Best valved exhaust for BMW 535i F10 / F11

Your vehicle.

All our exhausts for this generation, version by version, are brought together on one page: BMW 5 Series F10 / F11 Valved Exhaust.

In the sixth generation of the 5 Series, the 535i sits in the middle of the gasoline range: above the four-cylinder 520i and 528i, below the V8 550i and the M5. It is the F10 5 Series that most naturally combines the comfort of a grand tourer with an inline-six. What follows sums up what is useful to know about yours before choosing a line for it.

Body styles

F10 (sedan) and F11 (Touring)

Career

Sedan in March 2010, Touring in summer 2010; facelift in July 2013; ended early 2017

Engine

N55B30: 2,979 cm³ on six cylinders in line, one turbo, direct injection

Factory output

306 hp (225 kW) at 5,800 rpm

Torque

400 Nm from 1,200 to 5,000 rpm

Transmissions

Six-speed manual, or eight-speed automatic

Drivetrain

Rear-wheel drive, or xDrive all-wheel drive

Factory exhaust

One centre muffler, then two rear mufflers, left and right

The F10 5 Series and its Touring version

BMW unveiled the F10 sedan in Munich in November 2009. Production started in January 2010, for sales in March. The F11 Touring, presented at the Leipzig show in spring 2010, reached dealers the following summer. The 535i was in the catalogue from the start for both body styles.

In July 2013, the range was facelifted: redesigned tail lights, standard xenon headlights, iDrive with a touchpad. The 535i's power did not change. The last F10 left the line in February 2017, and the G30 took over. Our product page covers this whole period, from 2010 to 2017, before and after the facelift.

Sedan and Touring receive the same Rog line. The 535i Gran Turismo F07, with a tailgate and taller, is a different car: it is not covered by this product page, and your VIN removes any ambiguity before building.

306 hp and torque available very early

BMW quotes 306 hp (225 kW) at 5,800 rpm for the 535i, and above all 400 Nm available from 1,200 to 5,000 rpm. This very wide torque plateau makes the car's character: the sedan pulls strongly in the gear it is in, without needing to downshift, which matters on a car of nearly five metres.

In the United States, BMW rounded the power to 300 hp: it is the same engine, measured to another standard. The 2013 facelift kept these values. The bars below show the product page's figures, with those of a tune that adds the downpipe and a remap.

Stage 2: published figures with the front section and an ECU remap carried out by a tuner.

Manual transmission, automatic and xDrive

In Europe, the 535i could be ordered with a six-speed manual transmission or with the eight-speed ZF automatic. The xDrive all-wheel drive was also offered on the 535i, in addition to rear-wheel drive.

None of these combinations changes the rear line. Manual or automatic, rear-wheel drive or xDrive, the 535i's Rog line is the same: only the move from sedan to Touring matters, and your VIN confirms it.

The N55, one turbo instead of two

The N55B30 succeeded the N54 and its two turbos. BMW presented it as the first engine to combine a single turbo, high-precision direct injection and variable valve lift. Its turbo is twin-scroll: the gases of three cylinders arrive through one duct, those of the other three through the second, which keeps regular pulses on the turbine wheel and a crisp response from 1,200 rpm.

In the same F10 family, the 520i and 528i get a 2.0-litre four-cylinder, the 550i a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8, and the M5 an even more powerful V8: each is covered in a separate guide. The N55 also equipped the 2010 335i E9x, the 640i and the X5 35i, but each model has its own line.

At the turbo outlet, a single downpipe goes down to the floor, with the catalytic converter: that is the front section. The rest, up to the rear mufflers, forms the cat-back, the portion that Rog replaces and the one that makes most of the sound.

A six-cylinder voice turned down

The N55 has the even sound of an inline-six: a deep base note at idle, then a smooth climb, more and more metallic as it nears 6,000 rpm. On the standard 535i, almost none of it reaches the outside, and little inside.

