transport or whatever but my left backbox has a dint on the bottom of the can.. only visible from underneath and my far left exhaust pipe( pre installing tail pipe) was not round.. we had to use a mallet to tap it round. minor minor issues really but not something i was expecting from a 4.5k exhaust..

is it worth the money??? yes and no.. the sound is glorious and i truly mean amazing but at the end of the day its a piece of metal that channels gas out from our engines...should you get it over the akra? YES...forget the fact that the akra weighs less, are you really going to notice 15kgs on a 1600 kg car? no and if u truly felt that way then go on a diet heheh (kidding)

i do love this exaust and if you have the money to buy one then i would definately suggest it..

i would just like to say a big thanks to the team at Evolve for producing such an amazing product, in particular Sal and Riz, who have been in replied generally when ive had question regarding the exhaust.

i would also like to give a shoutout too DW motorwork in winlaton mill. if anyone is local then i would suggest going to him if you need a good indy. he was head tech at bmw stratstone for 10 years and watching him work, he knows his way around any BMW's very very well..

thanks all for reading. if ive made any spelling errors i apologise. BIG post

please find attatched some pictures of the exhaust and install and a very quick video of the exhaust in action.. i shall take some more when time allows..

-ho








and the short video

[GIdriver]

Congrats!! From what I can hear in the video it sounds awesome!!!

[flipm3]

My that sounds so good!

We need more videos ASAP!

[BLACK OPS]

This sounds mean as hell. How/where is the switch mounted inside the car? I assume the Evolve tune will delete the cold start? I have yet to hear this without the x-pipe. Thanks for your review, I look forward to more videos!

[MiamiE93Vert]

How would you compare the sound and volume of the valve system with the valves closed to your performance exhaust?

[lilsheep_turbo]

I had the option of a joystick type thing or remote. I opted for the remote option. The remote has 2 buttons, open or close. Press and hold either for 5 seconds.I like the idea of being able to open and close the valves before getting in the car obviously depending on where i am.
The joystick doesn't really suit being in the interior. Also I'm not willing to drill holes in my interior to make it look flush.

Essentially with the install. 2 very long wires plug Into either the remote harness or the joystick harness if that makes sense?! The harness then needs to be soldered somewhere to power itself.

[lilsheep_turbo]

Originally Posted by MiamiE93Vert

How would you compare the sound and volume of the valve system with the valves closed to your performance exhaust?

The sound on closed is louder still throughout the rev range. Truth be told it doesn't have that hollow rumble that the MPE is famous for. The etronic is deeper but doesn't quite have the character of the MPE with the valves closed.

Just took my girlfriend out for a drive and she loves it WIN. Didn't complain about the volume and we talked no problems at all.

[big fra]

I read this on m3 cutters and it sounds a great system! Have you ever had an akra on your car ? Interested to find out why you would prefer this to an akra??

[THE TECH]

Looks good.

[lilsheep_turbo]

Originally Posted by big fra

I read this on m3 cutters and it sounds a great system! Have you ever had an akra on your car ? Interested to find out why you would prefer this to an akra??

hiya bud

ive not owned an akra but ive been in a car with the evo set up and the slip on.. my brother owned an m3 for a year and a half before moving on to the m5. im not saying the akra sounds bad at all. its has a unique noise that only titanium can only make.
i think some cars suit the noise and some dont and imho i dont think this car does. it suits a deep bellow which by design, titanium cant make. my 350z suited the titanium noise and so does my cousins s2k.
dont get me wrong like i said.. the design, welds and cuts are amazing on akra exhausts. They are one of the best exhaust companies out there and their reputation is second to none essentially..
i just prefer the evolve exhaust and i like the fact i can choose to have it quiet (not that its been on closed setting much)

each to their own and if you have the akra or any other exhaust then good on you.

[big fra]

Originally Posted by lilsheep_turbo

hiya bud

ive not owned an akra but ive been in a car with the evo set up and the slip on.. my brother owned an m3 for a year and a half before moving on to the m5. im not saying the akra sounds bad at all. its has a unique noise that only titanium can only make.
i think some cars suit the noise and some dont and imho i dont think this car does. it suits a deep bellow which by design, titanium cant make. my 350z suited the titanium noise and so does my cousins s2k.
dont get me wrong like i said.. the design, welds and cuts are amazing on akra exhausts. They are one of the best exhaust companies out there and their reputation is second to none essentially..
i just prefer the evolve exhaust and i like the fact i can choose to have it quiet (not that its been on closed setting much)

each to their own and if you have the akra or any other exhaust then good on you.

Cool mate, I have an akra but I'm not saying either is better! Like you say each to their own glad you like the new exhaust, it's a belter

[lilsheep_turbo]

I think your misinterpreting what I'm saying or I'm not getting it across correctly.

