BMW Performance Exhaust Initial Impressions and Review

[vinylengraver]

I have just installed BMW PE on my N55 135i with PPK.
This is an old product and looks like it may be getting discontinued soon, but since it is offered now at a very attractive price some people are surely thinking about making the upgrade and a fresh opinion could be of help.

A few words of preface: my car was equipped from the factory with the louder of two usual setups: an N55 car is equipped with straight-through mid-pipes and the muffler internals have fewer perforations resulting in a more aggressive sound as compared to N54 model years.
Also I have disabled the flap in the left outlet pipe (aka golf-tee mod) since day one, so I guess my car did already sound as loud as it gets as far as a stock 135i is concerned.

Now to the BMW Performance Exhaust. I think the easiest way to review this is to clearly outline what this is/does and what it isn't/doesn't do.

What it is:
-It is a factory modified stock exhaust. It is obvious that a stock can is opened up, modification to its innards are made and then it is welded together. Stock piping is replaced (it is actually of a slightly larger diameter), the exhaust flap valve is deleted and the new polished tips are welded on.

- I have examined the inside of both muffler pipes with an endoscopic camera and it is pretty clear that despite some claims made on this forum, both pipes retain the usual perforations in the mid-section. As in both pipes are in fact perforated - none is straight through. I promise.

-What is also clear peeking through those holes is that there is no visible sound deadening fiberglass packing present. I think this is the only reason the muffler can is opened - to remove the packing. Unless of course they used a stock N54 can to create the PE muffler, in which case an internal "resonator" which is a bunch of perforations at the Y-split just past the muffler entry is deleted and replaced with a solid Y. If they used the stock N55 muffler, it's already like that from factory. Just to be clear - I am not talking about the included Y-pipe that replaces the external resonator.

-The new shiny tips do play a role in the way this sounds IMO - they are quite resonant and make a very pronounced ringing noise when struck - the stock outlet pipes with black chrome tips are silent in that respect.

What it does:
-It absolutely sounds different than a stock N55 exhaust with a golf tee mod.
The sound is slightly louder (I am sure this is due to the Y-pipe replacing the factory resonator) and it has a different quality to it - this is IMO thanks to the lack of fiberglass insulation and the tips themselves. Or perhaps it's the other way around. I cannot really say how much louder it is... do not own a decibel meter, but it does sound a bit louder for sure.
Idle is nice and quiet, and under load at any rpm it sounds wonderful. It is very linear in nature - no audible deadspots through the range as it continues to sound increasingly angrier as you step on the go-pedal all the way to a frantic howl anywhere after 4500 rpm.
-It has a very nice low-end growl and the cold start is surprisingly civilized. I expected a rowdy roar but it is nothing like that.
-It does an excellent job enhancing and amplifying the wonderful noises of the Performance Power Kit. You cannot miss them now, inside the car or especially out. I cannot say enough about how great this car sounds with the PPK/PE combo.
-It is covered by a BMW 2-year parts warranty.

What it isn't and what it does not do:
-It isn't any lighter than stock
-It isn't really that much louder than stock N55 exhaust. Although I am sure it is quite a bit more aggressive than N54 one.
-It does not drone (but again, my car is a 6MT).
-It doesn't sound like a fartcan or straight-thru pipes or muffler delete or anything ricey like that.
-It sounds nothing like any of the videos of it posted anywhere on the internet. I found one that is close, but just.
-It is not cheap, but you get what you pay for - OEM quality that will last a lifetime of the vehicle.
-It is not particularly pretty. Those tips look mean and aggressive but are not really very elaborate and finish is hardly perfect. They actually look kind of "race car", and I love it.

Would I buy it again? Absolutely. And if my car was an N54 with a stock exhaust - Absolutely+++

I did not want it louder. But I wanted it to be able to hear this engine in its all smooth mechanical balanced glory and not just through the firewall but also from the back. With this exhaust that balance is perfect.

And a word of advice - if you are thinking of getting this, do not even consider leaving out the Y-pipe. I promise you will be underwhelmed.
And if you already have the PPK, you cannot possibly appreciate how much better this makes it, unless you hear it in person. There, I said it again.

