AE Performance Exhaust Review & Pics

cbad335 · 03-31-2009, 07:58 PM

First off, thank you to Nick, Dustin, and the rest of the guys at AE for their friendly, relaxed approach, and proficient service. I decided to drive up to Chino Hills and have AE install the exhaust, which after feeling the weight and size of the stock exhaust, turned out to be a good decision for me. But for those of you looking to have a unit shipped, I can tell you the packaging was done well. While Dustin was getting my car up on the lift, Nick and I unpacked the box and inspected the unit. I was impressed with the quality of the welds. They were smooth, even, and uniform, with no noticeable gaps or bulges. The gaskets appeared to be of high quality, and were included with a full set of the necessary bolts. Both the mufflers and the resonated tips were nicely polished. The most impressive thing, as you can see in the first pic, is the straight through design of the exhaust, especially if your familiar with all the bends and kinks in the stock unit. Plus, not only do they look much better, but I really like the idea of flanges instead of slip joints and clamps. I believe it greatly decreases the likelihood of exhaust leaks or rattles.

So, how does it sound? At idle, it produces a low, deep, mellow sound with a little of the gurgling you'd expect from an efficiently designed aftermarket exhaust. It is reasonably quiet when cruising (though you're still aware you're not running stock) and screams when you get on it, while still maintaining a rich, discriminating timbre. I was pleased to find out that there was no rasp whatsoever with this unit. And to those of you with an AT, *no drone.* I have tested this thoroughly now for five days, as it was certainly a concern I had going into this purchase. In all fairness, I'm sure you can get a low, echoing sound if you drive in a gear much too high for your speed, but I could do that with the stock exhaust. Besides, I shift my car manually 99% of the time. I think the "drone is an auto problem" belief is erroneous. Drone is a gearing problem. Anyway, if you drive an AT, don't worry about drone with the AE exhaust.

As for power, I did not do a before and after dyno, so my impressions are purely subjective. Combined with a new Vishnu DCI, the addition of the exhaust makes my car feel more responsive, and smoother through the power band. I notice it most at higher revs/speeds (e.g., freeway speeds). It really feels like the car is breathing better. I don't think I can technically explain why I feel this--it could all be in my head--but the car really seems to be running more efficiently with more power and less effort. That's the best way I can put it.

I'm very pleased with the AE exhaust on my E90 with AT. Had I known how much it would transform my car, it would have been one of my first mods. It's certainly one of my favorites. The whole sensory experience of driving my 335 has been expanded with the awesome sound and smooth, efficient feel of the power delivery. Finally, I give two thumbs up to Nick and his crew at Autobahn Exotics for a well constructed, reasonably priced product, and excellent customer service.

Below are some pics of my install at AE's garage, some of the other cars there, and a few of Nick's coupe (with AE quads) next to my sedan.

RedDinan335i · 03-31-2009, 08:23 PM

Pics???

cbad335 · 03-31-2009, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedDinan335i

Pics???

They're up now. I had to resize them.

Nick@aep · 03-31-2009, 08:46 PM

Very, very thorough writeup! Thanks for all the kind words Steve, and I'm glad youre loving the exhaust!

-Nick

jpsimon · 03-31-2009, 08:47 PM

Your car looks sick with those wheels and that exhaust. You have great taste

RedDinan335i · 03-31-2009, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbad335

They're up now. I had to resize them.

Looks awesome!

cbad335 · 03-31-2009, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick@AEPerformance

Very, very thorough writeup! Thanks for all the kind words Steve, and I'm glad youre loving the exhaust!

-Nick

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpsimon

Your car looks sick with those wheels and that exhaust. You have great taste

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedDinan335i

Looks awesome!

Thanks guys.

Septro · 03-31-2009, 08:54 PM

No Quads? I think AE's quads are just the perfect looking set I've seen in person..

cbad335 · 03-31-2009, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Septro

No Quads? I think AE's quads are just the perfect looking set I've seen in person..

There aren't any E90 M-tech diffusers that fit the AE quads, at least any that are excellent quality with OE fitment. The E92 guys have it made there. Besides, I have gone for a very clean look and didn't want to overwhelm the rear with quads. It's a 335, not an M.

