Performance exhaust roll call

[e92Mjunky]

LOVE MINE, for $1900 best bang for buck...

[FVM3]

a buddy of mine spent $250 and got two dual tip universal muffler then paid $80 to get them done on his e92 m3. IMHO it sounds great and that setup costs only $330. If he doesnt tell, i cant tell the difference between his setup and some well known brand such as eisenmann, remus or something like that.

[stiles_s]

Originally Posted by Bubbles

I ran M3s with and without the performance exhaust at the track this week. The Exhaust sounds awesome, nearly no drone and on the track the car sounds completely different. That's the good news, bad news I didn't feel much of a performance boost.

Can you comment on how much louder the car is w/the BMW Performance exhaust during cold-start? In a perfect world, I'd rather cold-start didn't get any louder (wakes up the kids), but I could deal with a nice bit of additional noise/tone when warmed up. Thoughts from those who've had both?

[spdy330]

On my old E90 with the performance exhaust I used Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish. Stuff works great.

Originally Posted by My2010M3

Hands down, a major improvement. Like someone said, this should have been the stock exhaust. At a discounted price, it's really not that much more than other systems and with NO side effects. Fits perfectly, sounds great! Wasn't expecting more power, and yes, the big can is big, but it matches stock. Plus I wasn't sure about having a huge cavity where the stock one was. Overall, I think it was worth every penny. I didn't paint it either, looks just like it did stock except with nicer tips. What's a good polish for the tips?

[J08M3]

Originally Posted by Sean05

actually when your driving behind it, it freaking shows. 2 big bulky muffler. which is the reason why i hate the performance exhaust, dont get me wrong its one of the best sounding exhaust but its just bulky.

painting it black would be a good idea.

doesn't bother me that it shows. Almost every BMW you can see the mufflers. I understand some think it looks better painted black, but to me I have zero problem with seeing the mufflers a bit from behind the car. You might also want to check if painting it voids the warranty on it.

[llis]

There are a few pics posted in this thread: http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=486172 Too visible for my taste. Even on AW.

[llis]

Originally Posted by stiles_s

Can you comment on how much louder the car is w/the BMW Performance exhaust during cold-start? In a perfect world, I'd rather cold-start didn't get any louder (wakes up the kids), but I could deal with a nice bit of additional noise/tone when warmed up. Thoughts from those who've had both?

The rumble is louder in the lower frequencies, but not much, and mostly if you're standing behind the car. Under acceleration, though, volume is definitely louder.

[JCtx]

Originally Posted by AMPowerJ

I've got it ... painted the canisters flat black and removed the paint from the inside of my tips, since they started to peel.

That's the way to do it . The exhaust does look like crap from behind (just as the stocker), and it's super easy and cheap to paint, but if some folks don't care, all the power to them .

What I don't understand is why BMW waited almost when the car was out of production to come out with their exhaust. They'd have probably sold tons more if it had been out since the beginning. Or even year ago.

[H2887]

great responses,i LOVE mine too.too bad im never behind the car at speed to hear what everyone else hears

[J08M3]

Originally Posted by e92Mjunky

LOVE MINE, for $1900 best bang for buck...

[VictorH]

I've had mine for 1,000 miles now. It get's louder with time.
Cold start in the AM is louder but not bad nor obnoxious. This only lasts as long as the cold start function goes which is something like 45 seconds or so. It's a bit deeper, almost like a V-8 boat motor (not in a bad way). In regular driving mine's gotten louder, it used to be almost silent as low rpm or small throttle openings, but it's still pleasant and has a nice tone.

My days of louder is better is long gone so I like this exhaust. Very refined, very streetable and at high rpm or WOT it is plenty loud but in a refined european V-8 way. No regrets.

[scrummie2]

Originally Posted by VictorH

I've had mine for 1,000 miles now. It get's louder with time.
Cold start in the AM is louder but not bad nor obnoxious. This only lasts as long as the cold start function goes which is something like 45 seconds or so. It's a bit deeper, almost like a V-8 boat motor (not in a bad way). In regular driving mine's gotten louder, it used to be almost silent as low rpm or small throttle openings, but it's still pleasant and has a nice tone.

My days of louder is better is long gone so I like this exhaust. Very refined, very streetable and at high rpm or WOT it is plenty loud but in a refined european V-8 way. No regrets.

+1
My thoughts with mine exactly.

[aussiem3]

I have to agree with J08M3, that the /// Perofrmance exhaust is the best axle back system if one is looking for sound. Cans don't bother me.

[spdy330]

+1

Originally Posted by J08M3

[spdy330]

I love cans oops wrong cans, my bad!

Originally Posted by aussiem3

I have to agree with J08M3, that the /// Perofrmance exhaust is the best axle back system if one is looking for sound. Cans don't bother me.

[robotrenegade]

I installed mine and love it. I painted the cans black because it looked bad not painted.

[e92Mjunky]

did not realize it was the "BMW Performance" exhaust...thought it was for all aftermarket performance exhausts...didnt mean to jack thread...sorry

[C17MooseDriver]

I just had my BMW m performance exhaust installed. Right away I noticed how quiet it was compared to my AA at idle and low rpms. That's until you punch it above 3.5 rpms and the sound comes alive. Kinda hard to explain. It has a richer and fuller sound with absolutely no drone.

The exhaust hangs low but isn't as noticeable as stock, and unless you really squat to look at it, it isn't too bad. One thing I noticed, compared to my AA exhaust, is that the pipes don't stick out that much. In fact, with my diffuser, it doesn't stick out at all. You can't see the M emblem on the pipes.

I'm wondering if anyone else noticed this? Ideally I wish it stuck about .25 more inches, but at least I don't have to worry about burning my legs every time I take something out of the trunk.

[spdy330]

I had this exhaust installed on my car before I took delivery of it on Tuesday. I really like the sound but I am sure it will change after I break it in. Car only has 269 miles on it so far. I think the tips stick out just perfect on this one compared to the performance exhaust I had on my 2006 E90 330i.

[Moxie]

Originally Posted by C17MooseDriver

One thing I noticed, compared to my AA exhaust, is that the pipes don't stick out that much. In fact, with my diffuser, it doesn't stick out at all. You can't see the M emblem on the pipes.

I'm wondering if anyone else noticed this? Ideally I wish it stuck about .25 more inches, but at least I don't have to worry about burning my legs every time I take something out of the trunk.

Can't you loosen the connecting pipes & push the cans back & then tighten them were you want them? It may not sit perfctly in the middle of the hangers, but the pipes will stick further out.

[benzo23]

Heres the question of the day...Is it worth what you guys spent?

[AMPowerJ]

Originally Posted by benzo23

Heres the question of the day...Is it worth what you guys spent?

There isn't a single exhaust on the market REALLY worth what they cost.

With that being said, I would say if you factor the fit, quality (although the paint inside the tips is a joke), sound, weight, and looks, it is worth the price compared to all the other choices. (I paid significantly less than the list price though)

Every exhaust is an exercise in trade-offs. There is no perfect one despite what everyone will tell you.

In my mind, the BMW Performance option ranks as one of the best.