[dcmac]

After spending months researching before finally pulling the trigger on this setup, I hope the following can help anyone else out there deliberating over their M2 mods.

I first saw AA’s gear on an M2 while watching a YouTube video of Colorado’s SCR Performance shop car being overhauled with everything mentioned in the thread title, as well as H&R springs and 265/285 RE71’s.

Realising their shop was only a short drive north from me, I headed up and met owner Mark Baer who took me for a ride in his AW M2 in question. It blew me away. The car sounded so much more aggressive and pulled so much harder than my stock M2… I was pretty much sold on the spot that I’d be getting work done.

Fast forward a few months and I’ve now got my dream setup for my MG 2018 LCI.

THE GEAR

Exhaust: The AA Turbo-back Signature Exhaust is a stunning bit of kit when looking it over. The welds are beautiful and having done my research on this part, I know the team at AA went through several revisions to ensure excellent fit. So many exhausts are Y pipe designs and I liked the fact they went with a full 3.5in single pipe for maximum flow and performance potential. A lot of folk like the black tips but I personally adore the stainless tips on a MG car, so that decision was never in question. The exhaust utilises the OEM valve function. I considered a valve controller but in the end it’s just not needed (more on this later).

FMIC: Having paid close attention to FMIC choices from forum members, I was close to opting for a Wagner model but in the end, I listened to Mark’s feedback on the perfect stock replacement fit of the AA unit. The fact he’d driven the car hard at the track run after run without any cooling or heatsoak issues was telling. Being in thin-aired Colorado where efficient heat exchange is so important, it felt right to go with a local expert’s opinion.

Charge Pipe: Nothing fancy to report here – just a well-made, proven charge pipe replacement that I knew was an important piece to include given I was opting for a Stage 2 tune.

Tune: This was easily the hardest decision in my case. I really struggled with the decision to go with a catless exhaust and tune vs a HFC option (such as a Fabspeed which so many members on this forum know and love) and no tune. In the end, the extra intensity in sound and performance won me over, even if I had anxiety right up until install day (mainly about the warranty thing on a new car). I think the tipping point was a mindset shift in that I’ve been conservative with my cars for so long, and I felt now is the time to have some fun and not worry so much about potential consequences (a bit of a Nike ‘just do it’ moment). With a toddler and another newborn on the way, my days driving a two door sports coupe may be numbered, so I wanted to enjoy my M2 at its full potential.

So with that tough decision made, I knew I’d be tuning the car to take advantage of the bolt-ons and of course ensuring no CEL. I considered BM3, VF and AA tunes, but for me it came down to a choice between the latter two. Having not experienced a VF-tuned car, from the research I’ve done and their good representation here on the forum and in videos I believe they would be a great option, but a few things drew me to AA’s tune:

1) It’s a track tune that while perhaps not as brutal as some other street setups, has proven itself to perform in the heat on track lap after lap (though AA can certainly amp up a more rowdy street map for you if you wish)

2) Active had logged 15,000 miles with their tune with no problems; and,

3) Active offer a cold-start-delete option which turned out to be quite possibly the most important inclusion of my whole setup. If you have ever heard a catless M2 start-up, you’ll know it’s INSANELY loud… to the point where I knew my wife would order me to take the car straight back to the shop, and my neighbours calling the cops to file noise complaints. And I would have done just that, because it’s simply too obnoxious to tolerate. The cold-start-delete feature of the AA tune codes out that 45seconds of brutality. It’s simply not needed to warm up a cat that’s not there. You still get the roar on start up, but the car then immediately reverts to a normal idle. Awesome!

Lastly, having driven Mark’s AA-tuned M2 previously, I knew what I was getting… and you can’t beat trying before buying with something like this.

ON THE ROAD

Power delivery: Two descriptors immediately come to mind – strong and linear. There’s no point in the RPM where you feel acute peakiness, which I am pleased about… the car just feels like it’s now on steroids right across the rev range, making it super fun to drive on street, backroad, and I can only assume, the track (soon!). Low and top end power feels noticeably better but it’s that useable 3-4k range where it really feels great. I don’t know what power I’m making and I suspect it could make a little more if pushed by AA – and in fact I know of forum members who have done just this with great results – but I am supremely happy with the result and have no intention to dyno the car. It feels solid and reliable and is the ‘set and forget’ package I was hoping for. I can’t imagine going back to stock power now.

