ESS 575 Review

Brosef · 03-03-2011, 03:47 PM

Although much has been said about the ESS kits, I wanted to post my own impressions after a few hundred miles and hopefully cover some things that haven’t been discussed in previous reviews.

Quality: Enough has been said about how clean the install is, but I’ll reaffirm that the quality of the kit and its design are fantastic. You can tell that a lot of hard work went into engineering something simple and the install really looks factory with the exception of the painted manifold (which, by the way, I would highly recommend to anyone considering the kit – it’s nice to have the creative license to make the engine bay your own and IND’s paintwork is outstanding).

Drive-ability: It amazes me that with the amount of power this kit makes, it still drives just like stock when you’re putting around town, backing in and out of parking spaces, etc. Furthermore, although most of the real excitement lies within the second half of the RPM range, there’s absolutely no mistaking the additional power at lower RPMs. One of the more pleasant surprises of adding the S/C was the extra torque available at highway speeds; it’s enough of a difference to make pacing through traffic much more pleasurable.

Power: It’s tough to explain what the acceleration really feels like, but it’s somewhere between absurdity and insanity. When I picked up the car, after quickly showing me the engine bay, Ilia and I hopped in to go for a spin. The first thing he said was, “watch out for second gear – it’ll bite ya.” Sure enough, with the first opportunity I had, I hit it in second and couldn’t help but say “holy shit!” as the tires broke loose at 6k RPM and continued to spin into third. The newfound thrust is simply exhilarating. ESS estimates that the 575 makes ~41% more power on 93 octane, but if you told me it doubled the power on the right side of the tach I wouldn’t call you a liar. It feels like a much bigger rush than I had anticipated. One of the reviews I read previously put it well by saying it feels like the car lost 1,000 lbs. It’s also nice to know that it’s an easy upgrade to the 600 or 625, but at this point I can’t foresee myself wanting more power (I won’t say ‘never’ though). If I’m honest, it’s a little intimidating strapping into the driver’s seat knowing there’s a real chance you may end up in jail. The power is awesome, but it demands respect. (disclaimer: I don’t break speed limits)

Big thanks to all the guys at IND for pulling everything together flawlessly. The feeling of comfort you get leaving your car with them is irreplaceable. They provide true white glove service and treat each car just as they would treat their own. Nate - forgive me for jacking your IP, but I figured I'd post the obligatory picture and whoever takes these pictures for you guys is incredible.

Thanks for reading.

Evolved M3 · 03-03-2011, 03:52 PM

Congrats! Great color choice as well!

How much power did you make and what other mods do you have done to the car? Dyno sheet by any chance?

powertrip · 03-03-2011, 03:52 PM

Congrats bro; love your choice in color for the manifold.

chris s · 03-03-2011, 03:56 PM

great writeup...gorgeous setup! Congrats, enjoy and be safe!

Brosef · 03-03-2011, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evolved M3

Congrats! Great color choice as well!

How much power did you make and what other mods do you have done to the car? Dyno sheet by any chance?

I'm planning on getting it dyno'd in the near future, but unfortunately I won't have the benefit of a 'before' dyno for comparison purposes.

m33 · 03-03-2011, 06:32 PM

i love IND's perspective on Simplicity ..... Manifold Looks sweet !

klammer · 03-03-2011, 06:44 PM

Looks awesome dude

see you at Putnam in April? That things going to be insane

nsx-tee · 03-03-2011, 08:02 PM

very nice!!

biglare · 03-04-2011, 01:31 AM

Great writeup and fantastic color on the mani!

Congrats! Well done!

Jaypod · 03-04-2011, 07:49 AM

Congrats! That pic makes me realize my engine bay needs a wash!

sales@ESSTuning · 03-04-2011, 10:12 AM

Your car looks great. Nice choice of color on the manifold

tlr · 03-04-2011, 10:35 AM

Dammit stop tempting me!

