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The new exhaust tips really update and finish out the look of the rear of the car.
Once finished, we turned the rollers of Roush Performance’s Dynojet 224xLC Dyno which read identical in a back to back comparison on the same day with the Mustang Dyno that we previously evaluated the intake components on.Recall that in our pre-exhaust baseline we put down 236.6 whp @ 6,275 rpm and 224.0 lb-ft of torque at 4,259 rpm due to the addition of an S50 Intake Manifold and Turner Stage 3 system.
We were very pleased with the dyno results. The Borla cat-back Sport Exhaust netted us an impressive 243.2 whp @ 6,146 rpm and 228.4 lb-ft of torque @ 4,283rpm. That’s a peak to peak gain of 6.6 whp and 4.4 lb-ft of torque!The stock exhaust was obviously a restriction since the Borla cat-back Sport Exhaust produced an average 5whp and 5lb-ft of torque across the board with a maximum gain of 9.7 whp and 8 lb-ft of torque @ 5,837 rpm.
I have never been a fan of using videos to determine the sound of different exhaust systems. While I’m not an audiophile, I know that there can be far too much variance in microphones and speakers that give online videos a huge disconnect from the true volume, frequency, pitch, etc… and you really need to hear an exhaust in person to get a feel for it.
Having said that, here is a quick video that will hopefully demonstrate the sound quality and volume of the stock exhaust compared to the Borla cat-back. The tire ‘chirp’ is a good consistent barometer to compare the volume of each exhaust as well as the volume of the exhaust after the shift in 2nd gear.
The car sounds great at startup with a deep, throaty growl that is sporty without causing any drone. When revving the motor, the deep roar of the engine comes to life with a smooth refined pitch that accentuates the well balanced nature of the BMW Inline-6 engine. From inside the car, the exhaust sound now compliments and balances the volume of the induction noise which became louder from the intake, manifold, and cams. Similarly to how an E92 M3’s dominant sound is its induction noise, the E36 with an aftermarket intake will easily overpower the sound of the stock exhaust.
The Borla provides a great balance of performance and a refined sound that greatly improves the driving experience without being too loud or droning which can become tiresome. The sound is excellent and the Borla Cat-Back Sport Exhaust offers a lot of performance and enjoyment for the buck.
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