BMW X4 F26 N20 and N55: the coupé SUV that asserts itself, the exhaust guide
BMW's first compact coupé SUV, the X4 F26 combines the ride height of an off-roader with the sloping profile of a coupé. Under the bonnet, two turbo engines: the N20, a 2.0-litre four-cylinder with 184 hp, and the N55, a 3.0-litre inline-six with 306 hp. The factory exhaust leaves the first almost mute and keeps the second to a whisper. A single ROG exhaust serves both: here is how to configure it.
Written by ROG Motorsport · Updated
Your ROG exhaust for the BMW X4 F26 or X4 F26
From €2,190 in stainless steel, €2,690 in titanium
Configure my exhaust- Vehicles
- BMW X4 F26 2.0T; BMW X4 F26 3.0T
- Engine
- BMW X4 F26: 184 to 245 hp; BMW X4 F26: 306 hp
- 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 X4 M40i F26 3.0T, BMW X4 G02 2.0T, BMW X4 M F98 3.0T.
N20 or N55: the two turbo engines of the X4 F26
The N20 is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder with direct injection and a twin-scroll turbo, rated at 184 hp and 270 Nm in the X4. The N55 belongs to the same generation but lines up six cylinders and 3.0 litres for 306 hp and 400 Nm, with the smoothness that makes this layout so appealing. One favours economy, the other driving pleasure; both deliver their torque very early.
Four or six cylinders, the X4 F26 keeps the same body and the same rear underbody, hence a ROG exhaust shared by both engines. What the factory exhaust holds back is precisely what sets these engines apart: the lively grain of the N20 and the continuous song of the N55. The ROG exhaust lets it through with the valves open and returns to the factory calm with the valves closed, without changing anything on the engine or the ECU.
How the exhaust on your BMW X4 F26 or X4 F26 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 X4 F26 or X4 F26, from the outlet of the front section to the tips: pipes, silencers, valves. Routing, silencer, valves: this is where the sound is shaped, and where we focus our research and development.
The front section, where the catalytic converter sits
On your BMW X4 F26 or X4 F26, it is the downpipe, the pipe leading from the turbo. It contains the factory catalytic converter: the second restriction in the exhaust, after the silencer. Changing this part remains a choice: it pays off mainly with an ECU remap, which turns the freed-up flow into power.
The figures for your BMW X4 F26 or X4 F26
What an exhaust changes straight away is the sound, the engine's breathing and the weight at the rear. For more power, add an ECU remap.
BMW X4 F26 2.0T
Power
Torque
BMW X4 F26 3.0T
Power
Torque
Published factory and Stage 2 figures.
With or without an ECU remap, the exhaust fits and works. But it is an ECU remap at an approved tuning centre that truly unlocks your BMW X4 F26 or X4 F26, and that is what we recommend.
Both X4 F26 engines keep something in reserve beneath their factory calibration. The published Stage 2 figures for each engine are shown in the table; the actual result depends on the condition of the engine and the quality of the tune. The ROG exhaust claims none of these figures: it matches the sound to the new temperament.
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 X4 F26 or X4 F26, the exhaust costs €2,190 in stainless steel and €2,690 in titanium.
304 stainless steel
2 190 €
- Weight
- Baseline
- Sound
- Full and rounded
Durable, corrosion-resistant, with a rounded, full sound: the most popular option.
Titanium
2 690 €
- Weight
- Around 40% lighter
- Sound
- Metallic, crystal-clear
For the same design, it weighs around 40% less than stainless steel. A more metallic note at high revs and a look all of its own, from brushed to blued.
Both materials age well: 304 stainless steel copes with winter and 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 X4 F26 or X4 F26, with its catalytic converter. Sound rating out of 10, valves open: the factory exhaust sits at 3.
Cat-back only
Included
7/10Factory emissions control
Nothing changes at the front: the cat-back alone is already enough to change the car.
200-cell sports catalytic converter
+640 €
8/10Road use and French MOT
The everyday compromise: emissions control is still there, and breathing improves noticeably.
100-cell sports catalytic converter
+640 €
9/10French MOT pass not guaranteed
One step further: more flow, a more aggressive sound, reduced emissions control.
Decat
+400 €
10/10Track use only
Everything unleashed: maximum flow and unrestrained sound, for the track.
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? It can appear with a sports catalytic converter: the downstream oxygen sensor reads a different level of cleaning from the factory unit. It is not an engine fault, and it is dealt with by an ECU remap or a diagnostic tool. With a decat, an ECU remap becomes necessary. 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 X4 F26 or X4 F26.
