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2010 2011 BMW 5 Series Forum F10 F10 Technical Topics Engine, Transmission, Exhaust, Drivetrain, ECU Software Modifications F10 550i Eissenman Race Exhaust & Dinan Stage 1: My Impressions
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      11-22-2012, 07:57 PM   #1
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F10 550i Eissenman Race Exhaust & Dinan Stage 1: My Impressions

Well after much time and waiting I finally received my Eisenmann exhaust from Germany and was able to set up installation of the exhaust and a few other mods I was planning. Once again I went with the guys at IND for my exhaust as they have proven great with 3 previous vehicles I have modded in recent years ('08 e92 M3, '10 e71 X6, and '06 Z4M roadster). So why change up in the middle of the game I ask? (http://www.ind-distribution.com/) Ordering from Nate@IND was great and they definitely helped work with me to figure out what I wanted in terms of fitment and look for the car even down to getting a set of Eisenmann Race pipes fabricated from Germany and shipped. Although SEMA and that wonderful M5 that IND is working on along with German Holiday schedules delayed things by a week or so...I was able to get my exhaust made and shipped in about 3-4 wks after ordering. These exhausts are not always in stock guys so make sure whomever you work with; they are honest with you about stock times and shipping times. I recall the SuperSprint for my old Z4M having to come from Italy and that took about 45 days! So make sure you ask up front! Just my advice here.

Plan was to install OEM rear spoiler and an OEM M5 rear difuser along with the Eisenmann Race exhaust by my shop Matrix Integrated, Portland, Or. Matrix has a good working knowledge on all things German and automotive (www.matrixintegrated.cc/) and go waay above and beyond the call when working with clients and their cars. Jeremy and his folk at Matrix will take the time to definitely get your car done right and properly the 1st time. So they were more than happy to handle my upgrades. The fact that they are also a Dinan authorized shop helped to as we somehow found a Dinan Stage 1 upgrade added to the To Do list along the way. Great honest/shop...great work!

So in short a few words about the Eisenmann Race exhaust. Gents the few clips on YouTube do NOT do the exhaust justice. In person it sounds awesome! Major problem with the OEM 550i is that it is soo quiet and refined. Hard to believe or feel that you are really in a v8 powered BMW that is making 400hp/450 torque when inside or outside the thing. Now that's more geared toward the luxury sports sedan that the market may be moving to but for enthusiasts like us...it can be rather disappointing. Yes I know its NOT an M car but it shouldn't sound like a Lexus either. So an exhaust upgrade is the only option for those of us who want a little more from their cars. The Eisenmann Race (there is a Sport version that is I believe 5 db quieter) definitely fixes this problem. No drone inside only the nice growl of the v8 going thru its gears and business! Outside and in the garage at start up..you definitely notice..its a different car! Start up now makes me smile and driving it I feel more like I am driving a sports sedan and true BMW. Having had numerous M cars I know the difference and while its NOT an M5; I understand that and made a conscious decision NOT to purchase one [M5] this time at that price point even when it was made available by both my dealership and military sales contact (in fact the 2013 M6 was also offered but politely declined). However the Dinan and Eisenmann does provide the balance I sought this time!

Sound Clip


Also since Matrix is about 180m south of me in Portland; I got to spend about 2.5 hrs with this exhaust on my way back home. This was definitely made much better with the last minute flash upgrade of the Dinan Stage 1 exhaust which we did prior to delivery! Now some of you may ask why not go Dinan Stage 2 or 3? Well for 1 looking at the upgrade you go from 400hp OEM to 483 hp Dinan S1 and 450 torque OEM to 580 torque Dinan S1 and the other Stages 2 just add 10hp increments but at $500-800 price deltas so I just didn't see the difference of going straight to Stage 2 or 3 at this time and also its close too the holidays so hey a budget DID exist guys! Sneaking the Dinan in was a feat at that (thanks for the extended 15% sale Dinan, that the other half doesn't read the forums, and that she likely cannot tell the difference between OEM and ANY Dinan Stage! LOL) But I did get home with my license and car intact although it was hard to keep her within the speed limit at times!

