IND | Eisenmann x RKP Ultimate Exhaust Buyer's Guide for E9x M3

[IND-Distribution]

There are few exhaust manufacturers that carry the same prestige as Eisenmann. For over thirty years, Eisenmann has hand-crafted some of the very best OE and aftermarket exhaust systems for BMW, Porsche, and Mercedes Benz vehicles.

IND has been the proud North American distributor for the iconic brand for more than a decade, introducing our far-reaching enthusiast following to the German staple and, in some cases, helping put our own stamp on steering exhaust development for specific model offerings. The F8X M3 / M4 exhaust was a shining example of this—IND’s input was paramount in shaping the canister design, sound characteristics, and subsequent rollout. But even before that, IND was heavily involved in one of Eisenmann’s standout releases—the E9X M3 exhaust.

THE EISENMANN E9X M3 EXHAUST



The Eisenmann exhaust for the BMW E90, E92, and E93 M3

It must be said that the S65 is, in its own right, a crown jewel of BMW M’s history. Eisenmann’s accrued library of knowledge helped extract the very best parts of the S65’s glorious soundtrack while also improving upon the OE canister’s ghastly appearance. Indeed, the low hanging OE exhaust was an eyesore and the punitive tips out back were a dismally sharp disparity to the mighty V8 that lurked up front.

By contrast, Eisenmann’s effort mates a beautifully crafted canister with their iconic Le Mans tip—a striking 4x83mm quad configuration that fills the E9X M3’s rear bumper void. Connecting pipes are now standard fare and make installation plug and play where earlier versions required cutting of the OEM pipes. But the real transformation happens when you start the car—with the Eisenmann Sport fitted, the car bellows with eagerness for the open road. With the Eisenmann Race, the E9X M3 roars to life with a dominating presence. There are unique Eisenmann exhausts for E90 (sedan) and E92/3 (coupe/convertible) models which correspond to tip lengths and do not impact sound level.

CHOOSING BETWEEN EISENMANN SPORT AND RACE

While it’s an indisputable upgrade regardless of sound level choice, both the Sport and Race have their virtues and both systems represent an admirable weight reduction from stainless steel construction. While the decibel delta between Sport and Race is obvious (20dB), it’s the backpressure reduction that represents a valuable distinction between each variant.

Explained: The main purpose of the exhaust is to, as the name suggests, exhaust spent combustion gasses as quickly as possible. By reducing backpressure, those high pressure spent gasses are able to exit more freely rather than meet resistance within the exhaust pathway. Since the overall pipe diameter between OE and Eisenmann remains consistent (i.e. not more or less restrictive), the exhaust gas velocity and scavenging also stays constant, which means backpressure is the only variable that will control viable power gains.

TL;DR: The Race exhaust will represent a slightly higher power output versus the Sport.

FINISH OPTIONS & SPECIAL EDITIONS



In an age where customization is a paramount concern, Eisenmann offers two unique finishes for their E9X M3 exhaust: standard (polished) and a Black Series variant (an IND exclusive). The latter adds a matte high temp ceramic coating to the exhaust canisters and connecting pipes. The LeMans tips are treated to a high gloss coating for that extra bit of flair and contrast.





For those of you who are envious of the interchangeable tips on the F-Chassis Eisenmann offerings, IND has spawned a trick version of the E9X M3 exhaust that can accommodate these new, larger slip-on 4x90 units. Just like the F-Chassis cars, the new, larger tips easily install onto the canister with the supplied clamps and can be swapped out for a different style in minutes.



TURN UP THE VOLUME: THE RKP X-PIPE

The Eisenmann E9X M3 exhaust is no slouch on its own, but its intensity and personality are amplified with the addition of an RKP X-Pipe. RKP has crafted three 304 stainless steel variants to suit the wide variety of emission compliance demands: street, sport, and race—all made in USA.



RKP’s street x-pipe is the tamest offering—it reuses the OEM primary catalytic converters while deleting the secondary units. Two twin resonators help control sound while ensuring no available power is robbed in the process. Because it reuses the OE primaries, the street x-pipe features a slip-fit front section for easy installation. No check engine lights or emission concerns here—just a bit more noise to amp up the Eisenmann—and a 10whp/15tq gain for good measure.

