VAUGHN & CO.
TOOLS. SYSTEMS. RESULTS.
THE EXPERIMENT
BMW E46
Recreating the infamous six-pipe exhaust to finally put the backpressure debate to the test.
WHERE IT ALL STARTED:
The original six-pipe E46 got a ton of hate over backpressure and whether the exhaust actually hurt performance. So instead of arguing about it, we bought another E46 to recreate the setup, test it properly, and find out who was actually right.
NA 330i
STATUS:
STAGE 1
IN PROGRESS
TARGET
COMPLETION:
2027
ENGINE:
3.0L
M54B30
HORSEPOWER:
255 HORSEPOWER
PARTS & TOOLS USED
ENGINE
14 PARTS
TURBO SYSTEM
14 PARTS
INTERIOR
14 PARTS
EXTERIOR
14 PARTS
DRIVETRAIN
14 PARTS
TOOLS & GEAR
14 PARTS
COMPANIES BEHIND THE BUILD
The companies whose products I actually use on the builds.
STAGE 1
BUILD SPECS:
ENGINE:
3.0L
M54B30
TRANSMISSION:
ZF 5HP19
DRIVETRAIN:
RWD
HORSEPOWER:
550+ WHP
SUSPENSION:
STOCK
TURBO:
T4 MAXPEEDING
TWIN TURBOS
STOCK
FUELING:
WHEELS & TIRES:
STOCK
BUILD ROADMAP
Follow the journey. Each stage is a major milestone in the build.
STAGE 1
THE
BASELINE
STAGE 2
SIX
SHOOTER
STAGE 3
PROVING
GROUND
STAGE 4
THE
VERDICT
STAGE 5
THE NEXT
CHAPTER
Establish a baseline before changing the exhaust.
​
GOAL: Establish the control
Rebuild the original six straight-pipe exhaust.
​
GOAL: Recreate the exhaust
Test both setups and measure what actually changes.
GOAL: Get the real data
Compare the results and find out whether the backpressure claims were right.
GOAL: Settle the debate
TBD
GOAL: TBD
0%
STAGE 1
CURRENT STATE:
Get the car running, driving, and structurally complete.​​
0%
COMPLETE
Initial Inspection
Exhaust Removal
Repair Existing Issues
Six-Pipe Fabrication
Baseline Dyno
Post-Install Dyno
Data Comparison
PROJECT SCORECARD
DIFFICULTY
COST
TIME
SMILES/MILE
FRUSTRATION
THE QUESTIONS
BACKPRESSURE
DOES IT ACTAULLY HURT PERFORMANCE?
The original six-pipe exhaust sparked a huge debate over backpressure. This time, we're actually going to test it.
HORSEPOWER
WILL IT GAIN OR LOSE?
Will the six-pipe setup make more power, less power, or virtually no difference?
TORQUE
WHAT HAPPENS DOWN LOW?
Even if peak horsepower stays similar, will the exhaust change where and how the engine makes torque?
DRIVEABILITY
CAN YOU ACTUALLY FEEL IT?
Whatever the dyno says, is there a noticeable difference from behind the wheel?
THE BIG ONE
WERE THE HATERS RIGHT?
After years of comments and arguments, we're finally going to find out.
ENTIRE BUILD SERIES ON YOUTUBE
Real builds. Real problems. Real solutions.
