The famous Steven Dinan is no longer part of the tuning company of the same name (he now owns and runs CarBahn) but it still puts out some of the best tuning parts for BMWs on the market. For the BMW X5 M and X6 M, Dinan now offers a new exhaust system that improves their V8’s sound, while also adding a few horsepowers.
No one’s ever going to accuse either the BMW X5 M or X6 M of being slow. Their 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 makes 617 horsepower in Competition-spec and 553 lb-ft of torque. That helps both SUVs get from 0-60 mph in under four seconds. And while that’s exciting, there is one pretty consistent complaint among enthusiasts—noise. The S63 engine is powerful, refined, and enjoyable to use but it’s never sounded particularly good. Even in the BMW M5 CS, the most exciting car to use the V8, it never sounded special. Which is where Dinan comes in.
There are a few different configurations of the exhaust you can get: the axle-back, the x-pipe-only, and the full system. Each configuration sounds significantly better than stock, as proven by the video put out by Dinan. Obviously, the most extreme version of the exhaust is the full system. It’s the loudest and most aggressive but even the full system is refined enough to be driven every day. However, if you want a subtler, more refined growl, you can just stick with the axle-back setup. Though, the full-beans configuration adds six horsepower and five lb-ft.
As with most modern aftermarket exhausts, it’s a valved system, which can open and close, to make it louder or quieter, based on the settings in the car. So if you press the exhaust button, just like on the stock X5 M or X6 M, the Dinan exhaust will change its tune accordingly. Dinan also claims that the system has “drone abatement” technology to keep cabin resonance down, regardless of valve setting. So it shouldn’t be too annoying to hear from inside the car.
Customers will get a choice of two different exhaust tips: double-walled polished stainless steel or black ceramic coated. Either way, the tips measure 4.5-inches in diameter.
Dinan has always made great exhaust setups for BMWs, especially for V8s, and…
