BMW 520i / 528i N20 F10 / F11: a four-cylinder waiting to be revealed, the exhaust system guide

Your vehicle.

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

The 5 Series F10 marked a turning point at BMW: in 2011, the brand gave its 520i and 528i a turbo four-cylinder, where a six-cylinder had been expected until then. Here is what you need to know about these versions and their N20 engine before choosing a line.

Model

BMW 5 Series, F10 sedan and F11 Touring wagon

Generation

Sedan launched in 2010, Touring the same year, replaced by the G30 in 2017

Engine

N20: 1,997 cc, four-cylinder, twin-scroll turbo

Factory output

184 hp and 270 Nm (520i); 245 hp and 350 Nm (528i)

Transmission

Eight-speed Steptronic; six-speed manual on some versions

Drivetrain

Rear-wheel drive, or xDrive on the 528i

Facelift

2013: lights, bumpers and equipment updated

Neighbours in the range

535i with a six-cylinder, 550i with a V8, M5 F10

The 5 Series F10 and F11

BMW launched the F10 sedan in spring 2010, followed by the F11 Touring wagon in autumn of the same year. This sixth generation of the 5 Series takes over much of the architecture of the 7 Series F01, with a double-wishbone front suspension and a multi-link rear axle.

The F10 was facelifted in 2013, with LED lights, reworked bumpers and modernized equipment. The G30 succeeded it in 2017. The Rog line described here concerns the 520i and 528i with the N20 engine, from 2011 to 2016.

2011: the turbo four-cylinder replaces the six

Until 2011, the 528i used a naturally aspirated six-cylinder. BMW then replaced it with the N20, two litres and four turbocharged cylinders, more economical and with more torque at low revs. The same engine, in a less powerful tune, took its place under the hood of the 520i.

This change surprised at the time, but it made the gasoline 5 Series much more economical without taking away performance: the 528i N20 offers more torque than the six-cylinder it replaced.

520i and 528i: two tunes of the N20

The 520i delivers 184 hp and 270 Nm; the 528i, 245 hp and 350 Nm. In both cases, peak torque arrives early, which suits a large sedan driven mostly on torque, staying at low revs.

Both versions get the same Rog line. The bars below take unchanged the product page values, for the 520i and then for the 528i.

184 hp version from the factory

Factory 245 hp version

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

The N20, a four-cylinder of its time

The N20 combines direct injection, variable valve lift and a twin-scroll turbo, which separates the gases of two pairs of cylinders for a livelier response. BMW fitted it across much of its range, from the 320i and 328i F30 to the 220i F22 and 428i F32.

On the F10, it sits longitudinally, in front of an eight-speed Steptronic transmission in the great majority of cases. The 528i also exists as an xDrive, with all-wheel drive.

Sedan or Touring, one line

The Touring F11 adds standard air suspension at the rear to keep a constant ride height whatever the load, and a tailgate whose window opens separately. Under the body, the exhaust line follows the same route as on the sedan.

The Rog product page therefore covers the F10 sedan as well as the F11 Touring, for the 520i as for the 528i. Your VIN confirms the body, the engine and the drivetrain before manufacture.

Trims and M Sport package

Many 520i and 528i F10 were ordered with the M Sport package: sportier bumpers, specific wheels, M steering wheel and stiffened suspension. These cars often have the look of a 535i, but keep the muted voice of the four-cylinder, and it is on them that the gap between style and sound is most noticeable.

The more classic trims, Luxury or Modern depending on the market, bet instead on comfort and silence. For these, the Rog line with resonator and flaps closed day to day keeps the spirit of the car, while offering a more present voice when you want it.

In every case, the trim does not change the route of the rear line. It is the VIN that tells us the exact configuration of your 5 Series, and we check it before starting manufacture.

A very quiet grand tourer

BMW wanted the F10 calm above all. The N20 goes through a turbo that already damps part of the pulsations, then through a factory line tuned for the highway: at 130 km/h, you hear the rolling more than the mechanics.

The four-cylinder nevertheless has a dry, slightly rasping tone under acceleration, with the breath of the turbo in the background. It is this character, today almost inaudible, that the Rog line brings out.

What the Rog exhaust changes

With the flaps open, the 520i or 528i takes on a deeper and fuller voice, present at every pick-up, with a few pops on the overrun when the engine is warm. The N20 stops being a mere tool and gives relief to the driving.

With the flaps closed, the sedan returns to a level close to the factory one. For a car often used for work or for family holidays, it is this return to calm that makes the line liveable day to day.

The Rog remote

On this product page, the line arrives with fitted flaps and a Rog remote, with a small unit in the trunk. Open, they stay open; closed, they stay closed, whatever the driving mode selected on the car.

You thus keep the volume in your hands, independently of the Comfort or Sport settings: flaps closed for a night drive, open on a country road. Two buttons are enough, without going through the iDrive menus or the mode selector.

Material, character and tips

304 stainless steel is the natural choice for a sedan that covers many miles in all weathers, with a full sound. Titanium removes about 40% of the weight for an identical design and makes the note clearer; it comes in brushed, gold and purple.

The straight pipe keeps the dry grain of the N20, while the resonator, at the same price, gives it a rounder and slightly softer voice, very well suited to a Touring that travels loaded. For the tips, Rog in chrome, gloss black or blued titanium, or carbon with the M logo in forged carbon, black or carbon and titanium.

The optional downpipe

Under the name "Manifold", the product page also offers the N20 downpipe, the part that follows the turbo and carries the catalytic converter. With 200 cells, the emissions control is kept; the 100-cell version depends on the car and the rules of the country; the catalyst-free version is intended for the track.

With BMW's map, it adds volume and a little lightness, but no power. The values published on the product page assume the downpipe and a remap carried out by a tuner. Rog makes the line to your VIN, and your garage fits it without welding or cutting.

Configure your exhaust.

How the exhaust is put together

On the 520i and 528i F10 or F11, the Rog line starts at the downpipe connection, under the floor, and runs to the outlets: pipes, mufflers and flaps. The N20 downpipe, fitted right behind the turbo with its catalytic converter, forms the front section; the product page offers it as an option under the name "Manifold".

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

Three recommended configurations.

• Weekday sedan

  • Stainless steel
  • No manifold
  • Resonator
  • Rog remote

  For a 520i that makes the office run: the front section stays factory, the resonator rounds off the N20 and the remote keeps things calm at departure and at arrival.

  View this configuration

• More expressive 528i

  • Titanium
  • 200-cell sports catalytic converter
  • Straight pipe
  • Carbon tips with the M logo

  For a 528i M Sport that wants a little more character: 200-cell downpipe that keeps the emissions control, lighter titanium and carbon tips for the rear.

  View this configuration

• Travelling Touring

  • Stainless steel
  • 200-cell sports catalytic converter
  • Resonator
  • Rog remote

  For an F11 that goes on holiday loaded: robust stainless steel, 200-cell downpipe to go with a torque-oriented remap, and resonator for the road.

  View this configuration

From order to fitting.

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

Questions.

Further reading.

• All our lines for the BMW 5 Series F10 / F11
• BMW N20 exhaust
• BMW 535i F10 / F11 guide, with the N55 six-cylinder
• BMW 520i / 530i G30 guide, the next generation