Septro · 03-31-2009, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbad335

There aren't any E90 M-tech diffusers that fit the AE quads, at least any that are excellent quality with OE fitment. The E92 guys have it made there. Besides, I have gone for a very clean look and didn't want to overwhelm the rear with quads. It's a 335, not an M.

No I saw your thread about the lack of options so I was curious if you found a decent quad diffuser from JBSpeed, 3D Design, or DukeDynamics (the only ones who have something in the *******

Funny you preach to me about the 335 not being an M when you yourself was pretty interested in getting Quads you made a whole thread about it.. comical.

GL with your exhaust.

cbad335 · 03-31-2009, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Septro

No I saw your thread about the lack of options so I was curious if you found a decent quad diffuser from JBSpeed, 3D Design, or DukeDynamics (the only ones who have something in the *******

Funny you preach to me about the 335 not being an M when you yourself was pretty interested in getting Quads you made a whole thread about it.. comical.

GL with your exhaust.

I wouldn't call 6 words, "preaching." And my interest in diffuser options was merely interest while considering all of my options. What I find, "comical," is how you can take a thread and make it confrontational, and about you. Oh, and your poor punctuation and subject verb disagreements are tragically comical, as well. Now can we please keep this thread on track?

Mahhvinn · 03-31-2009, 09:31 PM

Nice write up. I can't wait to get mine.

BlakeB · 03-31-2009, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbad335

I wouldn't call 6 words, "preaching." And my interest in diffuser options was merely interest while considering all of my options. What I find, "comical," is how you can take a thread and make it confrontational, and about you. Oh, and your poor punctuation and subject verb disagreements are tragically comical, as well. Now can we please keep this thread on track?

Septro · 03-31-2009, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbad335

I wouldn't call 6 words, "preaching." And my interest in diffuser options was merely interest while considering all of my options. What I find, "comical," is how you can take a thread and make it confrontational, and about you. Oh, and your poor punctuation and subject verb disagreements are tragically comical, as well. Now can we please keep this thread on track?

On track to what, a review of which I ask you a pretty sublime question regarding a previous thread you made that was 3 pages long about getting Quads and what looked to be a result different from your own spoken interest? You have a dim view of what is confrontational.

I didn't infer you should turn your car into an M but you felt the need to make a declarative statement about it. So take your grammatical assessment, on an internet forum no less, and shove it up your AE exhaust. How's that for comedy? (now that's funny)

rubber_ducky · 04-01-2009, 08:15 AM

BobVader · 04-01-2009, 08:22 AM

Look very good.

thegeneral101 · 04-01-2009, 12:51 PM

your car is sexy.....and dude that blue m3 isn't too shabby either

midlife · 04-01-2009, 12:56 PM

looks great!, couple of questions:

1/any idea how much weight was saved?
2/ this new exhaust is catless with sound resonators / mufflers correct?
3/ do you have stock dps or catless dps ??
4/ lastly, can you tell me a ballpark cost ??

thanks

scottp999 · 04-01-2009, 01:00 PM

If I were to get another catback, it would be the AE. Gorgeous!

LiKWiD335xi · 04-01-2009, 01:30 PM

Excellent write up, car looks great.

AE is the exhaust that I have my sights on, to me they have the best exhaust at the best price and I can't wait to order mine.

I'm looking to keep it dual and not go quads as well, what size tips are those?

Nikos335i · 04-01-2009, 01:56 PM

Looks really good! I really like this setup!!!

ChaneRZ · 04-01-2009, 02:08 PM

damn those look good!

