BMW X5 M E70 and X6 M E71: the first BMW M SUVs, the exhaust system guide
With the X5 M E70 and the X6 M E71, BMW M created its first SUVs and gave them the same engine: a 4.4-litre biturbo V8 with 555 hp and 680 Nm. Sports car performance in family-car proportions, but a factory exhaust that makes you almost forget it. The same ROG valved exhaust fits both the X5 M and the X6 M; this guide helps you decide on each option.
Written by ROG Motorsport · Updated
Your ROG exhaust for the BMW X5 M E70 or X6 M E71
From €2,490 in stainless steel, €2,990 in titanium
Configure my exhaust- Vehicles
- BMW X5 M E70 (2010-2013); BMW X6 M E71 (2010-2014)
- Engine
- BMW X5 M E70: 555 hp; BMW X6 M E71: 555 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 M5 F10 4.4TT, BMW M550i N63 G30 4.4TT, BMW M6 F06 / F12 / F13 4.4TT, BMW M850i G14 / G15 / G16 4.4TT.
The 4.4 biturbo V8 with central turbos: the engine shared by the X5 M and X6 M
The X5 M E70, produced from 2010 to 2013, and the X6 M E71, from 2010 to 2014, share a 4.4-litre V8 whose two turbos sit in the V, between the cylinder banks. This layout shortens the path of the gases and helps the turbos respond quickly. The result is 555 hp and 680 Nm, with massive torque available very early, moving these SUVs with disconcerting ease.
The X6 M uses the architecture of the X5 M beneath a coupé body, hence a shared ROG exhaust. On this V8, the turbos and the factory exhaust share the job of muffling it, and all that remains is a distant rumble. The ROG exhaust puts the decision back in your hands: a V8 you can hear with the valves open, a discreet SUV with the valves closed, without touching the engine or the ECU.
How the exhaust on your BMW X5 M E70 or X6 M E71 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 X5 M E70 or X6 M E71, 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 X5 M E70 or X6 M E71, 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. 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 X5 M E70 or X6 M E71
An exhaust system is judged first by ear and on the scales. The extra horsepower comes from an ECU remap.
BMW X5 M E70
Power
Torque
BMW X6 M E71
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 X5 M E70 or X6 M E71, we recommend taking it to an approved tuning centre afterwards.
With its two turbos, the V8 in the X5 M and X6 M has plenty of headroom: at Stage 2, it is quoted at 662 hp and 840 Nm. On an engine of this generation, the condition of the cooling system and the maintenance history matter as much as the mapping. The ROG exhaust supports this kind of project without claiming to add any power.
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 X5 M E70 or X6 M E71, 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 safe bet: strong, corrosion-proof, with a full, rounded sound. The best value for money.
Titanium
2 990 €
- 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 X5 M E70 or X6 M E71, 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
+910 €
8/10Road use and French MOT
More flow, emissions control retained: the right option for road use.
100-cell sports catalytic converter
+910 €
9/10French MOT pass not guaranteed
More open than the 200-cell: the sound hardens at high revs and emissions control is reduced.
Decat
+590 €
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 X5 M E70 or X6 M E71.
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 X5 M E70 or X6 M E71, 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 of the X5 M and X6 M
A V8 has a deep, full-bodied voice, made of tight pulses that quicken with the revs. On these first M SUVs, the turbos in the heart of the V and the factory exhaust hold most of it back: you feel the thrust but hear only a whisper, as if the engine were kept at a distance from the cabin.
With the valves open, the ROG exhaust lets the V8 growl from start-up, rumble low at low revs and rise in a dense wave under every acceleration. With the valves closed, both the X5 M and the X6 M become touring cars again, fit for family journeys.
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 X5 M E70 or X6 M E71 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 X5 M E70 or X6 M E71
-
Daily driving
2 490 €
- Stainless
- Cat-back only
- ROG remote
Your BMW X5 M E70 or X6 M E71 stays easy to live with, the factory emissions control is retained, and you open the valves whenever you decide.
View this configuration -
Fast road
3 900 €
- Titanium
- 200-cell downpipe
- ECU remap
The best of both worlds: character and breathing, with emissions control retained.
View this configuration -
Track
3 580 €
- Titanium
- Decat downpipe
- Stage 2
The most extreme configuration, for track use only.
View this configuration
Every BMW X5 M E70 or X6 M E71 has its own story and its own use: if none of these profiles sounds like you, let's talk.
BMW X5 M E70 or X6 M E71: your questions
How much power does an exhaust system add to the BMW X5 M E70 or X6 M E71?
As standard, the BMW X5 M E70 produces 555 hp; the BMW X6 M E71 produces 555 hp. The exhaust alone acts first on sound, breathing and weight; the extra horsepower comes from an ECU remap. The published Stage 2 figures for each model are shown in the figures table.
Stainless steel or titanium: which material for the BMW X5 M E70 or X6 M E71?
For the BMW X5 M E70 or X6 M E71, the ROG exhaust costs €2,490 in stainless steel and €2,990 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 X5 M E70 or X6 M E71?
It is not compulsory. The cat-back alone is enough to change the character of the BMW X5 M E70 or X6 M E71. 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 X5 M E70 or X6 M E71 pass the French MOT with a ROG exhaust?
The cat-back only and the 200-cell converter both retain emissions control: present the BMW X5 M E70 or X6 M E71 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 X5 M E70 or X6 M E71?
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 X5 M E70 or X6 M E71.
What does a ROG exhaust cost for the BMW X5 M E70 or X6 M E71, and how long does it take?
From €2,490 to €3,900 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 X5 M E70 or X6 M E71. 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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