Every exhaust I have heard and read reviews on has a 2k rpm boom. It was there with the standard exhaust and so with the MPE. Iirc bmw engineered it in?! Yes there is a slight drone. When I say slight. I mean the smallest little murmur in the back ground. Music is on no louder than when I had the MPE and my voice hasn't had to raise at all too speak to my passenger. I've been a passenger in a e92 with the eisenmann race and that droned alot worse.

[EddieSantor]

I look forward to more videos!

[Let It Rein]

Originally Posted by m3alabama

This seems like a fail. Why would you spend that kind of money and hassle on a valved exhaust in which with the valves closed it drones and is boomy? So valves open is nice and has some drone. Valves closed is boomy with drone. Sounds to me there is absolutely zero reason to drive with valves closed on this thing, and hence why have valves at all?

All that R and D and this is the best closed valve sound they could come up with?

People really need to simply keep a stock rear and add HFC/catless xpipe. That truly is the ONLY exhaust to be louder when accelerating but sound stock with zero drone when cruising with no boomy/bassy sound anytime.

You always come off angry and a bit like a know-it-all. Lighten up. OP is proud of his new purchase, and rightly so. Also love the implication that Evolve, who is highly respected here and across the pond, would put out "crap."

[john_thor]

Originally Posted by m3alabama

Right but the point of a valved exhaust is to have the valves closed sound stock. IF it doesnt sound stock with them closed then you may has well get the exhuast that is simply open.

Also when do you close the valves? Under what circumsance? I can't see when someone would close them. Either you want a loud exhaust and you drive your car or you don't. Not sure I wake up some days and want it loud and others not

I would want to close the valves when I see the cops! Where I live, a loud is exhaust is illegal.

[BLACK OPS]

Originally Posted by m3alabama

Right but the point of a valved exhaust is to have the valves closed sound stock. IF it doesnt sound stock with them closed then you may has well get the exhuast that is simply open.

Also when do you close the valves? Under what circumsance? I can't see when someone would close them. Either you want a loud exhaust and you drive your car or you don't. Not sure I wake up some days and want it loud and others not

I'm not so sure the goal of closed valves is stock, rather closed =sport and open= race. Most of the time the exhaust is likely preferred to be open but there are times when you are with business clients or when you might respect your neighborhood at late or early hours. If this isn't you then don't buy it. That's why they make more than 31 flavors.

[lilsheep_turbo]

Valid points if I'm honest and your allowed an opinion bid
I'm trying to remain subjective as such and not have a bias. Truth be told. I work nights and I sometime don't get home till 2am in the morning. Plus I live in a cul de sac so I'm semi surrounded by houses. The closed valves is useful then. Also pulling out the street i use the closed option. I'm not saying this exhaust is the best thing since sliced bread but it's a good alternative to the likes of ipe and kreissig.

[Sales@Evolve]

Originally Posted by BLACK OPS

I'm not so sure the goal of closed valves is stock, rather closed =sport and open= race. Most of the time the exhaust is likely preferred to be open but there are times when you are with business clients or when you might respect your neighborhood at late or early hours. If this isn't you then don't buy it. That's why they make more than 31 flavors.

Thanks for pointing out our aim.

This is exactly what we aimed for, valve closed = sporty, open = race.

[MiamiE93Vert]

A good example of the benefits for a valve system in everyday life would by my drive to work this morning after dropping off my daughter at school. It is a nice day so I put the top down coming out of the school and had the exhaust closed driving around the SUV moms. From the school to US1 I went through Coconut Grove, which is a really nice drive in the morning with lots of shade trees, but completely residential. After picking up US1 to downtown though the traffic opens from US1 into 95, so for a brief stretch I can open the exhaust and smile until the downtown exits. Once I exit to downtown I can close the exhaust and drive up into the garage.

An exhaust for all conditions.

[flipm3]

Originally Posted by MiamiE93Vert

A good example of the benefits for a valve system in everyday life would by my drive to work this morning after dropping off my daughter at school. It is a nice day so I put the top down coming out of the school and had the exhaust closed driving around the SUV moms. From the school to US1 I went through Coconut Grove, which is a really nice drive in the morning with lots of shade trees, but completely residential. After picking up US1 to downtown though the traffic opens from US1 into 95, so for a brief stretch I can open the exhaust and smile until the downtown exits. Once I exit to downtown I can close the exhaust and drive up into the garage.

An exhaust for all conditions.

That sounds like a great driving experience, especially in a convertable.

[lilsheep_turbo]

i made some videos last night with the go pro.. i tried to show a mixture of driving rangign from streets to steady throttle on the motorway to WOT... as much as id like to life isn't all about WOT. hope you enjoy guys

valves open :

valves closed :

-ho