Best Exhaust Setups?

[CRae15]

Hi All,

I recently just picked up an f80 m3 and I was wondering what everyone has exhaust wise? I’m looking for something not too much louder than stock.

[M3SQRD]

Exhaust sound is so subjective and it gets to the point that I person may absolutely love the sound whereas someone else absolutely hates it.

I have an AA single midpipe mated to an AA 3-can axle back. I think it sounds great for a s55. I think the loudness of my AA setup is perfect. It’s loud enough to know it’s on there but not loud enough to piss off my neighbors.

I find EL setups to be hit or miss for me. It’s definitely a miss if stock cats are removed and borderline with HFCs. In the engine/intake/exhaust forum you can find sound clips of most setups.

[DeTh]

This is from what I've heard and my own experience:
Single mid is the correct route. I had equal length on my car (catless dp, AA Res EL, MPE), and the 2k drone drove me crazy! I sold it super quick. It might be fine if you are keeping your cats.
If you are keeping your cats, get the non-resonated single mid. VRSF makes a very affordable one.
If you are doing catless downpipes, you need a resonator. You can either go with AA's resonated single mid (I have, would recommend), or get resonated downpipes.

Axleback combo is going to come down to preference.
I have MPE, so I kept my factory titanium rear muffler (I am catless DP, res single mid). I personally think this is the best setup. I have had quite a few S55 owners ask what exhaust I am running. Some people have AA 3-can, it sounds pretty solid.

My first M4 was catless downpipes with stock non-zcp exhaust, and it was a bit raspy but not bad. My friend has catless downpipes, VRSF non-res single mid, and comp muffler and (sorry if you are reading this) it sounds like ASS.

Here's a sound clip of my exhaust:
https://youtube.com/shorts/o5aVnOfJXro

[noemon]

I have the VSRF single midpipe, Akra catless downpipes paired with the Remus back box.

I think the sound is the best it can be.

Same as stock with valves closed on low rpm, much nicer on high rpm and on another level once you open up the valves.

I think your starting point should be a single midpipe to begin with, this is the best exhaust mod out of the box and relatively cheap also. The VSRF one costs around 600-700 GBP. It gets rid of the rasp without adding any drone and makes the note deeper. Then when you get bored of the setup and while in the meantime you find a nice used backbox, either Remus, MPE or something else, you then add the back box later.

[MethodRR]

I'm in the camp where I dislike the stock sound & single mid sound. (Doesn't sound like an I6 to me).

Currently running stock downpipes, AA non-resonated mid, competition muffler.

Nice & quiet (almost stock) with the valves closed, no drone, and sounds amazing with the valves open. (There is a brief resonance at 3k rpm under partial throttle, but does not impact me as 3k tends to be a transitionary rpm)

I am curious to experiment with the resonated back pipes on the AA to clean up the note a little, but not enough to actually spend the $$.

[dpgfunk]

I ran the single midpipe for about 3 years, then the EL (both res and non-res) for about 2.5 years. Now I'm going back to the single midpipe. There's pros and cons to each. For normal day-to-day commuting, I prefer the deeper tone of the single. When going WOT and pushing the car, EL wins every time. I ran each setup with stock cats. I may go back to EL again in the future, I just can't make up my mind, even with this much seat time on both midpipes.

[Jonb70]

Originally Posted by DeTh

This is from what I've heard and my own experience:
Single mid is the correct route. I had equal length on my car (catless dp, AA Res EL, MPE), and the 2k drone drove me crazy! I sold it super quick. It might be fine if you are keeping your cats.
If you are keeping your cats, get the non-resonated single mid. VRSF makes a very affordable one.
If you are doing catless downpipes, you need a resonator. You can either go with AA's resonated single mid (I have, would recommend), or get resonated downpipes.

Axleback combo is going to come down to preference.
I have MPE, so I kept my factory titanium rear muffler (I am catless DP, res single mid). I personally think this is the best setup. I have had quite a few S55 owners ask what exhaust I am running. Some people have AA 3-can, it sounds pretty solid.

My first M4 was catless downpipes with stock non-zcp exhaust, and it was a bit raspy but not bad. My friend has catless downpipes, VRSF non-res single mid, and comp muffler and (sorry if you are reading this) it sounds like ASS.

Here's a sound clip of my exhaust:
https://youtube.com/shorts/o5aVnOfJXro

Running this setup and will agree. I’ve heard plenty of F8x cars but not a single I’d say sounds better.

[HotRodM4]

AWE Switchpath is the answer. Love the rumble without the rasp. And turbos like 3” exhaust piping.

[Schemxr]

I’ve had 3 setups so far and my favorite one by far is Catless Non-resonated downpipes, single mid pipe paired with an iPE titanium valved muffler.

i switched out the dual midpipes with the secondary cats that came with the iPE full titanium exhaust and this resulted in a deeper and more toned down sound. low rpm’s is quieter than a dual midpipe setup and low rasp. single midpipe is way better than the equal length midpipes in my opinion

[MYBOYBLU3]

i feel like exhaust setups are subjective.....but im running Eisanmann catless DP's with a AA EL midpip and stock axle back.......personally love the way it sounds.

[CRae15]

Loving all these answers, I’m definitely going to keep stock downpipes on though…

[CRae15]

Originally Posted by DeTh

This is from what I've heard and my own experience:
Single mid is the correct route. I had equal length on my car (catless dp, AA Res EL, MPE), and the 2k drone drove me crazy! I sold it super quick. It might be fine if you are keeping your cats.
If you are keeping your cats, get the non-resonated single mid. VRSF makes a very affordable one.
If you are doing catless downpipes, you need a resonator. You can either go with AA's resonated single mid (I have, would recommend), or get resonated downpipes.

Axleback combo is going to come down to preference.
I have MPE, so I kept my factory titanium rear muffler (I am catless DP, res single mid). I personally think this is the best setup. I have had quite a few S55 owners ask what exhaust I am running. Some people have AA 3-can, it sounds pretty solid.

My first M4 was catless downpipes with stock non-zcp exhaust, and it was a bit raspy but not bad. My friend has catless downpipes, VRSF non-res single mid, and comp muffler and (sorry if you are reading this) it sounds like ASS.

Here's a sound clip of my exhaust:
https://youtube.com/shorts/o5aVnOfJXro

This seems to be the most attractive to me, would love to get my hands on an MPE but my local dealer quoted me $12k AUD installed

[warpaint340]

https://youtube.com/shorts/1LuEd5fmP...eB24h7rXb2uaFy

this is only a single mid with a dinan axleback

The Dinan’s diameter is slightly bigger than stock and the most surprising part to me is that it was even quieter than my non zcp muffler with the valves closed and much louder/deeper with the valves open. It’s well-designed. I also think it sounds like an older BMW motor (S52 ish?) thanks to the single midpipe that it’s paired with.

I lost out on a good deal on an MPE muffler but I’m just as happy with this. Don’t skip the muffler like others and get a proper aftermarket one. It really makes a difference. I don’t understand why some people get downpipes and a midpipe and leave their stock diaper muffler on. Having a decent aftermarket muffler like MPE/Remus/Dinan gives you 1000x better sound

And I’m not impressed with any equal length setup even after hearing many of them in person. I feel as if that midpipe forces a sound out of the S55 that it’s not supposed to have. It loses its body and deepness for a higher pitch. Not for me