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I know there's been a few exhaust threads recently, mostly centered around figuring out which one is the "best" or how to get the most sound improvement/increase - so I figured I'd share first-hand experience now that I have it. One thing to immediately get out of the way - this topic is largely subjective. The performance gains to be had are minimal at best (unless you're doing a full build with a proper tune and trying to squeeze out every last hp). The weight savings are also largely negligible in my opinion (again - unless you're trying to shave seconds of laps). To that end, I'm focusing solely on sound and product fitment/quality. So while you may have thoughts on certain brands (with or without hands-on experience), all I can say is no evidence was provided that iPE was somehow an inferior product - and seeing/installing/hearing the product washed away any concerns I didn't have.
Some further notes/comments. Lots of folks seem to have PSE and want to retain this while increasing the sound a little. It seems like simply swapping in high-flow or catless pipes is the simplest and most popular option. I did not start up the car with just the iPE high-flow cats, so I cannot offer an opinion on this approach. It seems to be a mixed bag, so you'll have to do your research. As far as swapping out the muffler - there are quite a few systems which retain the OEM valve actuator for stock behavior and no silly remote (iPE included). If that's one of your concerns/hesitations, just know there are options.
Onto iPE itself. Choosing a system is more or less going in sight unseen, even with "videos". Especially with a new platform like the 992, there are very few real-world examples - it's mostly manufacturer ads who are obviously selling a product. I had the Akrapovic slip-on exhaust on my E90, and while it had a great tone, it was rather tame overall. Their build quality is nearly unmatched, but the videos I could find had me concerned that the same "tameness" might exist (I could absolutely be wrong, just describing my decision process). Capristo was the next option - that seemed to be favored by quite a few folks, and supposedly offered a very high-end "race car" like sound. I had a similar issue with them in that...the videos just didn't seem to showcase it very well, especially without a stock reference point in the environment they recorded in. Kline was the last on the shortlist, and while it seemed to sound better and much different/deeper from stock than Capristo (to me), it was still hard to be sold on a short video in a warehouse without reference, and clearly immediately after install (the bumper was still off).
What ultimately sold me on iPE was a short section at the end of one of their videos that literally swapped back and forth between stock in the same setting and provided a very clear comparison. One of their road videos had too much music/production to be useful, but there were a couple more "raw" videos that showcased it under load. In any case, without being able to hear ANY option in person, it ultimately boiled down to what I felt most confident in - and placing a lot of trust that it would turn out okay.
Assuming I still have your attention, I'll go over the build quality (both in terms of fitment and finish). While it may not be as "clean" as the Akrapovic muffler or SoulPP cats, my initial impression was that it was still a damn good looking product. It seemed very well built, with no major blemishes or mistakes that I could discern. There were some scuffs on some of the pipes, but I'm not going to lose sleep over something that isn't visible. Everything reuses OEM mounting points and hardware with a few minor exceptions. The valve actuators sit on an open "frame" instead of a seat/housing, but the 3 mounting points are still reused, along with the factory spring. They also provide their own bolts/nuts for securing; this is one set of OEM hardware that isn't reused. One side fit 100% perfectly, but the other side required the slightest amount of "force" - I believe one of the brackets may have slightly bent, although we're talking fractions of an inch off. The headers lined up absolutely perfectly - to the block and the turbos. This reuses all stock hardware, although you do remove the heat shield because the iPE headers dip down slightly further than stock. Only "issue" I encountered was a clearance problem on one side while trying to install with the head studs still on the block. Unfortunately I could not clear the studs and a metal line running across that area, so I had to remove most of the studs. I would not attribute that as a fitment issue on their end, though - once installed there is plenty of clearance. The cats line up perfectly on the turbo side and with the mounting bracket (which uses the stock hardware in combination with nuts that they provide). The muffler uses a similar clamp as OEM to attach to the factory mounting point (it just goes around one instead of two "tabs" since it's much smaller). This was the trickiest part - aligning the muffler with the cats. I was unable to find the "sweet spot" where the cats were completely level with the ground - if I raised the muffler to be aligned with the cats, it seemed like the muffler was sitting too high, so the cats are slightly angled down and don't run straight with the muffler pipe. I will likely try to revisit this, though.