Ferre86 · 03-04-2011, 10:59 AM

Damn that Monifold looks awsome! Gz on the kit!

IND-Distribution · 03-04-2011, 11:09 AM

Thanks again. See you soon

Sal@AUTOcouture · 03-04-2011, 12:00 PM

Congrats

Love the paint scheme!

GOLFFRR · 03-04-2011, 12:02 PM

sick! nice write up

m33 · 03-04-2011, 01:08 PM

How about some more pics of the car

Raz@Gintani · 03-04-2011, 01:42 PM

Congrats on your new power, color scheme is great!

Omerta · 03-04-2011, 01:45 PM

Great write up! I badly want this kit in my car!!! The only downfall, and I know this from experience is that there is nowhere to use that power. It is fun for showing off and sticking yourself and passengers to the seat but even on most of the tracks around the Chicago area it goes to waste. Never the less I still want it

Brosef · 03-04-2011, 01:48 PM

thanks for the comments guys.

Quote:

Originally Posted by m33

How about some more pics of the car

more pics of the car here:

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=481444
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=496186

by the way, I should mention that your manifold design was an inspiration for the stripe. I wanted to do something different and use yellow and white, and then I saw the layout of the stripes on your design and thought they looked perfect. so all I had to do was tell Ilia to use yellow where your stripes were and then black letters on top. I hope you don't mind, but if it makes you feel any better, immitation is the ultimate form of flattery

Omerta · 03-04-2011, 02:07 PM

nice shots... how do you get away with no front plate around here?

m33 · 03-04-2011, 05:15 PM

Not at all man !
Car looks sick,for some reason white and yellow work well together and your ride is a perfect example !
BTW my manifold was ilia's idea , I told him want the stripes and that's what he came up with ... It's perfect I owe it all to him ... I'm gonna Photoshop what my initial idea was .

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brosef

thanks for the comments guys.

Quote:

Originally Posted by m33

How about some more pics of the car

more pics of the car here:

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=481444
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=496186

by the way, I should mention that your manifold design was an inspiration for the stripe. I wanted to do something different and use yellow and white, and then I saw the layout of the stripes on your design and thought they looked perfect. so all I had to do was tell Ilia to use yellow where your stripes were and then black letters on top. I hope you don't mind, but if it makes you feel any better, immitation is the ultimate form of flattery

