Equal-length exhaust discussion: new S55 sounds

[six75LT]

Originally Posted by Kilabyte

^You two check the batteries in your hearing aids?

jk, I'm old

can confirm i recently replaced the batteries. maybe i need the newest model to not hear the rasp

[Justin.AutoTalent]

Originally Posted by DanMpower

So what's your honest take on the sound in person? I know it's hard to capture on video.

If you want honesty then my hearing sucks so to me I don't hear it as much coming from downpipes with mpe and active

Inside the car really doesn't sound that loud. It's for sure a very clean note all the way up the rev band but the volume isn't what I'm used to


I'm excited for the resonated with downpipes

Going to do it with the stock zcp muffler and then later add mpe for a few clips

[Humdizzle]

resonated version sounds great!

i really like how the sound builds and you get a slight tone change near redline. sounds more like an inline 6 should.

[FlyingLow78]

Originally Posted by pbar

I love the sound, but...

Excuse my ignorance, but what are the legal implications of fitting one of these mid-pipes in .e.g. California? Are they removing the secondary cats? Does this require disabling some sensors or coding? Will this pass a 'smog test' ?

(One of the web sites I looked at (X-Ph) had a check box that 'I promise only to use these for off-road purposes' - is this just ass-covering?)

The car won’t need any coding, but it does appear to eliminate the secondary cats. You’ll fail the visual portion of your smog test and will be in violation of the federal Clean Air Act. AA’s disclaimer is there because they know virtually all of their buyers will be running around public roads with their exhaust, and they want plausible deniability.

[DanMpower]

Originally Posted by Justin.AutoTalent

If you want honesty then my hearing sucks so to me I don't hear it as much coming from downpipes with mpe and active

Inside the car really doesn't sound that loud. It's for sure a very clean note all the way up the rev band but the volume isn't what I'm used to


I'm excited for the resonated with downpipes

Going to do it with the stock zcp muffler and then later add mpe for a few clips

Awesome, thanks.

Hoping AA offers the resonated rear pipes for sale separately to us early adopters once they get production going.

[Whyte_Diamonds]

Originally Posted by Justin.AutoTalent

If you want honesty then my hearing sucks so to me I don't hear it as much coming from downpipes with mpe and active

Inside the car really doesn't sound that loud. It's for sure a very clean note all the way up the rev band but the volume isn't what I'm used to


I'm excited for the resonated with downpipes

Going to do it with the stock zcp muffler and then later add mpe for a few clips

Is there drone brother? I'm really curious to hear how it sounds with the stock zcp muffler as that's what I'm running with the AA single. Keep us posted for sure!

[Whyte_Diamonds]

Originally Posted by DanMpower

Awesome, thanks.

Hoping AA offers the resonated rear pipes for sale separately to us early adopters once they get production going.

Agreed. Especially for those wanting downpipes but scared to have their cars sound like sht.

[ra2289]

Originally Posted by DanMpower

Awesome, thanks.

Hoping AA offers the resonated rear pipes for sale separately to us early adopters once they get production going.

Agree as well. This seems like a no-brainer once their production is in full swing and they catch up with demand. I would be very surprised if this wasn't offered down the road, it just makes sense.

[MyFragileHalogen]

Would't removing secondary cats make the car much louder which is already quite loud with MPE and stock DPs?

[behindthen0thing]

sounds really great to me. a very nice solution.

[swagon]

Originally Posted by Justin.AutoTalent

Quick idle rev comparison

Clip features M2C with stock downpipe + stock intake versus Comp M3 with stock downpipe + stock intake

Both tuned on BM3 Stage 1 - OTS Burbles

Reminds me of a cat-less N54.

Also, sounds better without the burble tune.

[JamesGames]

Originally Posted by FlyingLow78

The car won’t need any coding, but it does appear to eliminate the secondary cats. You’ll fail the visual portion of your smog test and will be in violation of the federal Clean Air Act. AA’s disclaimer is there because they know virtually all of their buyers will be running around public roads with their exhaust, and they want plausible deniability.

This is true, but smog testing in california has relaxed a bit since few years ago. Every time I go get my car smoked, it is just quick inspection to see if any codes are thrown (CELs) or if I have any modifications under the hood that doesn't meet CARB such as intakes. The "exhaust sniffer" to test for levels of CO and what not is NOT done anymore, and my oldest car is a 2007 model year car with catback exhaust as well. Other than that the last 2 out of 3 places I've been to haven't even bothered to look under the car. The one that did used a mirror, saw everything, and let me go. YMMV however.

[FlyingLow78]

Originally Posted by JamesGames

This is true, but smog testing in california has relaxed a bit since few years ago. Every time I go get my car smoked, it is just quick inspection to see if any codes are thrown (CELs) or if I have any modifications under the hood that doesn't meet CARB such as intakes. The "exhaust sniffer" to test for levels of CO and what not is NOT done anymore, and my oldest car is a 2007 model year car with catback exhaust as well. Other than that the last 2 out of 3 places I've been to haven't even bothered to look under the car. The one that did used a mirror, saw everything, and let me go. YMMV however.

