Mercedes-AMG E55 W211 V8 Kompressor: the wolf in a business suit, the exhaust guide
With the E55 W211, AMG slipped a 476 hp, 700 Nm supercharged V8 into an E-Class that looks almost ordinary. The contrast is the whole charm of it: a family car capable of sports car performance. The only drawback: the factory exhaust is designed so that you hear virtually nothing of this engine. This guide explains, option by option, how to configure the ROG valved exhaust that will give it back its voice.
Written by ROG Motorsport · Updated
Your ROG exhaust for the Mercedes-AMG E55 W211 V8 Kompressor
From €2,490 in stainless steel, €2,990 in titanium
Configure my exhaust- Vehicles
- Mercedes-AMG E55 W211 5.4 V8 Kompressor (2003-2006)
- Engine
- 476 hp · 700 Nm
- Exhaust
- Valved cat-back, built for your VIN
- Material
- 304 stainless steel or titanium
- Front section
- Optional: catted manifolds 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
The V8 Kompressor: the quiet strength of the E55 W211
The E55's engine is a 5.4-litre V8 boosted by a twin-screw positive-displacement supercharger. It produces 476 hp and, above all, 700 Nm, available very early and with no lag whatsoever. This instant muscle is the E55's trademark: at any engine speed, a simple press of the accelerator is enough to propel it, with disconcerting ease for a car of its size.
The supercharger is driven by the engine and does not sit in the exhaust gas path: the V8's whole voice goes straight into the exhaust. So it is the factory exhaust that decides everything, and it has chosen silence. The ROG valved exhaust changes everything: you keep that discretion when you want it, and let the V8 be heard whenever the mood takes you, without touching the engine or the ECU.
How the exhaust on your Mercedes-AMG E55 W211 V8 Kompressor 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 Mercedes-AMG E55 W211 V8 Kompressor, from the outlet of the front section to the tips: pipes, silencers, valves. This is where our research and development is focused, and it is what shapes the sound. On its own, it changes the character of the car.
The front section, where the catalytic converter sits
On your Mercedes-AMG E55 W211 V8 Kompressor, it is the manifolds, which collect the gases as they leave the cylinders. The factory catalytic converter is built into it: the second restriction in the exhaust, after the silencer. Replacing this part is optional: it frees up the flow, and an ECU remap is what turns that into power.
The figures for your Mercedes-AMG E55 W211 V8 Kompressor
On a modern car, an exhaust system first changes the voice, the breathing and the weight at the rear. Power, on the other hand, comes from an ECU remap.
Power
Torque
Published factory and Stage 2 figures.
Our exhaust systems work perfectly with or without an ECU remap. On your Mercedes-AMG E55 W211 V8 Kompressor, however, we recommend having one done at an approved tuning centre: that is what lets the engine reach its full potential.
Configuring your exhaust, step by step
4 choices, in the same order as the product page configurator.
-
Step 1 of 4: Material: stainless steel or titanium
For your Mercedes-AMG E55 W211 V8 Kompressor, the exhaust costs €2,490 in stainless steel and €2,990 in titanium.
304 stainless steel
2 490 €
- Weight
- Baseline
- Sound
- Full and rounded
The benchmark for high-end exhausts: tough, corrosion-proof, with a full, rounded sound. The choice of most of our customers.
Titanium
2 990 €
- Weight
- Around 40% lighter
- Sound
- Metallic, crystal-clear
Around 40% lighter than stainless steel for the same design, with a more metallic sound that turns crystal-clear at high revs. Its finish ranges from brushed to blued tints.
Over time, both hold up: 304 stainless steel stands up to winter salt and damp, and titanium does not rust. Stainless steel or titanium: what really changes.
-
Step 2 of 4: Front section: manifolds and catalytic converter
Optional: the manifolds on your Mercedes-AMG E55 W211 V8 Kompressor, with their catalytic converter. Sound intensity is rated on our scale of 0 to 10, valves open; the factory exhaust scores 3.
Cat-back only
Included
7/10Factory emissions control
The factory catalytic converter stays in place. The starting point and, for many of our customers, more than enough.
200-cell sports catalytic converter
+1 090 €
8/10Road use and French MOT
Emissions control is still very much there, and flow improves noticeably. The choice for everyday driving.
100-cell sports catalytic converter
+1 090 €
9/10French MOT pass not guaranteed
Half as many cells: flow comes close to a decat and the sound gains real aggression at high revs.
Decat
+720 €
10/10Track use only
No emissions control: maximum flow, raw sound, the sharpest revving.
Sound intensity, on a scale of 0 to 10
- 10/10Decat manifolds + 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? A sports catalytic converter can trigger it: the oxygen sensor after the catalytic converter detects less cleaning than with the factory unit. It is not a fault. An ECU remap recalibrates the sensor, and a session with a diagnostic tool clears the fault code. With a decat, the warning light is almost certain without a 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.
-
Step 3 of 4: Valves: ROG remote or factory control
Two ways to control the valves on your Mercedes-AMG E55 W211 V8 Kompressor.
ROG remote
A small control unit fits in the boot. Two buttons, open and closed: the valves respond at any moment, whatever the drive mode. Simple to fit, and we stay on hand throughout the installation.
