Best E46 M3 Full Exhaust setup for the money?

[9kracing]

Sorry forgot to post this. This is OEM sections 1 and 2, so mine will sound better.

At least that's my hope.

https://youtube.com/shorts/Zl5p2aKeJOM?si=-fABpz2qEuOqUKjl

[9kracing]

So..... I ordered the Rogue Engineering straight jacket.



When I first did my exhaust on this car, I did it like I usually do all my cars... remove resonators and cats, and use a good muffler to keep decibels reasonable.

Well, it sounded like shit. Anything above 5K sounded great, but anything down low was raspy af.

So, after learning a bit more about this car, I realized the rasp is all make-or-break in section 1.

Section 2 has more to do with drone, it doesn't really effect the rasp much. The muffler/section 3 on our cars does little to nothing to change the pitch and noise of our exhaust, it's mostly just controlling volume at that point.

So... now I'm going to be running the resonated section 1, and resonated section 2 from Supersprint, back to the RE straight pipes.

It'll be loud, but I suspect it's going to sound great. I'll post a sound clip when I get it installed.

#Fmyneighbors

[maw1124]

Would you be willing to share this library, please?

Ha! Most of it I downloaded from here. You have the Dinan bits so presumably you have all that old material. The exhaust materials, SMG materials and CSL differences are the most helpful pieces for me. Those are real information that I didn't know when I bought the car.

maw

[simon_c]

So I'll keep beating the dead horse here...

Who makes the best midpipes for this car (USA Spec) now that the Borla is NLA? I notice the stock crossover in section 2 is the only piece that is double walled for sound reduction. So I'm thinking a simple X pipe there (or someone's midpipe) might yield some good sound gains without sacrificing performance.

Thoughts?

maw

Supersprint imo

[nextlvel]

Added to the digital library… thank you… never knew it was a Meritor piece somehow.

FWIW, my baseline view is as you’ve articulated, with the possible exception of a change to section 3 for sound, or full Euro/CSL OEM. In the middle is just the middle IMO.

maw

Would you be willing to share this library, please?

[jpiazzam3]

I have Megan headers. Dual OEM resonators. Stock mid section 2 and B&B muffler. Sounds pretty good but has some drone at highway speeds

[EthanolTurbo]

No one can buy a dixis tho

I just saw one a week or two ago sell for $2500. Someone just needs to cut one open and make a titanium replica. It is strange that all of the replicas don't have the same drone free characteristics etc so I feel like there's something missing internally.

If I can snag another one I will cut one of mine open and see if I can find a way to mass produce replicas or put the info on this forum for everyone to use. 2.5" though...

[maw1124]

So I'll keep beating the dead horse here...

Who makes the best midpipes for this car (USA Spec) now that the Borla is NLA? I notice the stock crossover in section 2 is the only piece that is double walled for sound reduction. So I'm thinking a simple X pipe there (or someone's midpipe) might yield some good sound gains without sacrificing performance.

Thoughts?

maw

[Tbonem3]

No one can buy a dixis tho

[bimmerfan08]

Anyone have catless headers paired with a Borla muffler and can comment?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WG6XKmcFKI

[EthanolTurbo]

Stock is best. No aftermarket exhaust sounds good on a e46 m3, and the measly power some make is nothing considering the cost. (most make no power)

The Dixis sounds insane, has no drone and sounds like stock on the freeway while only weighing 12 lbs. It is truly the best of all worlds. With Euro headers it sounds a lot like my friend's header/exhaust 997 GT3.

[big greasy taco]

Stock is best. No aftermarket exhaust sounds good on a e46 m3, and the measly power some make is nothing considering the cost. (most make no power)

[maw1124]

Some light reading -

http://www.unofficialbmw.com/images/...ust_System.pdf

I suggest keeping the high quality, German made stock exhaust components that probably cost millions to develop and produce.

Added to the digital library… thank you… never knew it was a Meritor piece somehow.

FWIW, my baseline view is as you’ve articulated, with the possible exception of a change to section 3 for sound, or full Euro/CSL OEM. In the middle is just the middle IMO.

maw

[Arith2]

Anyone have any intel on this?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/235006794394?hash=item36b77f1a9a:g:TAsAAOSw3b5kXLzN&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4IE%2BLSngBpIn5nIUuOW7zmsVbzjwwRlen5kal7X4Sxt6g6tAu%2Fcx0iMkMG%2BDmBEb6UDoygfMpI56XDdcvYoLYbpLR6ww4o%2FMDq5e%2BIRmzm7qyl43MUmhANvskok02kNG2s%2BJQSzoWifEHNgDuSx5qhOYZIL1v5pJkgI7LH9%2B78x2Cj0bHterIJDCPBrdcMGeNxYdFY4nb8Zu%2BmLRWbD1BU7K3jl65UYycIz%2FPOT1VaRc1cXjQhpQRbry5HKwCy%2FMWRTs62%2B0d%2FM2Gf%2Fghgrx30CYqxaMzfZABjS3%2BqkOkRnS%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR7jroPzeYg

I figure we have some TX members here. Looks sorta cheapish but they seem to have the components in the right locations at least.

maw

Unless they stole every piece, there is absolutely no way that is being sold for $263 at a profit. It's not 304 steel. They can lie about this because how are you going to prove the carbon content of their steel they sell? It's absolutely garbage even if it fit perfect. These eBay exhaust are notorious for not fitting and rusting within a year. Megan Racing's mid sections are the same crap and they rust quickly in a southern state with no salt. The headers were basically stolen and sold at $250.

[Sharocks]

5k for a full exhaust system that actually works isn't bad.

We got people out here spending 5k on strut bars fam.