Okay, this was quite an essay, but I thought I would share and hope someone finds this useful. I took my car for a 100 km trip today and loved every minute of the drive as I could finally hear this wonder of an engine to come alive under my reign at every tap of the throttle.

PS: In my personal opinion, the best way to emulate the sound (if you do not want to spend the money on the real thing) wolud be to buy a used N55 muffler, disable the valve and delete the midpipe resonator. Skip any mods to the muffler itself and to make it even closer, cut-off the stock tips and weld on two big-ass tips that ring like a mofo and look as shiny a you like. But then again if you add all the money together, you are not really saving that much in the end, especially now when genuine PE is almost affordable.

[MrKevinRosales]

I also recently installed my PE because of the lowered price. Overall I am happy with it and like you said, it doesn't really sound like the videos that you find online. But that's not a bad thing. What you get is a better tone with OE quality.

One thing that I did not expect was the new exhaust smell. The first time I pulled into the garage it was clearly a different scent, and I actually kind of liked it. I don't know if the scent has gone away after break in of the exhaust or I've just gotten used to it.

I will say that cold starts are noticeably louder, not that I mind, but it's almost as if the car is angry to be woken from its slumber.

[Cavpilot2k]

Totally agree it is a great muffler.
It should sound even better after a few thousand miles of break-in.
I LOVE my PE. Actually I wish it were about 10-20% louder, but you can't have everything. I've considered opening it up and removing some more baffling, but I am afraid to change the tone when all I want is more volume.

But the tone is perfect. Not totally civilized - a little beastly, which is exactly how I like it.

[Esteban]

Nice write-up. Glad you like it. I'm a huge fan of BMW's PE and the PPK. Here's what I think about them:

When I first got the PE in 2011 I was quite pleased with its unique tone and thought it sounded substantially louder than the stock exhaust (never did the golf-tee mod). Also thought cold starts were pretty impressive. Love the polished tips. Personally, think they look much better than the stock black ones. They do stick out a little, but I like that and agree they look kind of race car-ish, or after market. Think the reason they stick out a little is so they would fit the BMW Performance rear diffuser.

I got the PPK a couple months after I got the PE, and I can't say enough about how wonderful these two sound together. The pops, crackles, and burbles of PPK are a sound made in car heaven and the PE enhances them. PPK is supposed to be about the tune (20hp - 17lb-ft or 32lb-ft tq for the Steptronic), which is nice, but the sound has become the primary feature and the reason why many people love PPK so much. PPK also improves driveability and has helped some with the infamous DCT issues.

I noticed an odd smell (new exhaust) as well when I got the PE installed, but it went away after a few hundred miles. 7 years later and the PE just keeps getting better. Thought I might lose my PPK sound when I got Dinan's stage 2 tune, but nope, sounds just the same. There is some question in my mind if the Dinan tune completely overwrites PPK. I say no, at least not that particular parameter because my car sounds exactly the same.

[vinylengraver]

I can confirm the unpleasant smell from the new muffler. According to the installer it should go away in a couple of weeks. It's the only (temporary) negative so far.
Interestingly my wife who is the only rare passenger and normally a very observant critic of any and all changes/modifications to the car approves of the new exhaust and has no issues with the volume or tone.
That is of course after I assured her that all the angry noises coming out from the pipes are perfectly normal and in fact very desirable, lol.

I think what I appreciate about the PE most is that it perfectly suits the car's personality. When driven "gently" it sounds stock and benign but when let loose it howls and screams like mad.
Rare quality IMO.

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by vinylengraver

I think what I appreciate about the PE most is that it perfectly suits the car's personality. When driven "gently" it sounds stock and benign but when let loose it howls and screams like mad.
Rare quality IMO.

Mine purrs like a kitten at idle or when cruising. Very much a quality sound. When I go to pick my car up at the dealer or my indy shop, I could always hear when they start my car and bring it to the front. Stands out from the other cars. Totally respectable with a nice, deep tone. Definitely angry when you want it to be, but still, a quality sound.

[Dthltm]

***DISREGARD*** Now if only I could get the chrome tips blacked out.

What is the new price of the PE? Part number?

I might bite the bullet...my car only has 1 year left of warranty coverage so I may try to really enjoy it until that time comes.

