ZPOST
BMW Garage BMW Meets Register Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read


Go Back   ZPOST > BMW Z4 Technical Talk > Engine, Exhaust, Drivetrain Modifications
  TireRack

SUPPORT ZPOST BY DOING YOUR TIRERACK SHOPPING FROM THIS BANNER, THANKS!
Post Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
      05-02-2013, 12:48 AM   #1
pokeybritches
Colonel
pokeybritches's Avatar
United_States
479
Rep
2,782
Posts

Drives: ESS/G-Power Z4M, VF Z4, 996tt
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Los Angeles

iTrader: (12)

Garage List
2006 BMW Z4M  [10.00]
2006 BMW Z4M  [8.50]
2003 BMW Z4 3.0i  [9.00]
Z4 non-M Superprint Race Exhaust and Y-pipe Full Review

Cliffs Notes – Good fit and finish. Cutting required; no welding. Minimal drone. Really opens up in the high rpm. Probably the best-engineered non-M exhaust system on the market. This should have been the very first modification done to the car.

Background – The early M54 Z4’s stock exhaust is two pieces, consisting of the catted manifold and then everything else. On the M there are headers, section 1 “S-pipe”, section 2 “X-pipe”, and the mufflers. For clarity, I’ll use the M’s exhaust layout as a standard when discussing the non-M – headers, section 1 “S-pipe”, section 2 “resonated connecting pipe”, and mufflers in this case.

The OEM exhaust has catalytic converters in the manifold with unequal-length piping (bad). The OEM S-pipe has a resonator, and I don’t know what goes on inside that resonator. I don’t know if there is a crossover (good), or it is simply a large case with no real crossover (something similar to this). I suspect the latter.

The Supersprint system includes a muffler (sport or race, single or dual-tipped), and a Y-pipe. Both are required. The muffler cannot be installed without the Y-pipe, and vice versa. The Y-pipe (Section 2 X-pipe on the M) replaces dual piping and a small resonator. The muffler has a single inlet and single outlet.

Theory – This is the only system I can see gaining a good bit of power over the stock system. Assuming there is no crossover in the OEM Section 1 resonator, horsepower gains will come from equalizing the exhaust pulses. To take full advantage of this, you’ll need aftermarket equal-length headers.

The idea is that each time a cylinder fires, an exhaust pulse is generated. There is a high pressure “head”, body, and low-pressure “tail”. The low-pressure tail helps pull, or scavenge, the head of the next exhaust pulse. In order for this to work, the exhaust pulses need to be timed to reach the same point in the same amount of time (thus the need for equal-length tubing in the headers).

Without a crossover in the exhaust system, three cylinders will be scavenging each other. With a crossover, all six cylinders are collaborating to scavenge and pull air through the engine. In theory, the Supersprint Y-pipe design should add a few horsepower and make the car a little more efficient, should it be paired with equal-length headers. I don’t know of any other exhaust system that does this. Others are just mufflers.

Purchase – I bought the race muffler for an excellent price, secondhand but supposedly never installed. It looked new when I received it.

I was torn between the sport and race version. The goal of the car was to make a milder, tamer, street-friendly version of my modified Z4M that I could drive every day. I did not want the car to be too loud or obnoxious, especially considering I’ll be installing catless headers shortly. I was unsure about the single-tip design, and truly preferred twin tips. A race muffler popped up in the classifieds of another forum, and I decided the price was too good to pass up. It had been for sale for a couple of years, and I had somehow missed it since it was on a forum I didn’t frequent. I decided that I could resell it on Zpost for close to what I paid should it turn out superfluous, and took a chance.

The Y-pipe was purchased from Mod.bargains, because they had the best pricing I could find. Turner now has them on sale for $389.95.

Initial inspection – The product looked identical to the pictures; very high quality, but I expected nothing less. I would definitely buy a Supersprint product again based on the top-notch attention to detail.

Installation – It took a local exhaust shop just under an hour to install it. No welding was required; only cutting. When I first showed them the system, they warned me that they didn’t know how long it would take to install.

“Every time someone gives us one of these *$#@% kits, they swear it will fit. It never does, and they get upset with the shop when it doesn’t.”

Needless to say, it fit pretty well. Minimal adjustment was required, and I was in and out in under an hour.

Pictures – I still need to adjust the tip slightly, but overall it looks almost OEM. I was very surprised that it doesn’t scream aftermarket like I feared. Most wouldn’t even know that it’s not stock, unless compared side by side with another Z4.



