Help! What exhaust do I get?

[USCm3]

Hi Friends!

I currently have a MPE v1 on my M3 and the sound is great, but I want something louder. I would just throw on the AA test pipes but I would need to tune it and dont want to have to deal with any warranty issues (car is covered for another 50k miles).

Any ideas on something that is louder/more aggressive than the MPE but not 2k+ in price?

Thank you for the advice, loving the e9x m3 community so far.

[MP0W3RD]

I have the Supersprint Race exhaust and it's great. Got it on Sale for less than $2K from TurnerMotorSports.

Amazing sound.

[DukeofAlexandria]

Anything you get is going to be louder than any MPE you would have installed (v1 or v2).

You didn't specify what TYPE of loudness you wanted, so any of the cheap brands will get you obnoxious loud - Megan, Agency, MagnaFlow, Borla, Remus.

The more 'refined' type of loudness will get you there albeit with more price like - SuperSprint, Akropovic, Miesterschaft, Eisenmann.

To be clear, you might find the 'refined' exhausts not loud enough either. A lot of these don't sound good until you put either an X-pipe or test pipes onto them, then they really open up and are amazing. The obnoxious loud will just be straight loud, no matter what you do. I've tested out 4 of the brands above (2 cheap, 2 expensive) and in various combinations (X-pipe vs. Test pipe) and it really depends on your preference.

Literally DOZENS of threads and videos on the forums to take a look and listen to which you think sounds good. No, it's not 1:1 quality, but they will get you in the ballpark of what tone you prefer.

-Duke

[USCm3]

thanks for the replies duke and mpow3red.

I'm very tempted to just say screw it and add the Active autowerke test pipes to my MPEv1. especially considering the test pipes are just a couple hundred bucks.

I'm no longer in California so emissions is not an issue. I dont think the techs would be checking out the test pipes, but i'm assuming that any tune I do would immediately throw off red flags?

[Super Spartan]

Originally Posted by DukeofAlexandria

Anything you get is going to be louder than any MPE you would have installed (v1 or v2).

You didn't specify what TYPE of loudness you wanted, so any of the cheap brands will get you obnoxious loud - Megan, Agency, MagnaFlow, Borla, Remus.

The more 'refined' type of loudness will get you there albeit with more price like - SuperSprint, Akropovic, Miesterschaft, Eisenmann.

To be clear, you might find the 'refined' exhausts not loud enough either. A lot of these don't sound good until you put either an X-pipe or test pipes onto them, then they really open up and are amazing. The obnoxious loud will just be straight loud, no matter what you do. I've tested out 4 of the brands above (2 cheap, 2 expensive) and in various combinations (X-pipe vs. Test pipe) and it really depends on your preference.

Literally DOZENS of threads and videos on the forums to take a look and listen to which you think sounds good. No, it's not 1:1 quality, but they will get you in the ballpark of what tone you prefer.

-Duke

I just got an Akrapovic Evolution Titanium Exhaust on my E93 a couple of days ago and as you mentioned, it's not that loud but it has a very deep and quality sound, love it. The stock exhaust sounded like a Honda Civic.

[G80indy]

Corsa

[akkando]

Originally Posted by USCm3

thanks for the replies duke and mpow3red.

I'm very tempted to just say screw it and add the Active autowerke test pipes to my MPEv1. especially considering the test pipes are just a couple hundred bucks.

I'm no longer in California so emissions is not an issue. I dont think the techs would be checking out the test pipes, but i'm assuming that any tune I do would immediately throw off red flags?

What techs are going to be looking for a tune? The same ones that will claim test pipes is what blew up your engine if you make a warranty claim?

[WWM3]

Borla ATAK is my pick. Its loud and it sounds awesome. No drone either.

[wootloops]

Originally Posted by DukeofAlexandria

Anything you get is going to be louder than any MPE you would have installed (v1 or v2).

You didn't specify what TYPE of loudness you wanted, so any of the cheap brands will get you obnoxious loud - Megan, Agency, MagnaFlow, Borla, Remus.

The more 'refined' type of loudness will get you there albeit with more price like - SuperSprint, Akropovic, Miesterschaft, Eisenmann.