[MightyMouseTech]

Originally Posted by Dthltm

***DISREGARD*** Now if only I could get the chrome tips blacked out.

What is the new price of the PE? Part number?

I might bite the bullet...my car only has 1 year left of warranty coverage so I may try to really enjoy it until that time comes.

You can put the black tips on over the chrome ones. I did just that. Much prefer the black tips.

Search here on the forums, you will see how to do it.

[Dthltm]

Originally Posted by MightyMouseTech

You can put the black tips on over the chrome ones. I did just that. Much prefer the black tips.

Search here on the forums, you will see how to do it.

I think I remember reading this...doesn't it involve cutting the PE exhaust tips back?

[Esteban]

Here's a thread that talks about putting the stock black tips over the PE tips. Check out posts 8 & 10.

[MightyMouseTech]

Originally Posted by Dthltm

I think I remember reading this...doesn't it involve cutting the PE exhaust tips back?

Yup.

[tracer bullet]

I bought my 2011 w/ the PE on it, and made sure they didn't change the flash until I had a Cobb or similar tune installed (there was a thing for a while where certain factory "upgrade" flashes killed the burbles). So I don't know anything else.

But I do agree it's about perfect to my ears, it sounds great, and though it gets a little attention it's not too much.

I somewhat disagree on the drone, it is there IMO. But only if cruising at a certain RPM, and it's easy to shift up or down a gear if it bothers you.

Overall good write up!

[Cavpilot2k]

Do you not think the stock tips mess with the acoustics of the PE tips a little? I feel like the PE tips (while not the most attractive tips in the world) do create a kind of ringing echo chamber effect.

[vinylengraver]

Originally Posted by Cavpilot2k

Do you not think the stock tips mess with the acoustics of the PE tips a little? I feel like the PE tips (while not the most attractive tips in the world) do create a kind of ringing echo chamber effect.

The PE tips definitely contribute to the sound.

I remember reading an article a while back where someone was tuning a Porsche exhaust sound just by playing with the end tips (including lead-filled double-walled tips to eliminate the unwanted resonances)

[vinylengraver]

Originally Posted by tracer bullet

I somewhat disagree on the drone, it is there IMO. But only if cruising at a certain RPM, and it's easy to shift up or down a gear if it bothers you.

Okay, I guess it depends on a definition of "drone"
To me, drone s a humming sound that is created by a resonance at a certain rpm range and gets transferred through components of the car (underbody, trunk floor etc) that has a noticeable peak in volume at a certain frequency and most importantly is annoying as hell.
In my opinion PE is pretty linear in this respect - when the engine is under load you can hear the gentle roar (that eventually becomes a frantic howl) no matter what RPM you're on.
And the sound is very pleasing IMO.
In comparison, stock exhaust sounded asthmatic and hollow at certain rpms with noticeable dead spots throughout the range.
I do agree, under load it is a bit louder at around 2,000rpm then my stock N55 muffler with the valve disconnected, but I would not consider it to be droning.

[MightyMouseTech]

Originally Posted by Cavpilot2k

Do you not think the stock tips mess with the acoustics of the PE tips a little? I feel like the PE tips (while not the most attractive tips in the world) do create a kind of ringing echo chamber effect.

Don't really think so. Most of the stock PE tips are still there, they are welded on, so you can't really pull them off. The black tips are just covering the PE tips.

As for drone, the only time I get any drone is if I am in too high a gear for a given speed. Like cruising along at 90-100 km/hr in 6th. I don't like lugging the engine below 2000 RPM, so I never get any drone. Get better FE in 5th at that speed anyways.

[Esteban]

Agree with tracer bullet and MightyMouseTech regarding drone. If you downshift when the RPMs dip too low while cruising, you won't get any drone. That's what I do and it works for me.

[Cavpilot2k]

I don't get drone on the PE except for certain low-load acceleration transients in the 1800-2200 RPM range, but it doesn't bother me in the least.

I was talking about adversely affecting the good acoustics of the PE.

[MightyMouseTech]

Originally Posted by Cavpilot2k

I was talking about adversely affecting the good acoustics of the PE.

Sounds the same before and after tip mod to me.

[Wegz]

Getting one put on next Monday!

Paid 795 through ECS for it.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Thank you for the review