03-03-2011, 03:47 PM	#1
Brosef Brigadier General 876 Rep 3,450 Posts Drives: F90 M5 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Chicago iTrader: (4)	ESS 575 Review Although much has been said about the ESS kits, I wanted to post my own impressions after a few hundred miles and hopefully cover some things that haven’t been discussed in previous reviews. Quality: Enough has been said about how clean the install is, but I’ll reaffirm that the quality of the kit and its design are fantastic. You can tell that a lot of hard work went into engineering something simple and the install really looks factory with the exception of the painted manifold (which, by the way, I would highly recommend to anyone considering the kit – it’s nice to have the creative license to make the engine bay your own and IND’s paintwork is outstanding). Drive-ability: It amazes me that with the amount of power this kit makes, it still drives just like stock when you’re putting around town, backing in and out of parking spaces, etc. Furthermore, although most of the real excitement lies within the second half of the RPM range, there’s absolutely no mistaking the additional power at lower RPMs. One of the more pleasant surprises of adding the S/C was the extra torque available at highway speeds; it’s enough of a difference to make pacing through traffic much more pleasurable. Power: It’s tough to explain what the acceleration really feels like, but it’s somewhere between absurdity and insanity. When I picked up the car, after quickly showing me the engine bay, Ilia and I hopped in to go for a spin. The first thing he said was, “watch out for second gear – it’ll bite ya.” Sure enough, with the first opportunity I had, I hit it in second and couldn’t help but say “holy shit!” as the tires broke loose at 6k RPM and continued to spin into third. The newfound thrust is simply exhilarating. ESS estimates that the 575 makes ~41% more power on 93 octane, but if you told me it doubled the power on the right side of the tach I wouldn’t call you a liar. It feels like a much bigger rush than I had anticipated. One of the reviews I read previously put it well by saying it feels like the car lost 1,000 lbs. It’s also nice to know that it’s an easy upgrade to the 600 or 625, but at this point I can’t foresee myself wanting more power (I won’t say ‘never’ though). If I’m honest, it’s a little intimidating strapping into the driver’s seat knowing there’s a real chance you may end up in jail. The power is awesome, but it demands respect. (disclaimer: I don’t break speed limits) Big thanks to all the guys at IND for pulling everything together flawlessly. The feeling of comfort you get leaving your car with them is irreplaceable. They provide true white glove service and treat each car just as they would treat their own. Nate - forgive me for jacking your IP, but I figured I'd post the obligatory picture and whoever takes these pictures for you guys is incredible. Thanks for reading. Last edited by Brosef; 03-03-2011 at 04:08 PM..
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03-03-2011, 03:52 PM	#2
Evolved M3 Private First Class 19 Rep 159 Posts Drives: 2008 E92 M3 6MT Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: NJ iTrader: (0)	Congrats! Great color choice as well! How much power did you make and what other mods do you have done to the car? Dyno sheet by any chance? __________________ -ASR Engineering Exhaust - ASR Engineering X-Pipe - Macht Schnell Filter - -ESS TUNING VT2585-
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03-03-2011, 03:52 PM	#3
powertrip Scared money don't make money. 67 Rep 1,448 Posts Drives: 2009 E92 M3 DCT Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Irvine, CA iTrader: (3) Garage List 2009 E92 M3 [0.00]	Congrats bro; love your choice in color for the manifold. __________________ 2009 E92 M3/DCT/Alpine White/Fox Red/Carbon Leather OE Tuned 402 whp & 303 wtq/Gintani X-pipe/MXP Axle Back/Rogue Pulley/AFE Stage 2/Cosmetics By IND & EAS HUGE THANKS: Gintani, OE Tuning, and EAS
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03-03-2011, 03:56 PM	#4
chris s Major General 1250 Rep 6,912 Posts Drives: 2022 Dravit G80 M3 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: New York iTrader: (12)	great writeup...gorgeous setup! Congrats, enjoy and be safe! __________________ 2022 Dravit/Fiona M3cx - Dinan midpipe w/VC, NW Carbonhaus CF, AST Springs, FC Spacers...more to come! 2016 Indi F80 M3 - SMB\|Amaro \| Mode Carbon \| ESS \| Akra EVO \| KW HAS...SOLD 2012 MR e92 M3 DCT, ESS SC, Brembo BBK, BBS FI... GONE but not forgotten! 2008 AW e92 M3 6MT, ESS SC, BBS LM's...SOLD!
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03-03-2011, 06:32 PM	#6
m33 Banned 115 Rep 2,682 Posts Drives: E92 VT650 MCB Individual Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: CT iTrader: (5)	i love IND's perspective on Simplicity ..... Manifold Looks sweet !