As for the rest of my upgrades. OEM rear spoiler fitment went perfectly. Looks great and I must say have no idea why it is NOT included with the M-sport package from the dealer and BMW-NA. Some in Europe say it is but my car didn't have it and felt it should as the M5 does come with it I believe. As for the M5 rear difuser upgrade...well that's where problems begin guys. IF you want to do it you must have the M-Sport rear bumper (check..have that one) however If you don't source an M5 OEM exhaust then you will need to check very carefully your fitment and alignment of your desired/chosen exhaust. This is because the rear valence outlets for the M5 tips are inboard of the OEM MSport valence by about 2-3 inches. This means that your exhaust will need to be able to be moved to be aligned with your outlet of the M5 valence. If your exhaust is too big this won't work. This is the case unfortunately with the Eisenmann Race for the 550i. The cans are so big that while the driver's side fits well/easily the passenger side has little tolerance and room to move it about to gain the needed space for the tips to exit. So without major modifications to the vehicle sub frame/wheel well IF you source an 550i Eisenmann exhaust or one of similar size fitment to an F10 M5 rear valence/difuser WILL not work. So make sure you inquire and measure the size of your desired exhaust FIRST if you plan on doing this retrofit guys. For me it was easier to go back to the OEM MSport rear difuser than to try cutting metal and/or modifying the Eisenmann exhausts themselves (which likely would not have worked and defeated the original purpose of upgrading the stock exhaust) so just a word to the wise. If you want an M5 rear then be prepared for alot of work and sourcing of parts OR guys buy an M5!

Otherwise the exhaust fits great and sounds awesome. Fitment as I said above had some issues but the Eisenmann matches up to the factory hangers without much difficulty or issues otherwise. OEM rear spoiler fits and looks great. Currently Matte Black 550i badging is on the way so should have that added by next week! Otherwise my 550i has also been lowered with H&R Sport springs and painted front reflectors and a CF front grille added. Will look to probably source out a new CF rear difuser to fit the MSport bumper later on (suggestions are welcome). Dinan Stage 1 is great and am sure Stage 2 will come sometime soon IF I can justify it (Is it any better or smoother for those who have done it?). Next up will be 20" Vossen VVS CV4 (can'd decide which finish tho - matte graphite, silver brushed, or machined silver-graphite http://www.vossenwheels.com/CarGalle...VSCV4-793.aspx) But will likely wait till the spring and end of winter here in the Pacific NW to do that since my current wheels were recently upgraded to Michelin Pilot Sport AS for the chilly winter stuff about 1 mo ago!

But we're getting there...but am definitely enjoying the upgrade! Enjoy the pics and write-up and hope this was helpful.
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Last edited by mdrobc13; 11-22-2012 at 08:42 PM..
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      11-23-2012, 10:08 AM   #2
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What spare tire??? Also does the stock setup fit perfect, or passenger side muffler too close to anything underneath, how do you like the sound, your video is really too short to really tell. What size tips are those? is it the race and 90mm setup?
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      11-23-2012, 01:52 PM   #3
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I love my eisenmann race set up. My install was about 1.5 hours. The sound really breaks in at about 3-4 weeks. Drone can be annoying sometimes but compared to stock 550 set up totally worth it. I would not want anything louder. Race is the way to go. Still classy but just loud enough when you get on it. The best is the sound of a cold start. Enjoy!
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      11-24-2012, 12:49 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JimmyD View Post
What spare tire??? Also does the stock setup fit perfect, or passenger side muffler too close to anything underneath, how do you like the sound, your video is really too short to really tell. What size tips are those? is it the race and 90mm setup?
There is a spare tire well under the rear trunk of the car. Kind of perplexed me since the cars both Xi and RWD come with run flats. Body shop and my tuner said that the sub floor with the rear well have electronics and other things in there which would have to be moved IF I had them cut into it to move give the Eisenmann the lateral room needed. Stock set up fits perfectly. No major mods needed. The passenger side of things is what is limited as that wheel well is offset to the passanger side under the rear. If you look at my pics you'll see that IF BMW had centered this well then you'd have plenty of work space to shift ANY exhaust underneath the car either right or left as needed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrainv23 View Post
I love my eisenmann race set up. My install was about 1.5 hours. The sound really breaks in at about 3-4 weeks. Drone can be annoying sometimes but compared to stock 550 set up totally worth it. I would not want anything louder. Race is the way to go. Still classy but just loud enough when you get on it. The best is the sound of a cold start. Enjoy!
My exhaust is an Eisenmann Race set up with Quad 90mm tips. Have only had it on the car since Wed so can't really comment much on the exhaust other than to say it is a 100% improvement on stock 550i exhaust. No drone noted yest at all so far. Stock the car is so quiet that you might as well be driving a Lexus or 528i or something. Just has no presence IMHO for it being a v8 and de-tuned version of the M5 S63 engine you'd think somewhere someone had pulled a switch on you otherwise..the N63 is just so quiet. Unlike the previous e60 550i's I have seen/heard. Will let you know how it turns out over the next few weeks but as of now I look forward to starting the car and find excuses to drive extra places over the last 48hrs! LOL
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      11-24-2012, 01:06 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mdrobc13 View Post
There is a spare tire well under the rear trunk of the car. Kind of perplexed me since the cars both Xi and RWD come with run flats. Body shop and my tuner said that the sub floor with the rear well have electronics and other things in there which would have to be moved IF I had them cut into it to move give the Eisenmann the lateral room needed. Stock set up fits perfectly. No major mods needed. The passenger side of things is what is limited as that wheel well is offset to the passanger side under the rear. If you look at my pics you'll see that IF BMW had centered this well then you'd have plenty of work space to shift ANY exhaust underneath the car either right or left as needed.