I disagree with the generalization that all cheap exhausts are obnoxious & loud. I just helped a friend install the Megan catback on his E92 M3 and it's actually very refined and not loud at all. It's borderline too quiet but it should get louder once he does an X-Pipe. It's a lot deeper than my Meisterschaft GT and honestly a great bang for the buck at $600.

[SAMM3Y]

Correct Megan sounds like stock. I couldn't tell a difference in the car between the two, outside the car Megan sounded slightly louder. I'd find a market deal on a used something locally. If you decide you don't like it, re-sell it and move on with minimum financial exposure. Personally the akrapovic to me is tough to beat for lots of reasons some of which is subjective, some of which isn't.

[EdoApero]

Dinan Axleback with Dinan X-Pipe hands down best sounding combo ever

[DukeofAlexandria]

Originally Posted by wootloops

I disagree with the generalization that all cheap exhausts are obnoxious & loud. I just helped a friend install the Megan catback on his E92 M3 and it's actually very refined and not loud at all. It's borderline too quiet but it should get louder once he does an X-Pipe. It's a lot deeper than my Meisterschaft GT and honestly a great bang for the buck at $600.

Yeah, one of the main reasons I put Megan in the top category was more 'cheaper' than louder, so that's my bad. The one Megan I did hear they had straight pipes on it (NOT TEST PIPES) and sounded dumb loud. With that being said, it's a cheap way to go for some extra sound. I also missed a bunch of others....Macht Schnell, the new (and old) RPI exhaust/X-pipe, Challenge, etc. I'm personally running a cheaper Remus full race but with an RKP X-Pipe Sport. It's a loud deep rumble but with high exotic notes at times. Not everyone's taste and if I had to invest again I'd probably go with an Akropovic or some custom fab - both of those I think are perfect with any X-pipes on the market right now.

Originally Posted by EdoApero

Dinan Axleback with Dinan X-Pipe hands down best sounding combo ever

My car started off with this setup (albeit a different X-pipe) and for as long as I live I will always shit on Dinan. Hated the tone, hated the guy spent so much on it, and ultimately felt like a gimmick of an exhaust. It is neither loud, nor overly tonal in the 'exotic' realm. I realize they are all subjective, but it honestly sounded like a 2 pipe exhaust mod with a nice X-pipe on it. I specifically didn't include Dinan for multiple reasons. I understand it's a lot of peoples thing, but will never be mine.

-Duke

[SAMM3Y]

Originally Posted by DukeofAlexandria

Yeah, one of the main reasons I put Megan in the top category was more 'cheaper' than louder, so that's my bad. The one Megan I did hear they had straight pipes on it (NOT TEST PIPES) and sounded dumb loud. With that being said, it's a cheap way to go for some extra sound.

Could definitely see that and for what it's worth the Megan for the money seemed to be a quality piece and saved a little weight over stock. In an effort to make mine louder I paired it with a cheap resonated x pipe and it sounded shit.. the whole setup was on my car for less than a day before I pulled it and scrapped the whole thing.

[DukeofAlexandria]

Originally Posted by SAMM3Y

Could definitely see that and for what it's worth the Megan for the money seemed to be a quality piece and saved a little weight over stock. In an effort to make mine louder I paired it with a cheap resonated x pipe and it sounded shit.. the whole setup was on my car for less than a day before I pulled it and scrapped the whole thing.

Yeah, that's fair. The guy who had straight pipes on it basically had one LONG X-pipe all the way back to the Megan catback. It was a little insane when he told me about it, but he had some dudes out in Texas custom fab him up some sort of straight pipe from the headers all the way back. Hence why it was obnoxious loud.

P.S. - Sorry, I had to adjust my previous item, appreciate you responding though hah! :-)

-Duke

[amrazM]

Sell that shit get a Meisterschaft GT2, sounds perfect with the stock X pipe.

[850tgul]

Like many others, I tried a few different combos. Borla catback with stock x-pipe sounded good but wasn’t loud enough for me. Borla + Remus x pipe (deleted secondary cars and resonator) was too loud and sounded like shit. Switched the Borla for a Remus catback but that was way too quiet.

I eventually settled on, and loved, the Borla catback with a modified stock x-pipe which had gutted secondary cats but kept the resonators. Never touched the primary cats. Sound level and tone were perfect for me. Teamed with an Eventuri plenum and the car sounded absolutely amazing. By far the best sounding car I have ever owned.