03-31-2009, 07:58 PM	#1
cbad335 Lieutenant Colonel 59 Rep 1,736 Posts Drives: '09 E92 335i Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA iTrader: (17) Garage List 2009 BMW 335i Coupe [7.34]	AE Performance Exhaust Review & Pics First off, thank you to Nick, Dustin, and the rest of the guys at AE for their friendly, relaxed approach, and proficient service. I decided to drive up to Chino Hills and have AE install the exhaust, which after feeling the weight and size of the stock exhaust, turned out to be a good decision for me. But for those of you looking to have a unit shipped, I can tell you the packaging was done well. While Dustin was getting my car up on the lift, Nick and I unpacked the box and inspected the unit. I was impressed with the quality of the welds. They were smooth, even, and uniform, with no noticeable gaps or bulges. The gaskets appeared to be of high quality, and were included with a full set of the necessary bolts. Both the mufflers and the resonated tips were nicely polished. The most impressive thing, as you can see in the first pic, is the straight through design of the exhaust, especially if your familiar with all the bends and kinks in the stock unit. Plus, not only do they look much better, but I really like the idea of flanges instead of slip joints and clamps. I believe it greatly decreases the likelihood of exhaust leaks or rattles. So, how does it sound? At idle, it produces a low, deep, mellow sound with a little of the gurgling you'd expect from an efficiently designed aftermarket exhaust. It is reasonably quiet when cruising (though you're still aware you're not running stock) and screams when you get on it, while still maintaining a rich, discriminating timbre. I was pleased to find out that there was no rasp whatsoever with this unit. And to those of you with an AT, no drone. I have tested this thoroughly now for five days, as it was certainly a concern I had going into this purchase. In all fairness, I'm sure you can get a low, echoing sound if you drive in a gear much too high for your speed, but I could do that with the stock exhaust. Besides, I shift my car manually 99% of the time. I think the "drone is an auto problem" belief is erroneous. Drone is a gearing problem. Anyway, if you drive an AT, don't worry about drone with the AE exhaust. As for power, I did not do a before and after dyno, so my impressions are purely subjective. Combined with a new Vishnu DCI, the addition of the exhaust makes my car feel more responsive, and smoother through the power band. I notice it most at higher revs/speeds (e.g., freeway speeds). It really feels like the car is breathing better. I don't think I can technically explain why I feel this--it could all be in my head--but the car really seems to be running more efficiently with more power and less effort. That's the best way I can put it. I'm very pleased with the AE exhaust on my E90 with AT. Had I known how much it would transform my car, it would have been one of my first mods. It's certainly one of my favorites. The whole sensory experience of driving my 335 has been expanded with the awesome sound and smooth, efficient feel of the power delivery. Finally, I give two thumbs up to Nick and his crew at Autobahn Exotics for a well constructed, reasonably priced product, and excellent customer service. Below are some pics of my install at AE's garage, some of the other cars there, and a few of Nick's coupe (with AE quads) next to my sedan. Attached Images __________________ \| 6MT \| ZSP \| ZPP \| Last edited by cbad335; 03-31-2009 at 08:43 PM..
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03-31-2009, 08:23 PM	#2
RedDinan335i Private First Class 1 Rep 102 Posts Drives: Red 335i Coupe Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: St. Louis iTrader: (1)	Pics??? __________________ Mods: Dinan Stage2 Dinan Exhaust
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03-31-2009, 08:46 PM	#4
Nick@aep Team Zissou 135 Rep 1,426 Posts Drives: Past: E92 335i 6mt, 996 GT2 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Orange County, CA iTrader: (6)	Very, very thorough writeup! Thanks for all the kind words Steve, and I'm glad youre loving the exhaust! -Nick __________________ Formerly Known As: Nick@AEPerformance Drive ALL Out Foundation
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03-31-2009, 08:47 PM	#5
jpsimon Team Zissou 3065 Rep 10,197 Posts Drives: 2022 AWD M3 Comp - SMB Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: CT iTrader: (7)	Your car looks sick with those wheels and that exhaust. You have great taste
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03-31-2009, 08:54 PM	#8