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03-03-2011, 06:44 PM	#7
klammer Brigadier General 97 Rep 3,246 Posts Drives: 11 spc gry m3 e90, 19 X5 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: chicago iTrader: (0)	Looks awesome dude see you at Putnam in April? That things going to be insane __________________ mods: track ready stuff
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03-03-2011, 08:02 PM	#8
nsx-tee Enlisted Member 3 Rep 45 Posts Drives: AW Coupe Edition Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Bangkok, Thailand iTrader: (0)	very nice!!
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03-04-2011, 01:31 AM	#9
biglare Bulldog 482 Rep 3,355 Posts Drives: BMW & Porsche Join Date: May 2008 Location: ? iTrader: (3)	Great writeup and fantastic color on the mani! Congrats! Well done! __________________ Prev: Individual F80 M3 - Fjord Blue/Silverstone(interior) \| Fashion Grey(exterior) GTS
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03-04-2011, 07:49 AM	#10
Jaypod Brigadier General 125 Rep 4,971 Posts Drives: Frozen M3, AM V8V, 991 GT3 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Toronto iTrader: (7)	Congrats! That pic makes me realize my engine bay needs a wash!
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03-04-2011, 10:12 AM	#11
sales@ESSTuning 391 Rep 3,149 Posts Drives: ESS M3 / M4 Join Date: May 2007 Location: AZ iTrader: (6)	Your car looks great. Nice choice of color on the manifold
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03-04-2011, 10:35 AM	#12
tlr Second Lieutenant 69 Rep 295 Posts Drives: 2011 M3 E93 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: San Francisco, CA iTrader: (0)	Dammit stop tempting me! __________________ 2011 Space Gray E93 M3
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03-04-2011, 10:59 AM	#13
Ferre86 Captain 38 Rep 944 Posts Drives: E93 M3/H2/SL350/Panamera 4/ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Turkey iTrader: (0)	Damn that Monifold looks awsome! Gz on the kit! __________________ http://www.youtube.com/user/Ferre86 \| e93 M-DCT ESS VT2-625 \| Akra Slip-on \| Challenge Race Catless x-pipe \| Challenge front lip \| Challenge Diffuser \| Carbon front grilles \| defi gauges control unit \| Macht Schnell gauge panel \| E93 M3 trunk Spoiler \| IND Carbon Fiber Side Markers \|
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03-04-2011, 11:09 AM	#14
IND-Distribution BimmerPost Supporting Vendor 9587 Rep 10,878 Posts Drives: G82 M4 / G87 M2 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Chicago iTrader: (3)	Thanks again. See you soon __________________ IND DISTRIBUTION \| 866-963-4520 • INSTAGRAM • YOUTUBE • FACEBOOK • FLICKR
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03-04-2011, 12:00 PM	#15
Sal@AUTOcouture BimmerPost Supporting Vendor 733 Rep 10,105 Posts Drives: E93 M3, E36 M3 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Sofla iTrader: (30)	Congrats Love the paint scheme!
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03-04-2011, 12:02 PM	#16
GOLFFRR 10816 Rep 27,599 Posts Drives: GOLFFRR cart Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: we sell BMWs to "ALL" US states iTrader: (4)	sick! nice write up __________________ BEFORE YOU BUY YOUR NEXT BMW, EMAIL OUR GUY KOTE FIRST! Kote M Sales:Kotem@bmwofcamarillo.com Cell:805-368-9101 vipfinance@bmwofcamarillo.com for warranties!
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03-04-2011, 01:08 PM	#17
m33 Banned 115 Rep 2,682 Posts Drives: E92 VT650 MCB Individual Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: CT iTrader: (5)	How about some more pics of the car
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03-04-2011, 01:42 PM	#18
Raz@Gintani 41 Rep 423 Posts Drives: E92- MR M3 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Van Nuys, CA iTrader: (0)	Congrats on your new power, color scheme is great!
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03-04-2011, 01:45 PM	#19
Omerta rev limiter abuser 7 Rep 274 Posts Drives: '11 E90 M3 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Chicago iTrader: (1)	Great write up! I badly want this kit in my car!!! The only downfall, and I know this from experience is that there is nowhere to use that power. It is fun for showing off and sticking yourself and passengers to the seat but even on most of the tracks around the Chicago area it goes to waste. Never the less I still want it __________________ Showing or promising no abatement of severity, intensity, strength, or pace.
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03-04-2011, 02:07 PM	#21
Omerta rev limiter abuser 7 Rep 274 Posts Drives: '11 E90 M3 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Chicago iTrader: (1)	nice shots... how do you get away with no front plate around here? __________________ Showing or promising no abatement of severity, intensity, strength, or pace.
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