Sound: Um… WOW. I’ll preface this part by stating the obvious: sound is an intensely polarizing and subjective topic, so my opinion is no more important than anyone else’s. But I couldn’t help but have a chuckle at the recent forum debate around the ‘actual importance’ of sound, seemingly emanating from M2C buyers perhaps mentally preparing for the S55 downgrade in this area. For me, sound is a HUGE factor, period. I do a lot of city driving at low to mid speeds and if I can’t go fast all the time, I at least want to enjoy the soundtrack. With that, I can tell you the AA catless turbo-back + tune is cream-your-pants good. In every drive mode. At almost all points of the rev range. And the OEM valve function operates perfectly well with it. Like any catless setup it’s a bit rough and raspy at carpark speeds, but once you get on the road and give it the beans it puts a huge smile on the dial every time. At around 4k under load the sound erupts into beast mode and if you change gear early and dump boost it gives a raucous ‘fart’ just like stock but deeper and punchier, which is a lot of fun especially in a tunnel . I have not heard Remus or FI setups in person, so I can’t comment on how they compare. However I had driven an MPE equipped M2 before buying my car and I found it a huge disappointment: droney on the highway, expensive for a catback, and a bit tame overall. The AA does get a little droney at highway speeds, but not nearly as bad as the MPE in my experience. Given I don’t do a lot of highway driving, it’s a non-issue for me, but if you cruise a lot, take this into consideration.

Drive modes: Something that was an immediate and pleasant surprise was just how much better Comfort mode is following the tune. It’s no longer that sleepy, lackadaisical mode you can’t wait to turn off. Now, when in town, I drive exclusively in it because it’s got a great, angry exhaust tone to it, but doesn’t go beserk on the overrun crackles (more on this soon). Comfort is now super responsive and pleasant to drive, something I’ve appreciated.

Flicking it into Sport and Sport +, the No.1 thing you notice is the delicious overrun burble. I remember seeing some VF videos of their tune featuring the same ‘unleashed’ burble, and it was something I was really keen to have. I am pleased to report the crackle and pop is just EPIC on the AA tune and really aggressive. It’s so much more giggle-inducing than stock it’s almost comical. The AA guys tell me they provide even more aggressive burble maps and honestly I can’t imagine how anyone can drive around with it any more violent than it already is – maybe they secretly loaded the burble map into my tune? Who knows.

Something some may not appreciate is driving in Traction/MDM mode on this tune, which I can say is positively, unequivocally MANIACAL when it comes to the crackle and pop. We all know this mode is the ‘hidden exhaust mode’ detailed at length on this forum which turns on the popcorn. Well, I switched this on in my enclosed work car park and you would think you were in the middle of a warzone. Just a cacophony of explosions that were so loud it was like being shot at by a platoon of Navy Seals. Personally, it’s just a little too aggressive for me and I only use it when having a giggle with a willing passenger. I may need Traction mode come winter time so that’ll be interesting

If you are in any doubt about just how good the AA turboback sounds, take a look at this video. The sound is even better in person. At WOT I feel like I am driving an expensive exotic rather than a 53k turbo 6. Even with valves closed it still sounds incredible. Happy days!

SMELL: Yes, you can smell the exhaust fumes if you sit at the traffic lights with the windows down or start it up in your garage. No big deal. It’s the smell of power. Non issue.

ASD: I bought the OBD adapter and intended to code this off along with a few other things, but to be honest I currently could not be bothered tinkering with this. I probably should, because it might lessen the slight highway drone. But yeh, another non-issue.

THE DRAWBACKS

What drawbacks?

No, there are some.

Firstly, overall, the car is obviously just way louder in general and loses that quiet new-car refinement. It’s most noticeable leaving your neighbourhood at low speeds or parking your car at work. Personally, I love how loud it is, but out of respect for neighbours and colleagues etc I keep light on the throttle in densely populated areas. I can see why people opt for HFC’s – but I have no regrets. Just noting for consideration if you’re the type who wants to be able to go into sleeper mode much easier.

Storage. Where the hell am I going to put my stock exhaust? Lol. No seriously, I can’t think of any other drawbacks, apart from the obvious warranty risks should something go very wrong. But with Active’s pedigree and the fact this is a relatively conservative setup, I’m hoping (touch wood) everything will be fine.

CONCLUSION

Overall… if you haven’t figured it out yet, I am frothing over this package, and I apologise if I’ve failed to provide you some objective reading! I just didn’t know my M2 had this much left in it. I can only imagine how hard it would pull at sea level.

To digress slightly, I recently had a drive in an Active-tuned M4 with Pure Stage 2 turbo upgrade. Amazing car. The thing was an absolute beast and clearly quicker than my car. But you know what? The overall experience wasn’t as fun as driving my car. The car felt big, the sound wasn’t there, and to push it you are going to much higher limits than my average to intermediate skill level can safely handle. I’ve largely stayed out of M2C v M2 debate because I think it’s pointless and childish, but the one thing I will say is I genuinely have zero interest in that car. The S55 sound, the new styling, the price hike… I’m just not into it. I can certainly see why others are, and each to their own. Just food for thought for M2C and other owners who might be wondering why I’d bother laying more cash into a superseded M2 .