Septro Banned 77 Rep 1,649 Posts Drives: '08 e90 335xi Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: C-Bus, OH iTrader: (1)	No Quads? I think AE's quads are just the perfect looking set I've seen in person..
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03-31-2009, 09:31 PM	#12
Mahhvinn EUROPROJEKTZ 187 Rep 7,958 Posts Drives: backwards Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: San Jose, CA (Bay Area) iTrader: (15) Garage List 2008 E90 335i [7.00]	Nice write up. I can't wait to get mine.
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04-01-2009, 08:15 AM	#15
rubber_ducky Colonel 386 Rep 2,989 Posts Drives: roach coach Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: boston-ish iTrader: (21)
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04-01-2009, 08:22 AM	#16
BobVader Lieutenant 32 Rep 414 Posts Drives: 335xi sedan 2008 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Montreal, Canada iTrader: (0)	Look very good. __________________ '08 BMW 335xi // Sedan // Black Sapphire // Sports Package//Mods: JB3 2.0\|Unlocked 18ohm Board\|BMS Meth Kit\|AA Speed Delimiter\|BMS tuning gauge\|UR CL DP \|BMS DCI\|AA Exhaust\|Helix fmic\|CDV\|H&R coilover\| 10mm Spacers H&R on 4 wheels\|Record for XI's on dragtimes.com, 11.768s@118.70Top speed 186,4 mph GPS, vbox 60-130mph at 10.18
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04-01-2009, 12:51 PM	#17
thegeneral101 Colonel 76 Rep 2,304 Posts Drives: '15 Z06,'13 750Li,'11 Raptor Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Miami/Michigan iTrader: (0)	your car is sexy.....and dude that blue m3 isn't too shabby either __________________
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04-01-2009, 12:56 PM	#18
midlife ocasionally in crisis 52 Rep 2,358 Posts Drives: '08 335i cabrio Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: .......... iTrader: (0)	looks great!, couple of questions: 1/any idea how much weight was saved? 2/ this new exhaust is catless with sound resonators / mufflers correct? 3/ do you have stock dps or catless dps ?? 4/ lastly, can you tell me a ballpark cost ?? thanks __________________ If your car isn't scary - it's just not fast enough ! RPI IC / UR catless DPs / JB3 2.0 beta / UR CAI / Quaife LSD / Snow Methanol Injection / VK oil cooler upgrade / Forge DVs / M3 rear sway / Riss catch can / Paddle shifting 6AT / M Sport steering wheel / Logic 7 / Dunlop Direzza Z1 255/235 /
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04-01-2009, 01:00 PM	#19
scottp999 Brigadier General 133 Rep 4,764 Posts Drives: 4runner SR5 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: MD iTrader: (2) Garage List 2007 BMW 335 [9.00]	If I were to get another catback, it would be the AE. Gorgeous!
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04-01-2009, 01:30 PM	#20
LiKWiD335xi Anthony 10 Rep 274 Posts Drives: '08 E90 335xi Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Central NJ iTrader: (1)	Excellent write up, car looks great. AE is the exhaust that I have my sights on, to me they have the best exhaust at the best price and I can't wait to order mine. I'm looking to keep it dual and not go quads as well, what size tips are those?
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04-01-2009, 01:56 PM	#21
Nikos335i Brigadier General 92 Rep 3,822 Posts Drives: 2012 B8 S4 & 2013 F30 328xi Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Montreal, Canada iTrader: (13) Garage List 2012 Audi S4 [9.00] 2007 E90 335i [9.00] 2011 Audi A4 Avant [10.00]	Looks really good! I really like this setup!!! __________________ *'12 B8 S4 Ice Silver on Black/Premium/DSG/Sport Diff/Nav/Carbon Inlays/19' Titanium Wheels/RS4 Grill/AWE exhaust/Alu Kreuz/H&R OE/Pagid RS19* '13 F30 328xi Sapphire Black/Coral Red/Sportline/gloss black with matte red/Style 397 18" wheels gone: '07 E90 335i, Alpine White/Black with aluminum/sport/ steptronic/paddles/premium/Logic7 gone: '06 E61 530xi Sapphire Black/Black with aluminum/premium/panoramic sunroof/Logic7/PDC
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04-01-2009, 02:08 PM	#22
ChaneRZ If You Aint First, You're last !!! 81 Rep 2,509 Posts Drives: 08 BMW 335i, 01 Honda Prelude Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: California iTrader: (0)	damn those look good! __________________ 08 BMW BSM 335i 6MT (Sports, Premium, NAV, PDC, AS, IPOD, HD Radio, Rear Sunshade, OEM Alarm) Angel iBright V3, Luminics Fog Bulb, Turbo Tuner, K&N Drop in Filter, Dinan Exhaust, Dinan Pedals, Vorsteiner CF Front Lip, and CF Rear Diffuser. Ordered:08/25/07 Started: 09/09/07 Finished: 09/14/07 On Ship: 09/15/07 Arrived: 10/08/07 Delivered: 10/10/07
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