The RKP sport x-pipe is the happy medium of the three. As you can see from the graphic above, the full bolt-on sport variant deletes both of the OE primary and secondary units, but replaces the latter with high flow Magnaflow catalysts (400 cel). Like the street variant, two twin resonators at the tail end of the x-pipe help control sound and drone without depleting power. Speaking of gains, this is a setup that nets more oomph by virtue of deleting the primaries without the full catless odor, but still requires an ECU reflash or CEL delete to turn off the check engine light. Paired with the Eisenmann, the E9X M3 features a ferocious bark above the that coveted 4500rpm and absolutely sings to redline.



The RKP E9X M3 X-Pipe race variant installed

At the more extreme end is RKP’s bolt-on race x-pipe which deletes both primary and secondary catalysts for maximum power gains and, by virtue of its simplicity, is the lightest of the three. The familiar twin resonators carry over from the other two variants, but make no mistake—it is still very loud. An ECU reflash or CEL delete is required to eliminate the check engine light. Couple this with the Eisenmann (especially the Race variant), and your E9X M3 will carry unmistakable presence everywhere you go and is an aural treat to experience through the gears and on every downshift.

SO WHAT DO I CHOOSE?



As with any exhaust, individual tolerances play a big role in dictating the right choice for you. Our Eisenmann + RKP configuration guide represents our collective opinion on how we would rank sound and performance with each setup respectively. The Eisenmann Sport + RKP Race setup is a favorite within these walls—this combo is neighbor-friendly at start up and low RPM levels, but comes alive with authority as the car climbs to redline. We believe the Eisenmann Sport offers the most flexibility to add the x-pipe of your choosing, whereas the Eisenmann Race is often run alone or in conjunction with a "tame" x-pipe. The Race + Sport / Race x-pipe configurations have a menacing cold start and authoritative exhaust note throughout the rev range, but it's not for the faint of heart.

Whichever configuration is best for you, you're guaranteed to experience some of the very best that is readily available for the E9X M3 market and is bound to induce even more ear to ear smiles with every push of the throttle.

PARTS FEATURED IN THIS GUIDE:
Eisenmann E90 M3 Performance Exhaust
Eisenmann E90 M3 Black Series Performance Exhaust
Eisenmann E90 M3 Performance Exhaust - Limited Release
Eisenmann E92 / E93 M3 Performance Exhaust
Eisenmann E92 / E93 M3 Black Series Performance Exhaust
Eisenmann E92 / E93 M3 Performance Exhaust - Limited Release
RKP E9X M3 Stainless Steel X Pipe - Street
RKP E9X M3 Stainless Steel X Pipe - Sport
RKP E9X M3 Stainless Steel X Pipe - Race

[wyatth]

Good stuff - I absolutely love(d) my Eisenmann Sport Black Series! I recently put an MPE on to try it out, but kept the Eisenmann because I just can't let it go (and unlikely to ever find another used E90 BS).
One thing I like more about the MPE is the straight cut tips. Is it possible to remove and fit those slip-on tips to an existing muffler? The cans look great, and I like the 83mm size, but the Le Mans angle cut tips, plus being kind of short on the E90, make it look meh compared to the MPE, imo. Straight cut tips could fix that!

[amrazM]

I had an eisenmann sport, very high quality piece but rather quiet. Didn't have it for more than a week.

[DanMpower]

IND, are the cats on the RKP Sport 400 CELL or 200 CELL?

I always thought the original Challenge Pipe used Vibrant/Magnaflow 200 CELL HFCs?

[Scharbag]

The RKP sport sounded good with Dinan cans.

One thing to note: the RKP x-pipe o bought new from IND had fitment issues. It was longer than the stock x-pipe which made installation impossible without completely removing the cans. This also required me to clearance a bumper bracket to correct a vibration once the exhaust was hot (thermal expansion).

IND never returned any of my emails about this. Given I am in Canada, I did not pursue it very hard as I fixed the issue. But still disappointing that I did not hear back.

Additionally, the mating points for the cans must not be properly sized as it was very difficult to get the clamps to hold properly and not leak. Had to use high temp silicone and be extremely careful where I placed the clamps when mounting the cans. Other x-pipes have not been so finicky.

When properly installed, they do sound good once up to temp. When cold, they rasp and cause vibration that you can feel through your feet. If it were not for that, I would have kept the RKP.

Just my $0.02.

[amrazM]

Originally Posted by Scharbag

The RKP sport sounded good with Dinan cans.

One thing to note: the RKP x-pipe o bought new from IND had fitment issues. It was longer than the stock x-pipe which made installation impossible without completely removing the cans. This also required me to clearance a bumper bracket to correct a vibration once the exhaust was hot (thermal expansion).

