BMW Enthusiasts M3et in Anaheim

Thuyvy Tu
Dec 3, 2015
3 min read

Ready: The Meet-Up

A group of about 30 men gathered at the European Auto Source in Anaheim on November 14, 2015 at 8:30 A.M. to compare the sound of their exhausts. One of the attendees was 28-year-old BMW enthusiast Phil Kim. Inspired by a meet-up posted on an online forum (m3post.com) last year, Kim decided to organize the event so that other BMW aficionados can come and hear one another's aftermarket exhausts. Donning a white BMW M sport polo with maroon board shorts, Kim looks around at the 20 or so cars parked all around, colors ranging from green to red to white.

"I was worried that no one would actually come, so I chose a pretty small place to have the event. Now, I wish I found somewhere with more parking," confessed Kim, smiling from ear to ear.

Even though installing an aftermarket exhaust is illegal, many people decide to spend hundreds of money doing so because it improves a car's performance, visual appeal, and sound. An aftermarket exhaust replaces the one originally placed on a car by the manufacturer, hence the title "after-market."

With the names of exhausts ranging from Eisenmann to Akrapovic, it is hard to understand what all these terms mean as an outsider. These BMW lovers, however, readily understood one another and spoke excitedly over methods in which they had their exhausts installed.

“Yeah, dude. I got mine straight piped, but it is still nowhere as close to as loud as that car,” exclaimed 32-year-old car mechanic Shawn after hearing a green, 2011 BMW E92 M3 with a R1 Motorsports full custom exhaust drive by.

A straight pipe tends to be the loudest because they take off all the cats and resonators attached to the exhaust. A cat is the part of the exhaust that burns extra fuels, and a resonator is what helps silence the exhaust. When these are kept on, the sound is usually more quiet and deep.

Photo courtesy of online forum member: surewin

Set: The Rev-Up

“Go on and get in the car, Jerry, and do it just the way Daddy taught you.”

The 3 year old son with his Iron Man t-shirt climbs into the driver's seat, the top of his head barely seen over the steering wheel. Following his daddy's instructions, he begins to rev the engine - which is essentially leaving the car parked in neutral and stepping on the gas pedal.

A deafening roar resonates from the vehicle, vibrating the ground around them and shaking the car. A bystander can be heard saying, "Man. I like the sound of that supercharger."

One of the EAS workers, Tom, was going from car to car with a video camera and notepad. When he reached Daniel's car, which is a black, 2011 BMW E90 M3 with a Meisterschaft GT exhaust, he announced the name of the exhaust to the audience and proceeded to let Jerry rev the car for everyone to hear.

Go: The Pull-Up

A select few were chosen to do a pull on the street nearby. A pull is taking a car to redline, which is the marker that indicates the point at which the motor’s internal parts are moving at the maximum speed that still allows the car to be operated effectively. By doing so, the exhaust's maximum potential can be heard more clearly.

There was one car, specifically, that caught everyone’s attention. It was a silver, 2008 BMW E90 M3 with red wheels, equipped with an F1 exhaust. Its exhaust was an IPE with an open valve, which means that it has the ability to produce a straight pipe sound when opened, but it also has the means to close its valves and have the car sound more tamed and quiet. All of this is controlled by a single remote.

Once the car did its pull, some of the men instinctively brought their hands to their ears. Mouths were agape and eyes were wide, but there were also smiles, laughter, and exclamations of how “mean” it sounded - which is a common term to describe many BMWs in a positive light. The more “mean” and “aggressive” it is, the more likely it is to be seen as a car worth buying.

“I’m going to say that car sounded awesome, but only ‘cause I have nothing else to really say about it. No words, man. That shit was insane,” Jacob stated excitedly, heading towards the direction of the car to compliment the owner directly.

It’s reaching 10:30 AM, and with the 2008 BMW E90 M3 as the last car in line to do a pull, the participates of the event began to leave one by one. Slowly, the parking lot that was once full with BMW enthusiasts became empty, only to be later filled again at a future event.