Two stages filter this voice. First the turbine absorbs part of the energy of the gases. Then the factory line strings together a centre muffler and two large-volume rear mufflers, designed so a 5 Series stays peaceful at 130 km/h. The result suits cruising, much less the moments when you would like to hear what the engine is doing.

With the Rog line and its flaps open, the N55 regains a clear rumble at start-up, a rasping climb and crackles when you lift off. At the same price, the straight pipe keeps this grain unfiltered; the resonator gives the six a rounder, slightly softer voice, well suited to a family sedan or a loaded Touring.

Rog flaps and remote

For the 535i, the line is ordered with the Rog flap system. The flaps arrive fitted on the line, with a small box to place in the trunk and a two-button remote. Open, they stay open; closed, they stay closed, whatever the revs or the gear engaged.

With the flaps closed, the gases run through the muffler chambers, and the sedan returns to a level close to factory: nothing changes for the commute or leaving a car park early in the morning. With the flaps open, they take the direct path, and the six is finally heard from outside, on a clear country road or at the entrance to a tunnel.

This manual control has another advantage on a car that covers many miles: you decide the volume according to the place, not the position of the accelerator. On the highway, with the flaps closed, the 535i keeps its calling as a grand tourer.

Tips and material

The 535i's factory line exits on each side of the bumper. On the Rog line, you dress them with Rog tips included in the line, your choice of chrome, blued titanium or gloss black, or else, as an option, carbon tips with the M logo, forged, black or combined with titanium. The more discreet order the line without tips.

On a big sedan that faces winters, 304 stainless steel remains the most common choice: road salt leaves it indifferent, and the N55 gains a full note. Titanium, about 40% lighter for the same layout, makes the voice clearer in the revs; brushed, gold or purple, it costs the same price whatever the finish.

What the 535i product page allows

The product page offers the cat-back and, as an option, the N55 downpipe under the name "Manifold". Four choices: keep it factory, or replace it with a 200-cell version, with which the emissions control keeps working, with a 100-cell version, or with a catalyst-free version, which is meant for the circuit.

With the line alone, the 535i keeps its mapping and its 306 hp: you gain sound and a little weight. To gain horsepower, you need the downpipe and an ECU reprogrammed by a tuner. We make your line from the car's VIN; your garage fits it with clamps and gaskets, with no welding or cutting.

Configure your exhaust.

How the exhaust is put together

On the 535i F10 and F11, the Rog cat-back leaves the downpipe, runs along the underside of the body and reaches the outlets on either side of the bumper, with pipes, mufflers and flaps. The downpipe itself, single behind the N55's turbo and carrying the catalytic converter, forms the front section, offered as an option under the name "Manifold".

Each choice explained in detail, from sound to material: How to configure your exhaust.

Three recommended configurations.

• Everyday sedan

  • Stainless steel
  • Factory downpipe
  • Resonator
  • Rog chrome tips

  For a 535i that swallows its business trips: the N55 takes on a rounder, slightly softer voice, the front section stays BMW's, and the remote sets the volume by the time of day.

  View this configuration

• Holiday Touring

  • Stainless steel
  • 200-cell sports catalytic converter
  • Straight pipe

  For a Touring F11 that sets off loaded in summer: the 200-cell downpipe thickens the six's sound while keeping the emissions control, and the flaps stay closed on the long stages.

  View this configuration

• Sharpened six-cylinder

  • Purple titanium
  • 100-cell sports catalytic converter
  • Straight pipe
  • Carbon tips with the M logo

  For a 535i headed for a remap: the 100-cell downpipe opens the passage behind the turbo, titanium lightens the rear, and the purple finish surprises under such a well-behaved sedan.

  View this configuration

From order to fitting.

VIN, manufacture, delivery, fitting and warranty, step by step

Questions.

Further reading.

• All our BMW 5 Series F10 and F11 lines
• BMW 550i N63 F10 / F11 guide
• BMW 520i / 528i N20 F10 / F11 guide
• BMW 335i N55 E90 to E93 guide