Best E46 M3 Full Exhaust setup for the money?

[M3mike]

I've had the Meagan for 5 yrs. now. Pleased with the build quality and best bang for the buck IMO. not too loud...Pretty lightweight. added the 2nd resonator too ie... the AR.. all good fit and finish.

Running this same exhaust setup!

[tnord]

I went through this over the last 6 months so i will add my $0.02. I first did euro headers/section 1 with OEM section 2 and SCZA Muffler. while it sounded 'okay' from inside i could tell that it had a bit too much rasp (to some, this is great, but not for me), which made sense because if you do the math, i went from 2 cats/ 2 resonators to 2 cats / 1 resonator so i guess i expected more rasp.

Video: https://youtu.be/R4c_3CX1T0M

Once i accepted the fact i didn't like the rasp, i moved over to a SuperSprint Section 2. i read that it was an upgraded resonator, which makes up for only having one...it changed the tone to this:

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2D7A1Ewk3AU

i like the subtle rasp with a good tone. under normal driving conditions it doesn't sound loud at all. may not be what you want but at my age (40) i'm not looking to be driving down the street making too much noise.

this is encouraging. I have OE header, CPI RTX sect 1, SS Res X pipe, and SS Sport and mine sounds pretty similar. If I change it I'm leaning towards the same euro/CSL header and catted sect 1 of some sort. My primary objective was killing rasp, and my setup certainly did that. Good to know I still have room for improvement power wise without sacrificing sound.

[Circa Surviven]

It's interesting how many different configurations this car allows when it comes to exhaust components.

I started with just the b&b section 3 and I liked it, not too raspy but still had some signature sound. Now I added euro "style" headers to the mix and it's too loud and raspy...

https://youtu.be/QSN-UlfdO9w

Like what others have said in this thread, I'll be looking at adding an Ar20/25 or, a SS resonated section 2. I'm hoping to get the b&bs low tone more perfected to where it will hopefully have its own unique flair like the Scza/supersprint race have.

[Arith2]

Best price exhaust is Megan headers and a welded in AR20 on the stock sec 1. It'll sound pretty decent. You already have a muffler so really you need another $300-400 depending on the condition of your exhaust nuts and studs. You'll a good sounding exhaust for under $1000 at the end of the day

[jet_dogg]

Ironically, the cheap stuff like Megan & SGT is a worse use of money than buying the best, expensive stuff like Supersprint v1.

Owning an M3 and being on a budget isn't a great combo, so i would recommend you keep the car stock and use all "car funds" to address maintenance. And don't say your maint is all done cause you changed the oil and the dealer "looked" at your subframe (RACP). You could spend tens of thousands refreshing the car, even at discounted online (OEM/OES) parts prices.

Lol my guy over here is a mind reader.

Luckily rising values are weeding out the people who can't afford maintenance. I wouldn't wish an m3 on my worst enemy.

[Circa Surviven]

Best price exhaust is Megan headers and a welded in AR20 on the stock sec 1. It'll sound pretty decent. You already have a muffler so really you need another $300-400 depending on the condition of your exhaust nuts and studs. You'll a good sounding exhaust for under $1000 at the end of the day

What's easier for an exhaust shop to install, an Ar20 or ar25? From looking into it, the Ar20 has a smaller diameter pipe that you have to weld into the larger oe diameter. I've seen one comment saying it makes more sense to use the larger diameter ar25 and would be easier to install? The official aero (ar) website lists both models as being compatible with our e46 m3.

[Tbonem3]

AR20 & AR25 exact same thing, just that the cone tapers down a little further to 2" from 2.5".

Better to buy the AR20 and let muffler shop cut it where they want so that it matches the 2.16-2.25 diameter of stock.

An AR25 would be fine for a full 2.5" or 63.5mm pipe.

[old///MFanatic]

Agreed the AR20 for the stock piping.
I actually had to replace mine after like 12 years, the internal perforation cracked and rattled.

old

new

[BigDave]

Anyone have/had this setup: Euro Headers, Borla Mids and RE Diablo Exhaust?

I remember watching a youtube video of it on the old forums, sounded really nice and throaty with a deep grumble.

I had that set up. . BEST sounding from an S54, hands down! Rumbled down low and built up to an F1 scream above 6,000 RPM. Yes, it did drone a bit , when cruising. I listened to music or wore ANC noise canceling ear buds.
Sadly, you can only find the Borla mid section used now. Very hard to obtain.
IMO, there is NO OTHER mid section or weld-in resonators that KILLED 99% of the S54 horrific rasp.

[eXpensiveGears]

I had that set up. . BEST sounding from an S54, hands down! Rumbled down low and built up to an F1 scream above 6,000 RPM. Yes, it did drone a bit , when cruising. I listened to music or wore ANC noise canceling ear buds.
Sadly, you can only find the Borla mid section used now. Very hard to obtain.
IMO, there is NO OTHER mid section or weld-in resonators that KILLED 99% of the S54 horrific rasp.

And that's exactly what I wanted, to eliminate that mid section rasp and get a deeper rumble. But iy was loud enough that you needed to wear ANC buds? Then I'm a bit hesitant to even try going down this route.

I'm also looking at ONLY adding the new Rogue "el caliente" section 3, mostly for the weight reduction. OR finding a good Titanium/Inconel Section 3.

[Epsilon]

Totally agree with the F1 scream in the higher RPMs with the AR20s. It makes you want to keep the RPMs high during daily driving all the time.

[simon_c]

The setup I want to test the most is this:
- Euro headers
- Euro cats
- Supersprint resonated x-pipe
- Supersprint sport exhaust or Dixis Titanium (pending $$ is no issue)

[EthanolTurbo]

The setup I was to test the most is this:
- Euro headers
- Euro cats
- Supersprint resonated x-pipe
- Supersprint sport exhaust or Dixis Titanium (pending $$ is no issue)

This was my former setup. It's my favorite exhaust setup. Sounds like an exotic from 4k-8k RPM. Has a roar and wail that sounds insane as it builds. Wish I had recorded it.

The oversize SS headers and exhaust are tamer and more smooth.

[simon_c]

This was my former setup. It's my favorite exhaust setup. Sounds like an exotic from 4k-8k RPM. Has a roar and wail that sounds insane as it builds. Wish I had recorded it.

The oversize SS headers and exhaust are tamer and more smooth.

Did the resonated SS x-pipe cut down the drone and/or make it not as loud? Would've loved to hear that setup

[9kracing]

When it comes to exhaust, most of the power is made before the collector, IE in the header/s. There is usually little power to be gained in the actual piping and muffler design, assuming your exhaust is properly sized to begin with.

Bigger is almost always better when talking about exhaust piping, assuming you can handle the increased noise. Required backpressure is a myth, you don't want any at all. Running an open header will always provide more power than running an exhaust.


I'm still not 100% sure if the OP is asking for the most cost-effective setup, or the best setup disregarding money, but I don't currently see anything on the market that will outperform the Supersprint 63.5MM setup unless you're going custom.