As a BMW parts supplier, we find it very important to fit and test the products we sell as much as possible. That way we can offer worthwhile advice and support when purchasing any product from our website.
Since onboarding the Remus Racing Exhaust System a few years ago, it quickly became one of the most popular exhaust upgrades amongst our customers so we decided to purchase one ourselves and test it for a while on our M2 Competition development vehicle. It was only supposed to be a short test but Dylan (the owner) from R44 really liked it and kept it long-term.
We opted to run just an OPF-back system to keep the car road-legal here in the UK. The M2 Competition has petrol particulate filters in the UK & Europe and removing them unfortunately means the car won’t pass an emissions test. If you’re in the US, you don’t have to worry about this and can go for a full cat-back system for some extra noise and performance benefits.
Pros -
Aesthetics
Visually, this exhaust looks much better than OEM. The factory M2C exhaust has a huge rear silencer that hangs very low - often called an ‘udder’ - making the rear look a bit fat. The Remus racing silencer is split and much more compact, tucking nicely behind the rear bumper.
Sound
Even just as an axle-back, the sound is very impressive. For a vehicle with OPFs, we were surprised by how deep and loud it sounded. You can hear Dylan driving to work from several streets away and the Remus system seems to give some nice burbles despite the car not being tuned.
The S55 isn’t the best-sounding BMW engine but the Remus exhaust has made an improvement, reducing some of the rasp you get from the OEM backbox. The car no longer sounds like it’s wheezing under load.
Check out this sound video:
Weight
Regretfully, we didn’t weigh both systems side-by-side and we can’t give you an exact weight saving. However, we know the OEM rear silencer is around 46 lbs (20 kg) and the Remus is around 15kg. Add the midpipe and the weight saving is even higher.
Performance
Thanks to the more efficient design, the flow is much improved by the Remus system. You can expect a small power increase over standard however, you’ll notice the benefits more when it comes to tuning.
Dylan claims he can feel the difference however more noise can make a car feel faster…
Considerations -
Fitting
The fitment of the system is amazing - no problems there. However, you do have to cut the OEM exhaust - something not specific to Remus. This is something you have to do with pretty much all half-systems. So if the idea of cutting your OEM exhaust scares you, perhaps invest in a full cat-back system.
Sound
Although a big improvement, the system is only an axle-back after all. If you’re looking for a complete transformation, perhaps opt for a full cat-back system - we really like the Valvetronic Equal Length exhaust. If you’ve never heard the S55 with an equal-length midpipe, we highly recommend it!
Condition after 10,000 miles
So, how has it held up? This is an M2 Competition that’s used heavily. It’s not garaged and drives in all weathers. As you can see from the photos, there’s no surface rust and the finish, although a bit dirty, still looks great.
Crucially, the tailpipes have maintained their finish. Due to the excessive heat, lower-quality exhaust tips tend to perish and discolour - this hasn’t been the case with Remus.
We’d expect nothing less from Remus as they actually manufacture exhausts for some OE car manufacturers in addition to their aftermarket offerings.
Do any of you guys have experience with this exhaust? We’d love to hear what you think of it.