As for actual impressions - this is a huge difference and improvement over stock. Startup definitely gets your attention. Everything from idling, low rev, cruising, and high rev is all louder, deeper, and throatier. The "braps" are definitely more pronounced, but they too are "deeper", not just "poppier". Tunnel reverberation didn't require any effort - even at around 4-5k it was substantial over stock (didn't get a chance to rev it out). And at the end of the day, closing the valves works just as you'd expect - resulting in perfectly acceptable volumes and no drone. And a quick note on the valves: no codes for any of this, either.
I'll wrap up with one last comment about my experience with iPE - as a company, not just the product itself. While the 992 exhaust overall is quite simple, and requires only a basic mechanical skillset, the manual I found did not explain some of the included hardware. While I may have been able to figure it out by process of elimination, I wanted to go into the project with as much info as possible. I ended up calling iPE directly, and since they are based in Taiwan they were admittedly a little surprised by this, but ultimately ended up being super helpful. They sent over an incredibly detailed email clarifying what the misc hardware was for. Not only was I able to reach them via phone without issue, but they responded promptly via email as well.
Also, I just picked up a GoPro, so I’ll have (hopefully) better videos tomorrow. I know the video I posted doesn’t quite show it off, but I think it provides some insight into the tone and volume.
I know you touched on this but just to clarify, the system uses the same functionality as the stock PSE system? No additional remote needed to activate between modes??
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I know you touched on this but just to clarify, the system uses the same functionality as the stock PSE system? No additional remote needed to activate between modes??
Yep - you literally transfer the OEM actuators (and small spring) onto the new exhaust. It functions and is controlled exactly as the stock PSE system. No remote, no other modes...just opened or closed based on Sport mode / controlling via PCM.
It's not the greatest, but it's all I have access to. I used a Nikon ME-1 mic attached to the GoPro, but it still picked up a lot of wind noise, hence the cuts/transitions in the videos. Hopefully it gives some sense of a difference.
Last edited by ryanlsmith; 12-19-2020 at 07:36 PM.
Thanks for sharing the video with us. If nothing else, it shows how subjective this topic really is. Enjoy your modification!
Hoping to get an updated one tomorrow. After borrowing some tools from a friend, I got the headers torqued down much more accurately and it improved the sound tenfold. Seriously...it was raspy and whistling before...now that’s gone.
It's not the greatest, but it's all I have access to. I used a Nikon ME-1 mic attached to the GoPro, but it still picked up a lot of wind noise, hence the cuts/transitions in the videos. Hopefully it gives some sense of a difference.
Great pics and review. Video included as well was appreciated. I have an install of the competing Akrapovic system next week during my holiday break so hope it goes as well as your did.
I know there's been a few exhaust threads recently, mostly centered around figuring out which one is the "best" or how to get the most sound improvement/increase - so I figured I'd share first-hand experience now that I have it. One thing to immediately get out of the way - this topic is largely subjective. The performance gains to be had are minimal at best (unless you're doing a full build with a proper tune and trying to squeeze out every last hp). The weight savings are also largely negligible in my opinion (again - unless you're trying to shave seconds of laps). To that end, I'm focusing solely on sound and product fitment/quality. So while you may have thoughts on certain brands (with or without hands-on experience), all I can say is no evidence was provided that iPE was somehow an inferior product - and seeing/installing/hearing the product washed away any concerns I didn't have.
Some further notes/comments. Lots of folks seem to have PSE and want to retain this while increasing the sound a little. It seems like simply swapping in high-flow or catless pipes is the simplest and most popular option. I did not start up the car with just the iPE high-flow cats, so I cannot offer an opinion on this approach. It seems to be a mixed bag, so you'll have to do your research. As far as swapping out the muffler - there are quite a few systems which retain the OEM valve actuator for stock behavior and no silly remote (iPE included). If that's one of your concerns/hesitations, just know there are options.
