Does This Sound Like Fifty Bucks To You?

"Mark - Sixpots None The Richer" (marklinde) 06/07/2015 at 20:00 • Filed to: Kolbenfresser, Sixpots None The Richer, Das Boot

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This is a quick review of the Supersport muffler of my Boot. I made a short video to give you an impression as well.

As some of you know I bought the car with this muffler already bolted on. If I had purchased a car with a stock exhaust I most likely wouldn’t have replaced it; and the previous owner did it because the old exhaust was rusted through and the used Supersport only cost him 50€.

I wasn’t sure about it when I saw it in the ad and it was a possible dealbreaker for me. Yet it only took a mile of driving the car to ease my worries about the setup. And some 1,900 miles later I’m still fine with it.

The most important thing about it is: It’s gladly not obnoxiously loud. While driving through the city for example nobody looks - disgusted? - at me. I like that because I’m an introvert and don’t crave everyone’s attention. Since I’m working at night and get home during the small hours a more “civilised” setup is also beneficial. Who knows what sleep-deprived neighbours might otherwise do to my car or extremities?

As you will hear, the Supersport gets louder beyond 3,500rpm of course, but you obviously don’t have to rev the engine that high if you don’t want to. So as you leisurely cruise along only a bit more bass is giving away that the muffler isn’t stock.

The drone inside is minimal and together with the soft vibration there’s even kind of a calming quality to the experience. Sleepy passengers did proof this multiple times. The good sound deadening of the E34 definetely helps here too.

As the engine wakes up beyond 3,500 rpm the noise inside is getting more mechanical and raspy and over 5,000 it sounds like engine parts are flying through the pipe. Well, I do hope it’s just noise anyway...

The burble on the overrun is very welcome. Even while driving slow the exhaust is quietly muttering in a very entertaining way causing me to “talk” with the engine by taking the foot off the throttle more often than actually needed.

So here is my conclusion:

For me the Supersport’s benefits are outweighing the bearable drone, the questionable look of the big tips and the cheap fartcan stigma. The setup emphasizes that I do care about cars to those who are also interested without being a menace to the rest of the society.

Does it sound good though? Hmmm, for fifty bucks it’s okay, don’t you think?

Please excuse the camera setup. I filmed the video with my old MiniDV gear because the microphone is better. However, annoyingly it picks up the sound of its own cassette drive as well...

Jedidiah > Mark - Sixpots None The Richer 06/07/2015 at 20:05

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Too quiet. Needs to be turned up to 11

Loud = good

whoarder is tellurium > Mark - Sixpots None The Richer 06/07/2015 at 20:10

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Sounds OK. It is not overly loud on the outside and has just enough presence. At least its a manual!

Mark - Sixpots None The Richer > Jedidiah 06/07/2015 at 20:16

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If it had the power and the sex appeal of Spinal Tap to justify it being one louder than everyone else, it’d be okay.

But it’s just a 2l inline six. I’d be a bit ashamed to state, “Hear me loudly losing against a Golf diesel at a traffic light”, everytime I enter the car. :-)

Mark - Sixpots None The Richer > whoarder is tellurium 06/07/2015 at 20:18

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Yupp, my point exactly.

And manual wasn’t an option. It was obligatory! ;-)

Jedidiah > Mark - Sixpots None The Richer 06/07/2015 at 20:31

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Inline sixes generally sound cool though; It doesn’t really matter how fast it is

If the motor makes a good noise then you want to be able to hear it with little more than pipes as a restraint

Mark - Sixpots None The Richer > Jedidiah 06/07/2015 at 20:45

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You’re right, but that’s the introvert’s dilemma...

Jedidiah > Mark - Sixpots None The Richer 06/07/2015 at 20:54

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But who cares if other people are looking? You don’t know them, so their opinions mean nothing

You didn’t modify it to be an attention whore, you modified it to make it pleasant to your ears

I’m fairly introverted, but drive a 43 year old v8 with duals and very small glasspacks — it’s not exactly stealthy.

Mark - Sixpots None The Richer > Jedidiah 06/07/2015 at 21:20

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Sadly I do care about what people are thinking - at least sometimes, because I’m a self-conscious person. I especially hate to give them the impression that I’m only out there to steal their worthless attention with my cheap fartcan on an underpowered car.

Now it gets difficult, because you mentioned your V8.

I drove my cousins ‘70 Mercury Cougar with a 302. The exhaust isn’t modified, but still very loud compared to normal European traffic. It has a slightly more aggressive cam and it sounds epic!

Yet I didn`t feel uncomfortable in the car although it grabs a lot of attention. It’s easy to explain why: It grabs the right kind of attention. It isn’t attention whoring the car just “is”.

A few nights ago I met a guy and saw his E34 540i Touring - manual OMFG...

This thing was loud! But it deserves to be, so if I bought it off the guy I’d leave it like that. I wouldn’t make it that loud myself though. A bit less drama would be just fine.

That’s just who I am I’m afraid. :-)

Jedidiah > Mark - Sixpots None The Richer 06/07/2015 at 21:52

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I think you’re over estimating the attention you’ll get

If anything, they’ll look for a few seconds and then look away. It’s that way with any car because people think they’ll look stupid if they stare

If someone asks you about the car, it’s because they like the car and it’s nothing to be self-conscious about

The only thing that matters is if you’re currently happy with the way the car sounds. If yes, then good. If not, then change it

Personally, I like my cars loud

Mark - Sixpots None The Richer > Jedidiah 06/07/2015 at 22:07

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And there we are. No swearing, no talk about doing something to anyone’s mother - just agreeing on the fact that the only right thing is doing what makes you happy with things you love!

I love my car the way it is and I’m glad you like yours just as much!

Have a great evening my friend, I’m off to bed now...

Schaefft > Mark - Sixpots None The Richer 06/26/2015 at 19:05

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Ha, my 528i came with a Supersport muffler as well, decided to keep it on the car even though its seems to be quite a bit louder than yours, still bearable though (especially if you compare it to what it sounded like before with a hole right behind the muffler (that was result of the extremely poor welding job of the previous owner) was fixed.

Mark - Sixpots None The Richer > Schaefft 06/26/2015 at 19:16

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I haven’t really explored the strange world of the SuperSport exhausts, but I’m sure there’s a variety of setups explaining the difference in loudness. And your engine is bigger of course. :-)

I don’t mind used cars, yet previous owners are a nuisance, aren’t they? ;-)

Schaefft > Mark - Sixpots None The Richer 06/26/2015 at 19:24

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Yes, especially in the case of my two current cars where not a single fuck was given about anything by the previous owners...

Mark - Sixpots None The Richer > Schaefft 06/27/2015 at 12:48

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As you know, since you replied on my article back then, the previous owner of my bucket was kind of irrational.

He liked the car and wanted to create a 90’s style tuner car look - I don’t have to like it, but respect his idea - and already had said muffler, blue windscreen wipers and a set of vintage Borbet rims.

On the other hand he neglected basic maintenance and exterior rust.

Call me crazy, but I’m currently just cleaning up his mess and want to step by step make the car worthy of some customisation by fixing the obvious problems first. Whether the car is actually worth the money I have to throw at it, is a different issue though. Love... ;-)

She is technically solid - the engine is a peach! -, but the paint and exterior rust is worse than the pictures I made lead you to believe. Well, as long as I can tackle this in logical steps...

I’m blathering.

Have a nice weekend! I’m off for beer now.

Echo51 > Mark - Sixpots None The Richer 09/01/2015 at 17:42

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That dust kick-up from the engine bay around :30, haha. Sounds pretty decent for a cheap can.