Hi Guys,
I've been meaning to post a review of my overall M3 upgrade process, along with info on the things I learned, and the things I wish I had done differently the first time.
I bought a 2011 E90 6MT M3 about 6 months ago, to replace a 997 Turbo S, that I had decided to sell to stop the constant major depreciation hits I was taking each month.
My first impression of the M3 was that it sounded and handled great, but was a little lacking in the power department, which didn't concern me, because I had purchased it with the intention of supercharging all along. I chose the ESS 550 kit, because of all the positive reviews on this board. I also decided to go with the ESS full exhaust, due to the positive reviews as well.
I live in Santa Monica, and at the time the only reputable shops that I knew of were in Orange County, which would mean an annoying drive, rental car, etc. I decided that was too much hassle, especially if something went wrong, and I would have to make the trip back to have something fixed. I kept looking for another shop, and came across RPM in Van Nuys. They had posted a big picture spread about a valve job they had done on an M3, and they were about 10 minutes from my work. I spoke with Marco over there and he let me know he used to work at BMW and had alread done a few supercharger installs at his relatively new shop. Marco was super responsive and able to answer all of my questions. I was sold.
My car was completed a day earlier than the original estimate, and when I got there they had detailed my car, and already packaged up all my stock components for easy transport home. They were very service oriented. My initial impressions of the car (during the break in) was that the car sounded way louder, and I could tell the character had dramatically changed for the better. It sounded like a muscle car. I also noticed that the ESS tune was very peaky, with a very steep torque build up with light throttle. This effect was very pronounced in 1st gear, and I basically had to either short shift, or lighten up on the throttle substantially as the revs rose, or the car would erratically spin the tires. The power was cool, but the drivability at 2/10's was not.
Once the break in period was over, the car felt incredibly strong through the mid range, and absolutely insane at high rpm. The ESS exhaust sounded great at high rpm, but very boomy/bassy (for my tastes) at low rpm. Cold start in a parking garage sounded like a bad EDM concert, and was too much for me for a daily driver. I still had an issue with the ESS tune's throttle mapping. It just wasn't that smooth or stock like. You had to really feather the throttle in 1st gear, or the car would just rev like a maniac.
I spoke with Roman at ESS at the problem, and he basically said that I needed to go to EAS in Orange county so they could identify if it was acting like it should. I didn't really want to take work off and drive down there, so I decided to speak to Marco at RPM about the problem. He said that he had seen some of the same issues with other supercharger kits. He had decided to have Mike at BPM tune his own supercharged car, and really liked the results. I decided to give it a try, and it was a complete game changer. The car was WAY more reasonable/livable at partial throttle. With a much smoother throttle map. 1st gear was useable again. It also included all the other features of the BPM tune, including the tighter servotronic mapping, elimination of cold start, launch control, etc. I couldn't be happier with my supercharged M3 now. While I do think the BPM tune lost a little power at the top end (not a lot, but still noticeable), drivability was dramatically improved.
As for the ESS exhaust, I decided it was too bassy for my tastes, and started looking into alternatives. I started to think that any upgraded X pipe was going to bring too much bass, and I was going to have to settle for the stock cats, if I wanted to tone down the exhaust sound. I was thinking about going back to stock, or going back to stock cats and getting the M Performance exhaust, etc. Again, I decided to speak with Marco at RPM, to see if he had any suggestions. He highly recommended the Akra Evo full exhaust. He said it would be a lot less bassy than the ESS, but wouldn't be too restrictive. It also saves a bunch of weight because of the titanium construction. He offered me a used exhaust that he had at the shop, and said I could return it if I didn't like it (for free). He would even cover the labor to put the stock unit back on. I agreed, and couldn't be happier. The sound (as many of you know) is not too loud, but sounds great at full blast. I would say the bass was reduced by 50%-60% from the ESS unit, and it has a much more exotic sound.
At this stage, my car is an epic daily driver, with great power, great sound, and everyday drivability. I'm very happy with my ESS kit (but not the tune), the Akra Evo exhaust, and most importantly the guys at RPM in Van Nuys for their exceptional service and advice.
Wow, I didn't mean to be this long winded. I hope this helps anyone thinking about upgrading their M3. My next step is to get solid Turner bushings for the sub frame and differential, as the power is definitely too much for the stock rubber bushings, and stability is an issue.
Let me know if you guys have any questions.