IND never returned any of my emails about this. Given I am in Canada, I did not pursue it very hard as I fixed the issue. But still disappointing that I did not hear back.


Just my $0.02.

Lets hear an explanation @IND

[MikeM5]

Originally Posted by DanMpower

IND, are the cats on the RKP Sport 400 CELL or 200 CELL?

I always thought the original Challenge Pipe used Vibrant/Magnaflow 200 CELL HFCs?

The original Challenge pipe used Vibrant 200 Cell HFC, but from what I understand, the latest RKP production uses 400 Cell HFC from Magnaflow.

[DukeofAlexandria]

Originally Posted by Scharbag

The RKP sport sounded good with Dinan cans.

One thing to note: the RKP x-pipe o bought new from IND had fitment issues. It was longer than the stock x-pipe which made installation impossible without completely removing the cans. This also required me to clearance a bumper bracket to correct a vibration once the exhaust was hot (thermal expansion).

IND never returned any of my emails about this. Given I am in Canada, I did not pursue it very hard as I fixed the issue. But still disappointing that I did not hear back.

Additionally, the mating points for the cans must not be properly sized as it was very difficult to get the clamps to hold properly and not leak. Had to use high temp silicone and be extremely careful where I placed the clamps when mounting the cans. Other x-pipes have not been so finicky.

When properly installed, they do sound good once up to temp. When cold, they rasp and cause vibration that you can feel through your feet. If it were not for that, I would have kept the RKP.

Just my $0.02.

At least you got your order in a timely manner it seems. IND F'ed me when I placed my order for RKP pipes last year. Told me it was ordered 11/30/2019, got a confirmation, charged my CC, and was told that shipping would take about 3 weeks. Ok, no big deal. I waited nearly 5 weeks before emailing them and THEN they finally said "OH, well we won't have them ready until end of Feb 2020."

I don't have an issue waiting on things, but the issue I have is that they charged my CC and didn't tell me shit until 5 weeks later AFTER I inquired. The best part? You could still go order the exhaust with no updates to the website or it showing that they had 'delays' for nearly 4 months.

In my line of business, you invoice/charge when you ship or produce a deliverable. It's a scummy way to do business....so lesson learned on my end.

-Duke

[amrazM]

If anyone else speaks out this thread will probably get locked

[Scharbag]

Originally Posted by amrazM

If anyone else speaks out this thread will probably get locked

Hope not. But if that happens, just more reason to avoid IND.

[Nate@IND]

Originally Posted by amrazM

If anyone else speaks out this thread will probably get locked

Nope this thread needs to stay open. When we make mistakes we want them public. This allows for us to learn and make adjustments. We have been in business for over 15+ years and a sponsor on this site for most of that time. I'm looking into this matter right now and having the team check all X-pipe jigs.

[Nate@IND]

Originally Posted by Scharbag

Hope not. But if that happens, just more reason to avoid IND.

Shoot me a pm

[TechE]

I want some black tips for my Eisenmann E92 Sport section.. I have an early build date with welded tips, that I believe to be 83mm. Also, I want to shorten them to E90 length. Are the above a viable solution, pending muffler modification, and can they be purchased separately?

[amrazM]

Originally Posted by E.Usaf

I want some black tips for my Eisenmann E92 Sport section.. I have an early build date with welded tips, that I believe to be 83mm. Also, I want to shorten them to E90 length. Are the above a viable solution, pending muffler modification, and can they be purchased separately?

you would be better off selling your E92 length eisenmann and buying the appropriate exhaust system for your e90

[MJBO]

Originally Posted by E.Usaf

I want some black tips for my Eisenmann E92 Sport section.. I have an early build date with welded tips, that I believe to be 83mm. Also, I want to shorten them to E90 length. Are the above a viable solution, pending muffler modification, and can they be purchased separately?

I too would be curious about that. I got a ripper deal on an E92 Race with black tips, and would love to have them swapped for shorter chrome/silver tips for my E90.

The crazy long pipes look kinda cool, but I’d rather be more OEM+.

[TechE]

Originally Posted by amrazM

you would be better off selling your E92 length eisenmann and buying the appropriate exhaust system for your e90

It would cost me $3,600 to get one here. Lol. Say I sell mine, it's going to fetch pennies to original cost, then I also get hosed on shipping (there's not many E9X M's here on island). I think attempting this route, even with the exhaust shop bill and tips purchase, would result drastically more friendly on my wallet.