Oh, wow. That’s changed quite a bit since I lived there.

[JamesGames]

Originally Posted by FlyingLow78

Oh, wow. That’s changed quite a bit since I lived there.

Yep, I remember back 10+ years ago, reinstalling cats every 2 years for smog was a thing. What a pain in the ass.

[SflBimmer8484]

Originally Posted by repols

I've seen a few people ask but can't find any answer on this thread. But, what will the situation with MPE's be Andrew@ActiveAutowerke? Will I need to cut my existing exhaust or will it be possible to have an alternative connecting pipe / clamp etc?

You have to cut your mpe mid pipe.

[stevehifi]

Andrew any chance that you'll make a signature version of your exhaust with this new type of EL midpipe?

[Mintsopoulos]

Originally Posted by swagon

Reminds me of a cat-less N54.

Also, sounds better without the burble tune.

Way better without the burble.

[Vulpe]

Originally Posted by stevehifi

Andrew any chance that you'll make a signature version of your exhaust with this new type of EL midpipe?

They were testing a new.. axle back? on an M2C a little while ago. And a post earlier in this thread said after that they'll likely bring that setup over to the M3/4 side.

I was originally going for a Remus rear but their setup from what I saw was similar to the Remus for which I'll probably go for the full AA at the end of this year. Hopefully it stays in line with cost of their previous setups. Maybe.. full system for under 4k shipped?

[DanMpower]

Got my EL mid-pipe yesterday and installed it in about an hour. The quality is beautiful, fitment was a bit tight in a couple spots, needed to massage some heat shields a bit so it wouldn't touch.

Tip, make sure not to tighten any of the nuts/bolts until you get everything into position. After that, everything fits well.

Sound:

Wow where do I start? The engine sounds and feels sewing machine smooth now, driving it around and going through the revs, it feels and sounds like a proper straight 6. A lot less NVH throughout the car, so in turn, the car seems quieter overall. I'm pairing it with stock downpipes and the stock ZCP exhaust. My car feels like it picked up some low-mid range torque according to the butt dyno, I'll do some proper 60-130 tests to compare.


Overall very pleased with the purchase, finally an exhaust mod that actually alters the sound and not just amplifies it. I guess the only "con" would be it seems a bit more tame and quiet since it got a lot more smoother. Crackles and pops seem to have gotten louder though, weird lol. Wishing for more volume so I'll definitely be moving to the catless/resonated EL combo when it's released.

[mfurse]

Originally Posted by DanMpower

Got my EL mid-pipe yesterday and installed it in about an hour. The quality is beautiful, fitment was a bit tight in a couple spots, needed to massage some heat shields a bit so it wouldn't touch.

Tip, make sure not to tighten any of the nuts/bolts until you get everything into position. After that, everything fits well.

Sound:

Wow where do I start? The engine sounds and feels sewing machine smooth now, driving it around and going through the revs, it feels and sounds like a proper straight 6. A lot less NVH throughout the car, so in turn, the car seems quieter overall. I'm pairing it with stock downpipes and the stock ZCP exhaust. My car feels like it picked up some low-mid range torque according to the butt dyno, I'll do some proper 60-130 tests to compare.


Overall very pleased with the purchase, finally an exhaust mod that actually alters the sound and not just amplifies it. I guess the only "con" would be it seems a bit more tame and quiet since it got a lot more smoother. Crackles and pops seem to have gotten louder though, weird lol. Wishing for more volume so I'll definitely be moving to the catless/resonated EL combo when it's released.

Hey Dan, did you go resonated or straight? Keen for a similar setup - not looking for lots of volume but something that rewards revs 😊

[spool twice]

Can't wait to hear video clips!

But yeah, because EL is naturally more balanced in how the pulses are spaced through the crossover, it sounds quieter, smoother, therefore more mellow...it's loud but in a less raucous and harsh way so it tricks you into thinking its quieter.

Welcome to the EL club, I still never grow tired of it, I find ways to let the engine rev out to redline just to hear the exhaust, especially post upshift.

[EvoFire]

Originally Posted by DanMpower

Got my EL mid-pipe yesterday and installed it in about an hour. The quality is beautiful, fitment was a bit tight in a couple spots, needed to massage some heat shields a bit so it wouldn't touch.

Tip, make sure not to tighten any of the nuts/bolts until you get everything into position. After that, everything fits well.

Sound:

Wow where do I start? The engine sounds and feels sewing machine smooth now, driving it around and going through the revs, it feels and sounds like a proper straight 6. A lot less NVH throughout the car, so in turn, the car seems quieter overall. I'm pairing it with stock downpipes and the stock ZCP exhaust. My car feels like it picked up some low-mid range torque according to the butt dyno, I'll do some proper 60-130 tests to compare.


Overall very pleased with the purchase, finally an exhaust mod that actually alters the sound and not just amplifies it. I guess the only "con" would be it seems a bit more tame and quiet since it got a lot more smoother. Crackles and pops seem to have gotten louder though, weird lol. Wishing for more volume so I'll definitely be moving to the catless/resonated EL combo when it's released.

That's the setup I'm thinking about, videos please!