BMW 550i N63 F10: the biturbo V8 unmuted, the exhaust system guide
Beneath a perfectly understated 5 Series silhouette, the 550i F10 hides a biturbo V8 with 407 hp and 600 Nm. A saloon that keeps its cards close to its chest, then, and an engine that has everything it needs to express itself. But the factory exhaust filters everything and lets only a murmur through. Material, tips, control and fitting: this guide reviews every choice to give the N63 its voice back with a ROG valved exhaust.
Written by ROG Motorsport · Updated
Your ROG exhaust for the BMW 550i N63 F10
From €2,190 in stainless steel, €2,690 in titanium
Configure my exhaust- Vehicles
- BMW 550i N63 F10 (2011-2013)
- Engine
- N63 · 407 hp · 600 Nm
- Exhaust
- Valved cat-back, built for your VIN
- Material
- 304 stainless steel or titanium
- Front section
- Optional: catted downpipe with 200 or 100 cells, or decat
- Valves
- ROG remote, or factory control if your vehicle has it
- Lead time
- 20 working days from order confirmation to delivery
- Warranty
- 3 years, parts and workmanship
Closely related versions have their own guide: BMW 520i / 528i N20 F10 2.0T, BMW 535i N55 F10 3.0T, BMW M5 F10 4.4TT, BMW 650i N63 F12 / F13.
The N63: the biturbo V8 with its turbos in the V
The N63 is a biturbo V8 whose two turbos sit in the centre of the V, between the cylinder banks, a layout that shortens the path of the gases and improves response. In the 550i F10 from the 2011 to 2013 model years, it produces 407 hp and 600 Nm. The thrust is dense and immediate, turning this large saloon into a very fast grand tourer.
With its turbos nestled in the heart of the engine, the N63 sends its gases into a bulky factory exhaust, designed to keep the 550i hushed in all circumstances. The ROG valved exhaust lets you decide: you keep this calm day to day, and you open the valves when you want to rediscover the depth of a V8, with no remap or engine modification.
How the exhaust on your BMW 550i N63 F10 is put together
An exhaust system is best understood in two parts. Here is what each one does, and what ROG replaces.
The cat-back is the complete exhaust system
It is everything you can see under your BMW 550i N63 F10, from the outlet of the front section to the tips: pipes, silencers, valves. This is the part where most of our research and development goes: it is what shapes the sound, and it is enough on its own to transform the car.
The front section, where the catalytic converter sits
On your BMW 550i N63 F10, it is the downpipe, the pipe leading from the engine. It contains the factory catalytic converter: the second restriction in the exhaust, after the silencer. Replacing it is optional: it frees up the flow, and it is the ECU remap that turns that into horsepower.
The figures for your BMW 550i N63 F10
An exhaust system is judged first by ear and on the scales. The extra horsepower comes from an ECU remap.
Power
Torque
Published factory and Stage 2 figures.
The ROG exhaust works with or without an ECU remap. To get the full potential out of your BMW 550i N63 F10, we recommend taking it to an approved tuning centre afterwards.
The biturbo N63 has boost headroom that a Stage 2 remap can exploit, provided you start from a healthy, well-maintained engine. The result depends on the tuner and the condition of the car. The ROG exhaust changes nothing in itself: it simply gives the tuned V8 a voice that suits it.
Configuring your exhaust, step by step
4 choices, in the same order as the product page configurator.
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Step 1 of 4: Material: stainless steel or titanium
For your BMW 550i N63 F10, the exhaust costs €2,190 in stainless steel and €2,690 in titanium.
304 stainless steel
2 190 €
- Weight
- Baseline
- Sound
- Full and rounded
The safe bet: strong, corrosion-proof, with a full, rounded sound. The best value for money.
Titanium
2 690 €
- Weight
- Around 40% lighter
- Sound
- Metallic, crystal-clear
It makes the exhaust around 40% lighter for the same design. Its note is more metallic and clearer higher up the rev range, and its finish ranges from brushed to blued.
No worries on durability: 304 stainless steel shrugs off winter road salt and titanium does not rust. Stainless steel or titanium: what really changes.
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Step 2 of 4: Front section: downpipe and catalytic converter
Optional: the downpipe on your BMW 550i N63 F10, with its catalytic converter. Each option is placed on our sound scale of 0 to 10, valves open, with the factory exhaust at 3.
Cat-back only
Included
7/10Factory emissions control
The factory front section stays in place. It is already a complete transformation, and the choice of many of our customers.
200-cell sports catalytic converter
+800 €
8/10Road use and French MOT
More flow, emissions control retained: the right option for road use.
100-cell sports catalytic converter
+800 €
9/10French MOT pass not guaranteed
More open than the 200-cell: the sound hardens at high revs and emissions control is reduced.
Decat
+510 €
10/10Track use only
Flow with no filter at all: the rawest sound and the sharpest response.
Sound intensity, on a scale of 0 to 10
- 10/10Decat downpipe + ROG cat-back
- 9/10100-cell sports catalytic converter + ROG cat-back
- 8/10200-cell sports catalytic converter + ROG cat-back
- 7/10ROG cat-back only, factory catalytic converter retained
- 3/10Factory exhaust, for comparison
Valves open. With the valves closed, every configuration becomes discreet again.