I’d like to say a big thanks to David@ActiveAutowerke for answering my billions of questions during my research phase. The AA folk are a pleasure to deal and their product is pure quality.

Likewise, a huge shout out to Mark Baer and his team at SCR Performance. These guys are M-car specialists through and through, and treat me less like a customer and more like a family member. The opportunity to drive Mark’s shop car (his personal daily) really helped my decision making, and their attention to detail on the install (and the follow up to ensure everything was on point) was fantastic. I look forward to hitting the track with them at upcoming CO events.

Hope you enjoyed the review and I’m more than happy to answer questions. I’ll see to getting some videos uploaded, too.

[untzklee]

Nice write up and congratz!

[nioh_lbbm2]

Give us some audio clips!

[snipersix]

Originally Posted by nioh_lbbm2

Give us some audio clips!

+1

[ICantDrive4Sht]

Originally Posted by nioh_lbbm2

Give us some audio clips!

Here is a link to my AA M2 this is in sport+. In traction mode the burbles are just too much

It's incredibly loud irl, video doesn't do justice at all.

[dmk08]

Nice upgrades. Active really needs a better exhaust tip design. It was the best sound on my F80 but the tips looked janky.

Im glad to see it didnt need an erector set to install like mine tho lol

[David@ActiveAutowerke]

Thanks for the write-up, Doug! It was a pleasure working with you as well

[David@ActiveAutowerke]

Originally Posted by dmk08

Nice upgrades. Active really needs a better exhaust tip design. It was the best sound on my F80 but the tips looked janky.

Im glad to see it didnt need an erector set to install like mine tho lol

Like this?




Also, we've since redesigned the rear muffler on the F8X to have a single adjustment

[dmk08]

Originally Posted by David@ActiveAutowerke

Like this?




Also, we've since redesigned the rear muffler on the F8X to have a single adjustment

Yes that's much better!

[Norhidem]

Sounds awesome! Congratz.

I'm thinking of going for this setup except for the exhaust(Catless DP, Tuner, IC). How does it not throw a CEL when going catless? I'm new to the tuner business!

Thanks!

[LBBDrew]

Is the extra burble in S/S+ due to the tune, or just the new exhaust setup? I have the latter only, and it's pretty wild without any tune.

[Happy Motoring]

Nice write up. Do you have any before and after numbers?

[dcmac]

Originally Posted by LBBDrew

Is the extra burble in S/S+ due to the tune, or just the new exhaust setup? I have the latter only, and it's pretty wild without any tune.

David @ Active can confirm but I believe the burble is definitely increased via the tune

[dcmac]

Originally Posted by Happy Motoring

Nice write up. Do you have any before and after numbers?

Thanks. No, I didn't record any numbers and don't plan to dyno. I'm sure David can advise what a similar setup to mine puts out and maybe provide a graph. The SCR guys think it'd be around 400hp at the wheels, maybe a bit more. Whatever it is, I think it's at the ideal level now. I can still put the power down on stock rubber no probs but it will let go much easier now with nannies off

[dcmac]

Originally Posted by Norhidem

Sounds awesome! Congratz.

I'm thinking of going for this setup except for the exhaust(Catless DP, Tuner, IC). How does it not throw a CEL when going catless? I'm new to the tuner business!

Thanks!

Simply put the tune codes out the CEL. The CEL happens because the DP O2 sensor is detecting something wrong with the cat (i.e. there isn't one). This error code is cleared by the tune. At least that's my understanding.

[dcmac]

Ok, here's MDM mode in action. Crazy stuff. Excuse my chortling.

[dcmac]

...and a very quick rev before heading home from work. I think I had it in comfort. If you listen closely you can hear the turbo spooling. Once I get my hands on a suction mount I'll take some vid of WOT.

[eeyang92]

Congrats! I like the sound!

I wish I had the balls to go YOLO like you lol, but I am too worried about my warranty

[dcgolfdr]

Can only the rear section be purchased or do you have to buy full turbo back?

[tdott]

Originally Posted by dcmac

Ok, here's MDM mode in action. Crazy stuff. Excuse my chortling.

Is there an option to turn off the burble? Sounds terrible imo.

[dcmac]

Originally Posted by tdott

Is there an option to turn off the burble? Sounds terrible imo.

David@Active can confirm but I believe that's a yes - I was speaking with Mark @ SCR and it seems my tune's MDM mode burble is particularly rowdy compared to his. I agree it's too much for normal driving, I just stick to Comfort and the Sport modes (comfort = minimal burble. Sport /+ = excellent burble without being too much

Originally Posted by dcgolfdr

Can only the rear section be purchased or do you have to buy full turbo back?

David@Active is your man. I don't know if they offer a catback version for purchase. You can certainly order the tips separately.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Awesome review OP!!