Factory control
- Only for vehicles fitted with factory valves
- Controlled by the drive modes
If your vehicle is fitted with factory valves, the exhaust keeps their existing control. The drive modes decide, just as they did from the factory, with no added electronics.
On the motorway, with the valves closed, the gases pass through the silencer, designed for cruising: no drone at a steady speed. You open up when you feel like it, not when the motorway decides for you. More about exhaust drone.
-
Step 4 of 4: Tips: the visual signature
Match the tips to the style of your Mercedes-AMG E55 W211 V8 Kompressor, 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
The ROG sound signature on the E55's V8 Kompressor
The E55's V8 has a deep, thick voice, typical of the big AMG V8s of its generation, with the discreet whine of the supercharger in the background. The factory exhaust turns it into a distant murmur: you feel the shove in your back, but hear almost nothing of what produces it.
With the valves open, the ROG exhaust gives the E55 a deep rumble at idle and a roll of thunder under acceleration, true to the reputation of the AMGs of that era. With the valves closed, it goes back to being the sober, comfortable E-Class it claims to be.
From order to fitting
-
Configuration
You choose your exhaust and enter your VIN, found in box E of your registration certificate.
-
Check
We check compatibility with your VIN before manufacturing begins.
-
Manufacturing
Your exhaust is made to order, for your car.
-
Delivery
Free in Europe, insured to your door, tracked from dispatch.
-
Fitting
No welding or cutting: clamps and gaskets, around two hours on a lift.
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 on your Mercedes-AMG E55 W211 V8 Kompressor? In Europe, a manufacturer cannot refuse warranty cover simply because a part from another brand has been fitted: it has to prove that the fault was caused by that part. Our article on the manufacturer's warranty.
Our recommendations for your Mercedes-AMG E55 W211 V8 Kompressor
-
Daily driving
2 490 €
- Stainless
- Cat-back only
- ROG remote
Your Mercedes-AMG E55 W211 V8 Kompressor stays easy to live with, the factory emissions control is retained, and you open the valves whenever you decide.
View this configuration -
Fast road
4 080 €
- Titanium
- 200-cell manifolds
- ECU remap
More sound, more breathing, and a car you can still present at the French MOT.
View this configuration -
Track
3 710 €
- Titanium
- Decat manifolds
- Stage 2
The most extreme configuration, for track use only.
View this configuration
And if you are still unsure, that is perfectly normal: it is exactly why we answer the phone.
Mercedes-AMG E55 W211 V8 Kompressor: your questions
How much power does an exhaust system add to the Mercedes-AMG E55 W211 V8 Kompressor?
As standard, the Mercedes-AMG E55 W211 V8 Kompressor produces 476 hp and 700 Nm. An exhaust system on its own mainly changes the sound, the breathing and the weight; power is gained with an ECU remap.
Stainless steel or titanium: which material for the Mercedes-AMG E55 W211 V8 Kompressor?
For the Mercedes-AMG E55 W211 V8 Kompressor, the ROG exhaust costs €2,490 in stainless steel and €2,990 in titanium. 304 stainless steel is tough, rounded in tone and the most popular choice; titanium is around 40% lighter for the same design, with a more metallic sound at high revs.
Do you need to replace the catalytic converter on the Mercedes-AMG E55 W211 V8 Kompressor?
No. On the Mercedes-AMG E55 W211 V8 Kompressor, the cat-back alone carries the valves and already transforms the sound. Replacing the manifolds is an option for going further: with a 200-cell sports catalytic converter for the road, 100-cell or decat for more radical use, with an ECU remap to turn it into power.
Will the Mercedes-AMG E55 W211 V8 Kompressor pass the French MOT with a ROG exhaust?
With the cat-back only or the 200-cell sports catalytic converter, emissions control is retained: present the car with the valves closed. The 100-cell converter no longer guarantees a pass, and the decat fails the emissions test.
How is the ROG exhaust fitted to the Mercedes-AMG E55 W211 V8 Kompressor?
No welding or cutting, using clamps and gaskets. Allow two hours on average for a well-equipped mechanic. The exhaust is built for your VIN, which guarantees compatibility before it ships.
What does a ROG exhaust cost for the Mercedes-AMG E55 W211 V8 Kompressor, and how long does it take?
From €2,490 to €4,080 depending on the configuration. Allow 20 working days from order confirmation to delivery. Free delivery in Europe and 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 Mercedes-AMG E55 W211 V8 Kompressor. 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.
RogMotorsport is a French brand built on one conviction: with an exhaust system, the support matters as much as the product. More than 500 exhaust systems fitted and a rating of 4.9 out of 5.
Further reading
Read next
- Mercedes-AMG SLC43 R172 V6 biturbo: an open-air V6, the exhaust system guide The SLC43 is a compact roadster with a retractable hard top, which AMG equipped with a 3.0-litre twin-turbo...
- Mercedes-AMG CLS53 C257: the return of the straight-six, the exhaust system guide A four-door coupé with flowing lines, the CLS53 C257 benefits from Mercedes' return to a layout the brand...
- Mercedes-AMG GLE63 W167 V8 biturbo: the V8 unmuted, the exhaust system guide The GLE63 W167 is a large family SUV with the temperament of a sports car: its 4.0-litre AMG...