What about the engine warning light? With a sports catalytic converter it can come on, because the rear oxygen sensor reads less cleaning. Nothing mechanical is wrong: an ECU remap or a session with a diagnostic tool sorts it out. Without a catalytic converter, you will need an ECU remap. If it happens to you, call us and we will point you in the right direction. Passing the French MOT with a sports exhaust.
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Step 3 of 4: Valves: ROG remote or factory control
Two ways to control the valves on your BMW 550i N63 F10.
ROG remote
A discreet control unit in the boot and a two-button remote: you open and close whenever you like, independently of the drive modes. For fitting, we support you by phone or by email.
Factory control
- Only for vehicles fitted with factory valves
- Controlled by the drive modes
For vehicles fitted with factory valves: the exhaust connects to their control and the drive modes stay in charge, with no extra control unit.
At 130 km/h, many sports exhausts drone. Here, with the valves closed, the exhaust flows through the silencer and stays composed when cruising; open, it makes itself heard when you choose. More about exhaust drone.
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Step 4 of 4: Tips: the visual signature
Match the tips to the style of your BMW 550i N63 F10, understated or bold. A particular finish in mind? Send us a photo and we will look at it together.
- Stainless steel
- Black
- Carbon
- Blued titanium
- M Performance style carbon
The ROG sound signature on the V8 N63
A biturbo V8 retains, behind its turbos, the deep rumble characteristic of eight cylinders. On the standard 550i, this rumble is almost entirely erased: you hear a distant growl under acceleration, nothing that really evokes the engine under the bonnet.
With the valves open, the ROG exhaust lets the V8 growl openly on start-up and grow in stature every time you accelerate, with the depth the factory version so sorely lacks. With the valves closed, the 550i regains the refinement of a large German saloon, quiet on the motorway and in town alike.
From order to fitting
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Configuration
You configure the exhaust and enter the VIN from box E of your registration certificate.
-
Check
Your VIN is checked before any manufacturing begins.
-
Manufacturing
The exhaust is produced to order, for your vehicle.
-
Delivery
Free in Europe, insured parcel, tracking number from dispatch.
-
Fitting
Around two hours in the workshop, with no welding or cutting.
20 working days from order confirmation to delivery
- Warranty
- 3 years, parts and workmanship, from the date of delivery
- Payment
- In instalments with Klarna
- Installation
- At the garage of your choice
Is your BMW 550i N63 F10 still under the manufacturer's warranty? In Europe, the manufacturer cannot refuse cover simply because a part from another brand has been fitted: it is up to the manufacturer to prove that the fault came from that part. Our article on the manufacturer's warranty.
Our recommendations for your BMW 550i N63 F10
-
Daily driving
2 190 €
- Stainless
- Cat-back only
- ROG remote
Your BMW 550i N63 F10 stays easy to live with, the factory emissions control is retained, and you open the valves whenever you decide.
View this configuration -
Fast road
3 490 €
- Titanium
- 200-cell downpipe
- ECU remap
The best of both worlds: character and breathing, with emissions control retained.
View this configuration -
Track
3 200 €
- Titanium
- Decat downpipe
- Stage 2
The most extreme configuration, for track use only.
View this configuration
Every BMW 550i N63 F10 has its own story and its own use: if none of these profiles sounds like you, let's talk.
BMW 550i N63 F10: your questions
How much power does an exhaust system add to the BMW 550i N63 F10?
As standard, the BMW 550i N63 F10 produces 407 hp and 600 Nm. The exhaust alone acts first on sound, breathing and weight; the extra horsepower comes from an ECU remap. With a Stage 2 build, the published figures reach 494 hp and 746 Nm.
Stainless steel or titanium: which material for the BMW 550i N63 F10?
For the BMW 550i N63 F10, the ROG exhaust costs €2,190 in stainless steel and €2,690 in titanium. Stainless steel is the safe bet, with a full sound; titanium makes the exhaust around 40% lighter and gives a more metallic note higher up the rev range.
Do you need to replace the catalytic converter on the BMW 550i N63 F10?
It is not compulsory. The cat-back alone is enough to change the character of the BMW 550i N63 F10. Replacing the downpipe is how you go further, together with an ECU remap: 200 cells for the road, 100 cells or decat for more radical use.
Will the BMW 550i N63 F10 pass the French MOT with a ROG exhaust?
The cat-back only and the 200-cell converter both retain emissions control: present the BMW 550i N63 F10 with the valves closed. With the 100-cell converter, a pass is no longer guaranteed; the decat fails the emissions test.
How is the ROG exhaust fitted to the BMW 550i N63 F10?
With clamps and gaskets, no welding or cutting: around two hours in the workshop for a well-equipped mechanic. The exhaust is built to the VIN of your BMW 550i N63 F10.
What does a ROG exhaust cost for the BMW 550i N63 F10, and how long does it take?
From €2,190 to €3,490 depending on the configuration. Allow 20 working days from order confirmation to delivery. Delivery is free and the exhaust comes with a 3-year warranty.
Unsure about your configuration? Give us a call.
Stainless steel or titanium, cat-back only or the complete system: the right choice depends on how you drive and on your BMW 550i N63 F10. We take the time to talk it through before you order, with a reply within 24 hours. We are not here to sell to you over the phone: we help you choose, even if that means a cheaper option because it suits the way you drive.
ROG is a French brand, and the way we work comes down to one idea: an exhaust system should be sold with advice, not just a product page. More than 500 exhaust systems fitted and a rating of 4.9 out of 5.
Further reading
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