Sound – From what I’ve seen, Supersprint is usually one of the first to spend the money to R&D a quality exhaust system for new car models… a bunch of people then copy it, and everyone complains that Supersprint charges four times as much for a system simply for the brand name or its Italian origin.

This is the first “tuned” exhaust system I have ever purchased. Where my Rogue Diablos on my M are loud and ballsy everywhere, the Supersprint are tame until you get on it. There is a deep tone at low rpm, but no real drone at part throttle. At highway cruising rpm, wind and road noise overpower the sound from the exhaust. At full throttle and high rpm, you WILL turn heads. The exhaust is much milder than the typical sport bike or loud cruiser. It’s definitely more mature, refined, and subdued than a catless Honda fart-pipe. There are similarities between the M and non-M, where it’s easy to classify the tone as much more than a four cylinder. The extra two cylinders harmonize in a slightly exotic fashion that sets it apart from other cars on the road. It is distinctly a straight six. Previously, I think this special tone was missing in the jumble of frequencies the stock exhaust emits or cancels.

To put it in terms of speakers, the stock exhaust is like a couple of 4 ½” component speakers with tweeters running 200 watts. The Supersprint system is a set of 6 ½” component speakers with tweeters pushing 400 watts, and a 12” sub running 800 watts. An obnoxious Honda is cheap 4 ½” coaxial speakers running 1000 watts beyond its 100 watts RMS rating.

It doesn’t make the car sound like a Ferrari, and it doesn’t resonate like a ricer either. The ONLY way to describe it is that it sounds like a tuned BMW. It’s like saying, on a scale of chocolate to vanilla, where does butter pecan fall?

That being said, the M54 is no S54. It never will be. The gurgle/growl/roar of the S54 is totally absent in the M54, even with an open K&N from my VF Engineering supercharger system and race exhaust. The M54 is mild and uber smooth. That’s not to say it doesn’t sound like it’s full of performance, but it’s not in the same league as the S54. It sounds GOOD, just not as exciting. However, I think a stock M sounds detuned compared a non-M with a Supersprint race exhaust.

The supercharger overwhelms the basic engine tone as boost builds to redline. The sucking sound propagated out the tailpipe is much louder than the hiss coming from the engine. The car whooshes like a jet at high rpm, especially in tunnels. A forced induction car sounds absolutely intoxicating with this setup.

Other than the fact that the exhaust was labeled “race”, there was one additional thing that initially made me hesitant to spring for the Supersprint exhaust – the elimination of the resonator. Well, with an otherwise OEM system, I’m glad I took the plunge. Where my Diablo-equipped M burbles occasionally when I let off the throttle, the Supersprint non-M burbles nearly every time. The burbling is subtle and very desirable. Even in stock form the car would burble a little bit. Now, it does it a lot more often. There is no spitting or popping, and absolutely no rasp.

***Video updated May 4, 2013***


Summary – This exhaust system is worth every penny I paid for it. Whether or not it’s right for you depends entirely on your goals for the car. If you want maximum performance and a highly-tuned sound with no compromises, the extra few hundred dollars will seem like a bargain. If you just want to let the natural engine note of the car shine through as cheaply as possible, and can’t see paying over $1k for “a muffler” … there are other systems that offer less performance and tonal quality for a lower entry fee.

Bottom line, I wish I had done this sooner!
__________________


VF Engineering Z4 3.0i, ESS Z4M, G-Power Z4M, 996 Turbo

Last edited by pokeybritches; 05-04-2013 at 12:22 PM..
Appreciate 1
      05-02-2013, 03:12 AM   #2
mfanatic325
///M-fanatic
mfanatic325's Avatar
Taiwan
192
Rep
3,885
Posts

Drives: '01 911 Turbo
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Cupertino, CA.

iTrader: (23)

Hooray! Something nice for the non-M guys. Well-deserved and represented by your car Josh
Appreciate 0
      05-02-2013, 07:10 AM   #3
pokeybritches
Colonel
pokeybritches's Avatar
United_States
479
Rep
2,782
Posts

Drives: ESS/G-Power Z4M, VF Z4, 996tt
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Los Angeles

iTrader: (12)

Garage List
2006 BMW Z4M  [10.00]
2006 BMW Z4M  [8.50]
2003 BMW Z4 3.0i  [9.00]
Quote:
Originally Posted by mfanatic325
Hooray! Something nice for the non-M guys. Well-deserved and represented by your car Josh
Thanks Lon!
__________________


VF Engineering Z4 3.0i, ESS Z4M, G-Power Z4M, 996 Turbo
Appreciate 0
      05-02-2013, 10:52 AM   #4
Incompatible
Major
United_States
55
Rep
1,224
Posts

