BMW X5 M F85 and X6 M F86: the second-generation S63, the exhaust system guide
BMW X5 M F85 or X6 M F86: for these two 575 hp SUVs, we recommend a cat-back with flaps designed from your VIN, which gives the S63 twin-turbo V8 back the voice its standard line holds at a distance. Each model has its own Rog product page; this guide presents the two cars, their engine and their original exhaust, then the configurations we recommend for them.
Your valved exhaust for BMW X5 M F85 is configured from your VIN, and the BMW Valved Exhaust page brings together all our BMW systems.
Your Rog exhaust for the BMW X5 M F85 or X6 M F86
Configure my exhaust- Vehicles
- X5 M F85 and X6 M F86, from 2015 to 2018
- Engine
- S63, 4.4 litre V8, two turbos housed in the V
- Exhaust
- Cat-back with flaps to the four outlets, one product page per SUV
- Sound
- Straight pipe, or resonator at no extra cost
- Material
- 304 stainless steel; brushed, gold or purple titanium
- Front section
- The S63 downpipes, optional
- Valves
- Your BMW flaps, or the Rog remote
- Lead time and warranty
- 20 working days, free shipping, 3-year warranty
Your vehicle.
The X5 M F85 and the X6 M F86 form the second generation of BMW M's SUVs, after the E70 and E71. They take the base of the X5 F15 and X6 F16 and house a twin-turbo V8 deeply reworked by the performance division. Mechanically, the second is merely a coupé version of the first, and their exhaust follows the same layout.
- Models
- X5 M F85, based on the X5 F15; X6 M F86, based on the X6 F16
- Years
- Presented in late 2014, in dealerships since April 2015; our product pages cover 2015 to 2018
- Engine
- S63: 4.4 litre V8, two TwinScroll turbos, exhaust manifold placed between the two banks of cylinders
- Factory output
- 575 hp between 6,000 and 6,500 rpm; 750 Nm from 2,200 to 5,000 rpm
- Gearbox
- Eight-speed M Steptronic, with Drivelogic
- Drivetrain
- xDrive all-wheel drive, variable split between the axles
- Factory exhaust
- Four outlets, electronically controlled flaps
The second generation of M SUVs
BMW unveiled the X5 M and the X6 M F85 and F86 in autumn 2014, before showing them at the Los Angeles show in November. The first cars reached dealers on 11 April 2015. They succeed the X5 M E70 and X6 M E71, the first SUVs to wear the letter M, and precede the F95 and F96, which appeared in 2019.
The X5 M keeps the tall body and the volume of the X5 F15; the X6 M draws a sloping roof over the same base. For the exhaust, they are twins, but Rog keeps a product page for each, both for model years 2015 to 2018. If your car is among the last produced, or if any doubt remains about its version, the VIN sent when ordering lets us check before making anything.
575 hp and 750 Nm
According to BMW, the S63 of both SUVs delivers 575 hp between 6,000 and 6,500 rpm, and 750 Nm over a very wide range, from 2,200 to 5,000 rpm. The manufacturer then presented it as the most powerful engine it had ever designed for a four-wheel-drive car. Both models need just 4.2 seconds to reach 100 km/h, and their speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h.
The X5 M and X6 M share exactly the same values, despite the difference in body: the second's sloping roof changes nothing in the engine, gearbox or drivetrain. Further down, the bars show the values published on the Rog product pages.
BMW X5 M F85 4.4TT, 575 hp as standard
Power
Torque
BMW X6 M F86 4.4TT, 575 hp as standard
Power
Torque
Stage 2: published figures with the front section and an ECU remap carried out by a tuner.
Eight speeds and xDrive
Both SUVs receive a newly developed eight-speed M Steptronic gearbox with Drivelogic. The driver chooses between shifts geared to efficiency, comfort or performance, in automatic mode or with the steering wheel paddles. The xDrive all-wheel drive favours the rear axle, but can send up to all of the torque to either axle.
The drivetrain does not affect the layout of the rear exhaust in any way. Whether you drive an X5 M or an X6 M, the Rog line starts behind the S63's downpipes and reaches the four outlets in the same way.
The S63 and its turbos in the heart of the V
The S63 is a 4.4 litre V8 whose two TwinScroll turbos sit in the V, between the banks of cylinders. Its exhaust manifold crosses the two banks of cylinders and directs two separate gas flows to each of the turbos. Placed as close as possible to the combustion chambers, they receive the gases over a short path, which helps them react quickly.
The downside, for the ear, is that the turbines sit between the cylinders and the line: they absorb some of the pulses before they reach the exhaust. Two downpipes leave the turbos, carrying the emissions control; they form the front section. The cat-back then begins and reaches the four outlets.
The twin-turbo V8's rumble
The S63 does not have the roundness of a big naturally aspirated V8: its voice is drier, tighter, with a dense rumble that hardens in the revs. On a standard line designed for the comfort of a large SUV and for noise regulations, this character stays in the background; you perceive the thrust far more than the engine producing it.
With the flaps open, the Rog line lets the V8 announce itself from the moment you start, then rumble continuously with each acceleration, with frank pops when you lift off. With the flaps closed, the gases run through the silencer from end to end, and the X5 M and X6 M resume the manners of a touring SUV, at a steady speed as when leaving a car park.