I've been meaning to post a review of my overall M3 upgrade process, along with info on the things I learned, and the things I wish I had done differently the first time.
I bought a 2011 E90 6MT M3 about 6 months ago, to replace a 997 Turbo S, that I had decided to sell to stop the constant major depreciation hits I was taking each month.
My first impression of the M3 was that it sounded and handled great, but was a little lacking in the power department, which didn't concern me, because I had purchased it with the intention of supercharging all along. I chose the ESS 550 kit, because of all the positive reviews on this board. I also decided to go with the ESS full exhaust, due to the positive reviews as well.
I live in Santa Monica, and at the time the only reputable shops that I knew of were in Orange County, which would mean an annoying drive, rental car, etc. I decided that was too much hassle, especially if something went wrong, and I would have to make the trip back to have something fixed. I kept looking for another shop, and came across RPM in Van Nuys. They had posted a big picture spread about a valve job they had done on an M3, and they were about 10 minutes from my work. I spoke with Marco over there and he let me know he used to work at BMW and had alread done a few supercharger installs at his relatively new shop. Marco was super responsive and able to answer all of my questions. I was sold.
My car was completed a day earlier than the original estimate, and when I got there they had detailed my car, and already packaged up all my stock components for easy transport home. They were very service oriented. My initial impressions of the car (during the break in) was that the car sounded way louder, and I could tell the character had dramatically changed for the better. It sounded like a muscle car. I also noticed that the ESS tune was very peaky, with a very steep torque build up with light throttle. This effect was very pronounced in 1st gear, and I basically had to either short shift, or lighten up on the throttle substantially as the revs rose, or the car would erratically spin the tires. The power was cool, but the drivability at 2/10's was not.
Once the break in period was over, the car felt incredibly strong through the mid range, and absolutely insane at high rpm. The ESS exhaust sounded great at high rpm, but very boomy/bassy (for my tastes) at low rpm. Cold start in a parking garage sounded like a bad EDM concert, and was too much for me for a daily driver. I still had an issue with the ESS tune's throttle mapping. It just wasn't that smooth or stock like. You had to really feather the throttle in 1st gear, or the car would just rev like a maniac.
I spoke with Roman at ESS at the problem, and he basically said that I needed to go to EAS in Orange county so they could identify if it was acting like it should. I didn't really want to take work off and drive down there, so I decided to speak to Marco at RPM about the problem. He said that he had seen some of the same issues with other supercharger kits. He had decided to have Mike at BPM tune his own supercharged car, and really liked the results. I decided to give it a try, and it was a complete game changer. The car was WAY more reasonable/livable at partial throttle. With a much smoother throttle map. 1st gear was useable again. It also included all the other features of the BPM tune, including the tighter servotronic mapping, elimination of cold start, launch control, etc. I couldn't be happier with my supercharged M3 now. While I do think the BPM tune lost a little power at the top end (not a lot, but still noticeable), drivability was dramatically improved.
As for the ESS exhaust, I decided it was too bassy for my tastes, and started looking into alternatives. I started to think that any upgraded X pipe was going to bring too much bass, and I was going to have to settle for the stock cats, if I wanted to tone down the exhaust sound. I was thinking about going back to stock, or going back to stock cats and getting the M Performance exhaust, etc. Again, I decided to speak with Marco at RPM, to see if he had any suggestions. He highly recommended the Akra Evo full exhaust. He said it would be a lot less bassy than the ESS, but wouldn't be too restrictive. It also saves a bunch of weight because of the titanium construction. He offered me a used exhaust that he had at the shop, and said I could return it if I didn't like it (for free). He would even cover the labor to put the stock unit back on. I agreed, and couldn't be happier. The sound (as many of you know) is not too loud, but sounds great at full blast. I would say the bass was reduced by 50%-60% from the ESS unit, and it has a much more exotic sound.
At this stage, my car is an epic daily driver, with great power, great sound, and everyday drivability. I'm very happy with my ESS kit (but not the tune), the Akra Evo exhaust, and most importantly the guys at RPM in Van Nuys for their exceptional service and advice.
Wow, I didn't mean to be this long winded. I hope this helps anyone thinking about upgrading their M3. My next step is to get solid Turner bushings for the sub frame and differential, as the power is definitely too much for the stock rubber bushings, and stability is an issue.
Let me know if you guys have any questions.
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