Remus Exhaust + Fabspeed Sport Cat Review
Howdy!
So a while back I purchased a Fabspeed sportcat and a Dinan Resonator Delete,
You might remember the write up I did:
http://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1355352
(If you wanna hear more about the sport cat, click the link above. This review is going to focus on the addition of the Remus Exhaust)
I've been happy with that set up for the last 8 months but after getting used to it overtime, I decided I wanted a change in sound. My biggest gripe wasn't the volume at start up or when revving, it was the noise it made (or rather didn't make) on the highway. It just wasn't loud enough in gears 3-6. Not just volume wise but also the tone. It sounded so muffled and I knew since i already had a sport cat that the rest of the exhaust was to blame.
Having looked at a ton of options over the past few months, I kept finding little things I didn't like with many of the popular systems out there.
The MPE is loud but it sounds too hollow with the valves open and it has a cold start vibration issue that requires welding to permanently fix. It also isn't a true catback, it requires cutting. The tips aren't large enough for me and they cost a fortune. It drones at highway speeds. The additional bluetooth valve controller on top of the sport/comfort button seems like a PITA. I wasn't digging any of that. It of course does sound amazing with the valves shut but too many trade offs for me.
Armytrix, Akra and AA all cost more than I want to spend and tip options were limited,
Eisenmann and FI just don't sound the way I want (personal opinion),
Dinan sounds great and is affordable but the tips can't be changed and I REALLY wanted some brushed silver tips.
Why was it so hard for me to find a true catback exhaust system that retained OEM valve control, sounded good, had many tip options and didn’t cost an arm and a leg?
...It was starting to seem bleak.
Finally I came across a YouTube clip that caught my attention:
Remus!
An Austrian company that made exactly what I wanted!
The exhaust sounds amazing and it looks like a quality item.
It comes with a 3 year unlimited mileage factory warranty. This in addition to the fact that Remus exhausts are designed, engineered and manufactured in Austria (and not somewhere in Asia) meant a lot to me.
After all, BMW is a German brand so buying European parts for my car just feels right.
Valve control remains operated within the car just like stock, except there are 2 valves now.
There's also the option to purchase their valve control system for $600
I open and close mine with a CG Precision Variable Sound Controller I bought for $199
You can program it into your homelink buttons and open and close your valves without a remote/phone! Super cool.
Plenty of tip options! #thankyajezus
I definitely had my doubts after hearing videos of the exhaust with a stock cat. It seemed like a lot of money for not that much noise.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great noise…but it sounds a little too quiet for me.
I was unable to find any videos of what the exhaust would sound like with a sport cat (at the time) so I decided to take a leap of faith, got ready to eat ramen for a month and went ahead and purchased it.
The exhaust wasn't cheap (~$3000) but it was jusssssst within my budget. Sorta. (Whoops)
I went with these tips since my car is black:
I think the color contrast and tip size is perfect.
I prefer the straight cut look which is why I went with the 98mm tips (straight cut) instead of the 102s (slant cut).
There is plenty of room for adjustment with the long length of these tips. You can push them as far in or as far out as you want.
These things look like cannons and I love it!
Anyway without further ado, here are some video clips:
This is in MDM mode, then Sport+ (with valves open)
Some backfires near a wall on my way home (windows down, little windy)
And some tunnel videos
Since i already had a sport cat before i got this exhaust, the biggest change wasn't so much the volume the car made but when it made it. It's pretty much the same volume in gears 1+2 but a wayyyyy better sound. And when you hit the throttle in 3-6 it's actually audible now. Love love love it.
There are a few tweaks and adjustments we need to make with the tips but i'm really impressed with the exhaust and happy with my purchase.
I took it out this afternoon for a few hours with my windows down and music off to really listen for any rattles, shakes or drone. I didn't hear any while driving with the exception that If you have the valves forced open in MDM mode and have your radio off then you can definitely hear it drone at around 2500rpm. In Comfort, Sport, Sport+ there isn't any drone, even with the valves open. I don't ever drive for extended periods of time in MDM mode so this isn't an issue for me. I keep the car in Sport+ 99% of the time and it sounds FANTASTIC.
If for some reason you love driving in MDM mode and the drone is a concern for you then just don't buy the sport cat and you won't have that problem. The exhaust by itself is very civilized but with the cat added and the valves open it goes from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde. I love that but some of you might not, so fair warning.
Not my clip, but here's a 300cell sport cat paired with a remus exhaust:
And here is one by @bmxcamel with the exact same set up as me (200cell FB sport cat + remus cutback)
Also, I should mention: I find it remarkable how quiet the car sounds at idle when the car is warm. You can't even tell it's there till you touch the throttle.
Cold start is obv very loud because of the sport cat but after a min it gets much more civilized:
Here's a cold start with the valves shut. Still loud at first, but not as bad after a few seconds:
If you're concerned about waking the neighbors you can always have the cold start procedure coded out with a flash/bench tune.
If you are not tuning your car then there's a very easy way to get rid of the loud cold start. After you start the car leave it in neutral and put your foot on the gas. Raise the RPM very slightly...only 100-200rpm and the car will immediately quiet down a ton. Hold for 30 sec and you'll be good to go.
I will finish by saying that if you want the best ratio of dollars to decibels, then this isn't the set up for you. Get an MPE and a catless downpipe if you want that. This is loud but it's not going to blow your ear drums out. It will however make people stop and stare as you rumble on by. It's a great low, deep tone. Very authoritative.
When people pull up next to me at stop lights they don't go "What the hell did you do to that thing?!" but what they do say, (and this is a direct quote) is "Man you got that thing sounding right!". I'll take good noise over loud noise any day of the week.
So...is it worth spending ~$3100 on an exhaust, ~$1200 on a catted dp and ~$200 on a valve controller? That's really up to you. If you're on a budget then probably not, but if you are looking for a more refined, meaner sound (and don't mind spending a few bucks to get it), then this is the set up for you. I personally love it and don't regret buying it at all. Trust me, I'd attempt to return or sell it if I did.
One last thing I want to mention: I had my ASD (active sound) removed. This needs to be emphasized because it is a critical part of my review and experience with the sound this car makes in its current form. If you do not code it out or install a bypass harness it will be much louder in the cabin and you may experience drone so please keep that in mind.
Thanks for reading and I hope my write up helped you get a better idea of what this exhaust is like.
I also owe a BIG thank you to
RemusUSA. You’ve made a wonderful product and I’m so happy I’ve finally found a new and improved exhaust set up that I didn’t have to make any compromises on. Cheers!