Two sound characters are offered, at no difference in price: with the straight pipe, the S63 rumbles without an intermediary; with the resonator, it takes a rounder and slightly softer voice, which suits an X5 M often loaded with passengers.
The factory flaps and the product page options
BMW fits the original line of both SUVs with electronically controlled flaps, meant to enrich the sound when the car decides. The Rog product pages give you two possibilities.
With the Factory option, the line arrives with the BMW flap housings; your garage refits those of your car there, and their opening remains managed by the SUV, as before. With the Rog option, our flaps arrive fitted, with a remote and a box housed in the boot: open, they stay open, closed, they stay closed, whatever setting is chosen at the wheel.
The first will please those who want the original behaviour back with a more present voice; the second those who want to decide alone, for example driving closed in town and open on a clear road.
Four outlets, tips and materials
True to a BMW M tradition, both SUVs have four exhaust outlets. The Rog line keeps this signature, and its tips are chosen on the product page: chrome Rog tips, gloss black or blued titanium, or carbon tips with the M logo, in three finishes, forged, black or combining carbon and titanium; a version without tips also exists.
The cat-back is ordered in 304 stainless steel, solid against salt and damp, or in titanium, roughly 40% lighter for an identical design; on a line as long as that of a large SUV, this saving relieves the rear. Brushed, gold or purple, titanium keeps one and the same price.
What the product pages allow
The front section appears on each product page, on the "Manifold" line: downpipes with 200-cell sport catalytic converter, which keep the S63's emissions control, 100-cell version, whose road use depends on the car and local regulations, or catalyst-free version, intended for the track.
With the cat-back alone, the V8 keeps its ECU and its standard power: the line transforms the voice and the weight, not the horsepower. To go beyond, you need the downpipes and a remap carried out by a tuner, who will take the gearbox and cooling into account. The line is built by Rog from the VIN of your X5 M or X6 M, then assembled by your garage, with clamps and gaskets, without welding or cutting.
Configure your exhaust.
How the exhaust is put together
On the X5 M and X6 M, the Rog cat-back picks up from the S63's two downpipes and carries the gases to the four outlets, through its pipes, silencers and flaps. These two downpipes and their catalytic converters make up the front section, which the "Manifold" line of each product page lets you replace.
Each choice explained in detail, from sound to material: How to configure your exhaust.
Your line for X5 M or X6 M
On the product page of your SUV, take 304 stainless steel or titanium, in brushed, gold or purple, then decide between straight pipe and resonator, offered at the same price. Add the downpipes if you wish, entrust the flaps to your BMW or to the Rog remote, and finish with the four tips, Rog or carbon stamped with the M logo.
The price of each configuration is shown on the product page, in your currency.
Three recommended configurations.
-
Big SUV, big voice
- X5 M
- Stainless steel
- No manifold
- Resonator
- Factory valves
For an X5 M that remains the family car: the V8 finally audible but rounded, the factory downpipes in place, and flap management left to the car.
View this configuration -
X6 M without restraint
- X6 M
- Purple titanium
- 200-cell sports catalytic converter
- Straight pipe
- Rog remote
For an X6 M that owns its silhouette: the raw rumble of the S63, emissions control kept thanks to the 200-cell downpipes, and a remote to open it up or calm it at any moment.
View this configuration -
S63 entrusted to a tuner
- X5 M
- Titanium
- 100-cell sports catalytic converter
- Carbon tips with the M logo
For an X5 M whose V8 will be remapped: more open 100-cell downpipes, to be validated for your country, a line lightened by titanium and four carbon tips.
View this configuration
From order to fitting.
VIN, manufacture, delivery, fitting and warranty, step by step
Questions.
X5 M F85 or X6 M F86: which product page to choose?
The X5 M product page covers the F85, the X6 M page the F86, both from 2015 to 2018, with the same options. Your VIN, entered when ordering, lets us correct before manufacturing if necessary.
Can an X5 M of the E70 or F95 generation take this line?
No: the E70, which came before, and the F95, which follows, have their own product pages. This one targets only the X5 M F85; for an X6 M, the F86 product page does the same.
Will the factory flaps on my X5 M still work?
Yes, with the Factory option: your garage transfers the BMW flaps onto the Rog line, and the car keeps managing them. With the Rog option, our flaps arrive fitted and the remote decides.
What voice should I expect from the V8 of my X6 M with the Rog line?
With its turbos housed in the V, the S63 has a drier, tighter timbre than a naturally aspirated V8. Once the flaps are open, this thick grain dominates, with sharp pops when you lift off.
Is titanium worth it on such a heavy SUV?
On a line this long, yes: for the same layout, titanium weighs about 40% less than 304 stainless steel, which lightens the rear, and it gives a slightly clearer note. Its three shades, brushed, gold and purple, cost the same.
Does the X5 M need a remap to fit the line?
No. The cat-back works with the standard ECU and only changes the voice and the weight. A remap becomes useful only if you also replace the downpipes and are looking for power.
Something to ask about your X5 M or X6 M?
Put it to the Rog Advisor or write to us: we reply in writing, within 24 hours.
Further reading.
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