ROG remote
The simplest solution: a control unit in the boot and a remote, open or closed at the press of a button, whatever mode you are in. A question while fitting? We will get back to you.
Factory control
- Only for vehicles fitted with factory valves
- Controlled by the drive modes
Does your vehicle have factory valves? The exhaust keeps their existing control: the drive modes operate the valves, as before, with no added electronics.
On a long journey, what matters is the absence of drone at a steady speed. With the valves closed, the exhaust keeps the cabin calm; the show is still there whenever you ask for it. 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 X4 F26 or X4 F26, 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 X4 F26
The N20 has a husky, eager voice with a marked turbo whoosh; the N55 sings more roundly, with an even tone that fills out as the revs rise. In the standard X4 F26, neither engine really makes it past the factory exhaust, and the coupé SUV seems tamer than its styling suggests.
With the valves open, the ROG exhaust gives the X4 a presence that matches its silhouette: an assertive start-up, audible acceleration, crisp revving, deeper and fuller with the six-cylinder. With the valves closed, the SUV regains its calm as a long-distance tourer, for the family and long journeys.
From order to fitting
-
Configuration
You choose the options for your BMW X4 F26 or X4 F26 and enter its VIN, from box E of the registration certificate.
-
Check
We confirm compatibility with your car before we build it.
-
Manufacturing
Made to order, for your BMW X4 F26 or X4 F26.
-
Delivery
Free, insured delivery, with tracking sent on dispatch.
-
Fitting
Clamps and gaskets, no welding: two hours on average at the garage of your choice.
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
What about the manufacturer's warranty? In Europe, fitting a part from another brand is not enough on its own to void it; the manufacturer has to prove the link between that part and the fault. Our article on the manufacturer's warranty.
Our recommendations for your BMW X4 F26 or X4 F26
-
Daily driving
2 190 €
- Stainless
- Cat-back only
- ROG remote
Your BMW X4 F26 or X4 F26 stays easy to live with, the factory emissions control is retained, and you open the valves whenever you decide.
View this configuration -
Fast road
3 330 €
- Titanium
- 200-cell downpipe
- ECU remap
For great roads: more voice and more response, while staying road-friendly.
View this configuration -
Track
3 090 €
- Titanium
- Decat downpipe
- Stage 2
The most extreme configuration, for track use only.
View this configuration
These profiles are starting points. The right choice is often made in five minutes on the phone.
BMW X4 F26 or X4 F26: your questions
How much power does an exhaust system add to the BMW X4 F26 or X4 F26?
As standard, the BMW X4 F26 2.0T produces from 184 to 245 hp; the BMW X4 F26 3.0T produces 306 hp. Without a remap, the exhaust transforms the voice and lightens the rear; it is the ECU remap that increases power. The published Stage 2 figures for each model are shown in the figures table.
Stainless steel or titanium: which material for the BMW X4 F26 or X4 F26?
For the BMW X4 F26 or X4 F26, the ROG exhaust costs €2,190 in stainless steel and €2,690 in titanium. Choose stainless steel for value for money and a rounded sound, titanium to save around 40% in weight and get a clearer tone.
Do you need to replace the catalytic converter on the BMW X4 F26 or X4 F26?
No, the cat-back alone already does most of the work on the BMW X4 F26 or X4 F26. The downpipe option is for those tuning the engine: 200 cells to stay road-friendly, 100 cells or decat for the track.
Will the BMW X4 F26 or X4 F26 pass the French MOT with a ROG exhaust?
The cat-back only and the 200-cell sports catalytic converter both keep emissions control: that is the configuration to present, with the valves closed. With the 100-cell converter a pass becomes uncertain, and the decat fails the emissions test on the BMW X4 F26 or X4 F26.
How is the ROG exhaust fitted to the BMW X4 F26 or X4 F26?
Fitting needs no welding or cutting and takes two hours on average on a lift. We check compatibility with the VIN of your BMW X4 F26 or X4 F26 before manufacturing.
What does a ROG exhaust cost for the BMW X4 F26 or X4 F26, and how long does it take?
From €2,190 to €3,390 depending on the configuration. Allow 20 working days from order confirmation to delivery. Free delivery in Europe, 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 X4 F26 or X4 F26. 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.
Behind every ROG exhaust is a French team you can actually reach, who know the cars they talk about. More than 500 exhaust systems fitted and a rating of 4.9 out of 5.
Further reading
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