Drives: 07 AW Z4C 3.0Si
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: San Diego

iTrader: (1)

Great write up for the non-M owner. Thanks for sharing.
__________________
If you can't take the time to teach a kid something good, someone will take the time to teach them something bad.
Appreciate 0
      05-02-2013, 10:26 PM   #5
seank
enthusiast
seank's Avatar
48
Rep
1,695
Posts

Drives: e30 m3,e90 wagon,sprinter,z4m
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: sacramento, ca

iTrader: (4)

Very nice write up. One of the best exhausts...............in my opinion.
Appreciate 0
      05-04-2013, 08:08 AM   #6
pokeybritches
Colonel
pokeybritches's Avatar
United_States
479
Rep
2,782
Posts

Drives: ESS/G-Power Z4M, VF Z4, 996tt
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Los Angeles

iTrader: (12)

Garage List
2006 BMW Z4M  [10.00]
2006 BMW Z4M  [8.50]
2003 BMW Z4 3.0i  [9.00]
Thanks guys! Only M owners commented here . Across four forums and youtube, I've had one non-M owner give feedback - good, bad, or otherwise. Some say the opposite of love isn't hate. It's apathy.
__________________


VF Engineering Z4 3.0i, ESS Z4M, G-Power Z4M, 996 Turbo
Appreciate 0
      05-04-2013, 08:51 AM   #7
dharper
BMW CCA Member
dharper's Avatar
United_States
29
Rep
90
Posts

Drives: '19 BMW X3 30i-'11 BMW 128i
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Music City area

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
Quote:
Originally Posted by pokeybritches View Post
Thanks guys! Only M owners commented here . Across four forums and youtube, I've had one non-M owner give feedback - good, bad, or otherwise. Some say the opposite of love isn't hate. It's apathy.
Hey Pokey, I'm digging the sound and the very detailed write-up. I've been considering exhaust options for my non-M, and your review helps out a lot.
Thanks for taking the time to make such a detailed and informative post.
Appreciate 0
      05-04-2013, 12:21 PM   #8
pokeybritches
Colonel
pokeybritches's Avatar
United_States
479
Rep
2,782
Posts

Drives: ESS/G-Power Z4M, VF Z4, 996tt
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Los Angeles

iTrader: (12)

Garage List
2006 BMW Z4M  [10.00]
2006 BMW Z4M  [8.50]
2003 BMW Z4 3.0i  [9.00]
Quote:
Originally Posted by dharper View Post
Hey Pokey, I'm digging the sound and the very detailed write-up. I've been considering exhaust options for my non-M, and your review helps out a lot.
Thanks for taking the time to make such a detailed and informative post.
Not a problem. Hope it helped make the decision a little easier. I've added a couple of sound clips to the video - 2nd gear pull (inside car) and parking lot speeds (inside car).

__________________


VF Engineering Z4 3.0i, ESS Z4M, G-Power Z4M, 996 Turbo
Appreciate 0
      05-04-2013, 02:37 PM   #9
pokeybritches
Colonel
pokeybritches's Avatar
United_States
479
Rep
2,782
Posts

Drives: ESS/G-Power Z4M, VF Z4, 996tt
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Los Angeles

iTrader: (12)

Garage List
2006 BMW Z4M  [10.00]
2006 BMW Z4M  [8.50]
2003 BMW Z4 3.0i  [9.00]
I just checked Supersprint's NA website, and their prices have gone way down in the last week.

Y-pipe (p/n 022 788 113) $380.74
Race Muffler (p/n 022 044 125) $679.47

FYI:
Headers (p/n 022 787 401) $1486.34
Street Muffler w/ Twin Tips (p/n 022 788 106) $1001.68
Street Muffler w/ Oval Tip (p/n 022 788 125) $988.45

SS NA Website
__________________


VF Engineering Z4 3.0i, ESS Z4M, G-Power Z4M, 996 Turbo
Appreciate 0
      05-04-2013, 11:20 PM   #10
Finnegan
Dog Listener
Finnegan's Avatar
United_States
701
Rep
7,850
Posts

Drives: Z4M/. Z3M, E36/46 M3
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Teaching the dog to slalom

iTrader: (22)

Wow. Sounds great, and wonderful review!

Great to see some nice options for the non-M that snap things up a bit.
Appreciate 0
Post Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:38 PM.




zpost
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
1Addicts.com, BIMMERPOST.com, E90Post.com, F30Post.com, M3Post.com, ZPost.com, 5Post.com, 6Post.com, 7Post.com, XBimmers.com logo and trademark are properties of BIMMERPOST