Onto iPE itself. Choosing a system is more or less going in sight unseen, even with "videos". Especially with a new platform like the 992, there are very few real-world examples - it's mostly manufacturer ads who are obviously selling a product. I had the Akrapovic slip-on exhaust on my E90, and while it had a great tone, it was rather tame overall. Their build quality is nearly unmatched, but the videos I could find had me concerned that the same "tameness" might exist (I could absolutely be wrong, just describing my decision process). Capristo was the next option - that seemed to be favored by quite a few folks, and supposedly offered a very high-end "race car" like sound. I had a similar issue with them in that...the videos just didn't seem to showcase it very well, especially without a stock reference point in the environment they recorded in. Kline was the last on the shortlist, and while it seemed to sound better and much different/deeper from stock than Capristo (to me), it was still hard to be sold on a short video in a warehouse without reference, and clearly immediately after install (the bumper was still off).
What ultimately sold me on iPE was a short section at the end of one of their videos that literally swapped back and forth between stock in the same setting and provided a very clear comparison. One of their road videos had too much music/production to be useful, but there were a couple more "raw" videos that showcased it under load. In any case, without being able to hear ANY option in person, it ultimately boiled down to what I felt most confident in - and placing a lot of trust that it would turn out okay.
Assuming I still have your attention, I'll go over the build quality (both in terms of fitment and finish). While it may not be as "clean" as the Akrapovic muffler or SoulPP cats, my initial impression was that it was still a damn good looking product. It seemed very well built, with no major blemishes or mistakes that I could discern. There were some scuffs on some of the pipes, but I'm not going to lose sleep over something that isn't visible. Everything reuses OEM mounting points and hardware with a few minor exceptions. The valve actuators sit on an open "frame" instead of a seat/housing, but the 3 mounting points are still reused, along with the factory spring. They also provide their own bolts/nuts for securing; this is one set of OEM hardware that isn't reused. One side fit 100% perfectly, but the other side required the slightest amount of "force" - I believe one of the brackets may have slightly bent, although we're talking fractions of an inch off. The headers lined up absolutely perfectly - to the block and the turbos. This reuses all stock hardware, although you do remove the heat shield because the iPE headers dip down slightly further than stock. Only "issue" I encountered was a clearance problem on one side while trying to install with the head studs still on the block. Unfortunately I could not clear the studs and a metal line running across that area, so I had to remove most of the studs. I would not attribute that as a fitment issue on their end, though - once installed there is plenty of clearance. The cats line up perfectly on the turbo side and with the mounting bracket (which uses the stock hardware in combination with nuts that they provide). The muffler uses a similar clamp as OEM to attach to the factory mounting point (it just goes around one instead of two "tabs" since it's much smaller). This was the trickiest part - aligning the muffler with the cats. I was unable to find the "sweet spot" where the cats were completely level with the ground - if I raised the muffler to be aligned with the cats, it seemed like the muffler was sitting too high, so the cats are slightly angled down and don't run straight with the muffler pipe. I will likely try to revisit this, though.
As for actual impressions - this is a huge difference and improvement over stock. Startup definitely gets your attention. Everything from idling, low rev, cruising, and high rev is all louder, deeper, and throatier. The "braps" are definitely more pronounced, but they too are "deeper", not just "poppier". Tunnel reverberation didn't require any effort - even at around 4-5k it was substantial over stock (didn't get a chance to rev it out). And at the end of the day, closing the valves works just as you'd expect - resulting in perfectly acceptable volumes and no drone. And a quick note on the valves: no codes for any of this, either.
I'll wrap up with one last comment about my experience with iPE - as a company, not just the product itself. While the 992 exhaust overall is quite simple, and requires only a basic mechanical skillset, the manual I found did not explain some of the included hardware. While I may have been able to figure it out by process of elimination, I wanted to go into the project with as much info as possible. I ended up calling iPE directly, and since they are based in Taiwan they were admittedly a little surprised by this, but ultimately ended up being super helpful. They sent over an incredibly detailed email clarifying what the misc hardware was for. Not only was I able to reach them via phone without issue, but they responded promptly via email as well.
12-18-2020, 06:24 PM
992 iPE Fullback Exhaust Installed