My exhaust is an Eisenmann Race set up with Quad 90mm tips. Have only had it on the car since Wed so can't really comment much on the exhaust other than to say it is a 100% improvement on stock 550i exhaust. No drone noted yest at all so far. Stock the car is so quiet that you might as well be driving a Lexus or 528i or something. Just has no presence IMHO for it being a v8 and de-tuned version of the M5 S63 engine you'd think somewhere someone had pulled a switch on you otherwise..the N63 is just so quiet. Unlike the previous e60 550i's I have seen/heard. Will let you know how it turns out over the next few weeks but as of now I look forward to starting the car and find excuses to drive extra places over the last 48hrs! LOL
The battery and other stuff is in there, I switched to non run flats so I now have a full size spare in the truck wrapped up in a BMW Tire tote and felts, Let me know if you experience bad drone like the last comment had said, this is the most affordable exhaust out there so it is probably the one I am going to get in a few months, I just cant justify spending between 4-8 thousand dollars for one. Let me know if you still love the sound after a few weeks and anything else you notice that you love or regret.
Thanks
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      11-24-2012, 10:41 PM   #6
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Looks good.!!
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      11-27-2012, 02:24 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by UAM951 View Post
Looks good.!!
Thanks.
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      11-27-2012, 06:51 AM   #8
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Looks good

I think you'd like the S2 or S3, from other reviews the low end on these is improved over Stage 1. Also Dinan software is 15% till end of December - you only pay for the incremental difference.

One word of caution - in one of the pics with the stock mufflers removed you can see the vacuum lines hanging down that operate the factory exhaust flap valve. Check and make sure the shop plugged those off so they are not sucking air and dirt which may lead to a check engine light and reduced power.
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      11-27-2012, 10:18 AM   #9
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I only experienced some drone first couple of months, especially in comfort mode. In sport mode there is no drone and the car sounds awesome!
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      11-27-2012, 09:56 PM   #10
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thorough review! thx 4 sharin
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      11-28-2012, 12:56 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tp550i View Post
Looks good

I think you'd like the S2 or S3, from other reviews the low end on these is improved over Stage 1. Also Dinan software is 15% till end of December - you only pay for the incremental difference.

One word of caution - in one of the pics with the stock mufflers removed you can see the vacuum lines hanging down that operate the factory exhaust flap valve. Check and make sure the shop plugged those off so they are not sucking air and dirt which may lead to a check engine light and reduced power.
Thank.. I did double check with the shop and all vacuum lines were plugged off so no worries there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rus/US View Post
I only experienced some drone first couple of months, especially in comfort mode. In sport mode there is no drone and the car sounds awesome!
I drive in Sport mode 99% of the time so I notice nothing really other than the nice sporty and aggressive sound of the engine. I can now actually hear it going thru its gears and also the burp of downshifts too at times. Awesome.
Quote:
Originally Posted by the infamous... View Post
thorough review! thx 4 sharin
Thanks...hope it helps other as that's how I got info prior to taking my plunge from others sharing!
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      12-30-2012, 12:27 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tp550i View Post
Looks good

I think you'd like the S2 or S3, from other reviews the low end on these is improved over Stage 1. Also Dinan software is 15% till end of December - you only pay for the incremental difference.

One word of caution - in one of the pics with the stock mufflers removed you can see the vacuum lines hanging down that operate the factory exhaust flap valve. Check and make sure the shop plugged those off so they are not sucking air and dirt which may lead to a check engine light and reduced power.
Yes I think I may run to my dealer on 12/31 to see/pay for a Stage 2 or 3 to take advantage of the sale. Was going to wait till spring but WTH. LOL Why not ring in the new year correctly? LOL

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rus/US View Post
I only experienced some drone first couple of months, especially in comfort mode. In sport mode there is no drone and the car sounds awesome!
Yes comfort mode does drone a little but sport mode (which I drive in the majority/99% of the time) is great! Sounds awesome. Cold start is the best yes I agree!

Now though I kinda wish I had my tips coated ceramic black from IND when I ordered them.

Quote:
Originally Posted by the infamous... View Post
thorough review! thx 4 sharin
Just upgraded the rear valance right before the holidays. Wanted something better than OEM but less aggressive than Vorsteiner's option. Thanks
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      04-02-2015, 02:36 PM   #13
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Here is my conversion from non m bumper to M5 bumper with quad exhaust
http://f10.5post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1110496
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