Best Bolt-On Upgrades for the BMW M5 F90 (2018-2023)

The BMW M5 F90 is a 600-plus-horsepower super sedan, and the smartest bolt-on upgrades sharpen its sound, cooling, and handling without touching the S63 twin-turbo V8's internals. Built from 2018 to 2023, the sixth-generation M5 arrived with a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 making 600 hp and 553 lb-ft in base form and 617 hp in Competition trim, an 8-speed ZF automatic, and M xDrive all-wheel drive with a rear-drive mode. This roundup covers the six best bolt-on upgrades for the F90 M5 — an Akrapovic titanium exhaust, a carbon-fiber cold-air intake, an upgraded oil cooler, race brake pads, lowering springs, and wheel spacers — every one in stock at NLP Performance.

What Makes the F90 M5 Worth Modifying?

The F90 M5 is the most powerful and most tunable M5 BMW had ever built at its 2018 launch. Its S63B44T4 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 produces 600 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque in the standard car and 617 hp in the M5 Competition, with peak torque available from roughly 1,800 rpm. Paired with a ZF 8-speed automatic and M xDrive all-wheel drive — complete with a 2WD rear-drive mode — a Competition sedan hits 60 mph in about 3.1 seconds and tops out near 189 mph with the M Driver's Package. That combination of turbocharged torque and a roughly 4,300-pound curb weight is exactly why bolt-ons pay off: the engine already makes big power, so the highest-value upgrades reduce weight, add cooling headroom, improve airflow, and firm up the chassis rather than chase more crankshaft horsepower. BMW even built a lighter, harder-edged send-off — the one-year-only 2022 M5 CS, rated at 627 hp and roughly 230 pounds lighter than the Competition — proving how much the platform responds to weight reduction.

At our Tampa, FL shop, the F90 owners we work with fall into two camps: street drivers who want a meaner exhaust note and a lower stance, and track-day regulars who need cooling and braking that survive repeated hot laps. The six parts below cover both. Every product is a genuine bolt-on that installs with hand tools and reuses the factory mounting points — no cutting, and none require opening the engine.

The 6 Best Bolt-On Upgrades for the BMW M5 F90

Here is how the picks compare at a glance. The exhaust is the headline upgrade; the rest are ranked by the impact they have per dollar for a street-and-track F90 M5.

1. Akrapovic Evolution Line Cat-Back (Titanium) — Best Overall Upgrade

The Akrapovic Evolution Line is a full-titanium, valve-controlled cat-back system that is the single most transformative bolt-on for the F90 M5. Titanium is far lighter than the factory stainless steel, so the system removes about 20.7 pounds (9.4 kg) from the rear of the car while opening up the S63's deep, race-derived V8 tone. Akrapovic also claims a modest bump of roughly 11 hp at 5,700 rpm and about 16 lb-ft at 2,300 rpm from the reduced back-pressure — the real prize, though, is the sound and the weight loss. It reuses the M5's OEM exhaust flaps, so you keep the factory quiet-start behavior and valve control from the driver's seat, and it plugs directly onto the stock downpipes. This is a cat-back, so it retains the stock catalysts and stays emissions-friendly on a street car; note that the Evolution Line tailpipe tips are sold separately, letting you choose titanium or carbon-fiber tips to finish the look.

2. aFe Momentum Black Series Carbon-Fiber Pro 5R Intake

The aFe Momentum Black Series is a carbon-fiber cold-air intake that feeds the S63's twin turbochargers more air while sharpening throttle response. It uses aFe's Pro 5R oiled, five-layer cotton-gauze filters — washable and reusable — that outflow the factory intake by 16% (665 CFM at 7 inches of water), housed in a sealed twill-weave carbon-fiber airbox that pulls cooler air and looks the part under the hood. On a heavily boosted engine like the S63, the intake's biggest wins are crisper part-throttle response and a more audible turbo and induction note; it is a true bolt-on that reuses factory mounting locations. aFe rates this kit on airflow rather than a single peak-horsepower claim, so pair it with a supporting ECU tune to convert that extra air into real, repeatable gains.

3. CSF High-Performance Engine Oil Cooler — Best Track Insurance

The CSF High-Performance Engine Oil Cooler is the smartest reliability upgrade for any F90 M5 that sees track use. The S63's 600-plus horsepower generates serious heat, and owners report oil temperatures climbing past 240°F on hot track days — the first thing that puts an M5 into a protective power-reduction (limp) mode. CSF's direct-fit cooler (part 8317) swaps the factory tube-and-fin unit for a heavy-duty bar-and-plate core that is 60mm thick versus the OEM 45mm — about 33% more cooling volume, with three extra rows and TIG-welded end tanks for leak resistance. That added capacity lowers peak oil temps and buys you more consecutive hard laps before the car pulls power to protect itself. It fits the F9X M5/M8 as well as the F1X M5/M6, bolts into the OEM location, and is a straightforward drop-in install. For a car this fast, cooling headroom is cheap insurance.

4. EBC Racing RP-X Front Brake Pads

The EBC Racing RP-X front pads give the F90 M5 the fade resistance a 4,300-pound, 190-mph sedan needs on track. RP-X is EBC's aramid-fiber full-race material, engineered to hold a stable friction coefficient of about 0.55μ from cold all the way up to roughly 1,562°F (850°C) — the extreme, repeated-heat conditions that overwhelm the OEM pads. Unusually for a race pad, RP-X bites well from cold, and it uses Nucap NRS retention plus stainless backing plates to resist material separation and keep heat out of the brake fluid. Because the M5 carries so much speed and mass, brake heat is a real limiter on track days, and a dedicated race pad is one of the cheapest ways to make the car trustworthy under braking. At $450.81 (down from $530.61), these are a high-value hard-use upgrade; the trade-off versus an OE pad is more noise, more dust, and faster rotor wear.

5. Eibach Pro-Kit Lowering Springs

The Eibach Pro-Kit is the easiest way to fix the F90 M5's factory wheel gap without giving up ride quality. These progressive-rate lowering springs drop the car roughly 1.0 inch in front and 0.8 inch in the rear for a lower center of gravity and a planted, purposeful stance, and they are engineered to work with the M5's electronic damper control (EDC) so you keep the adjustable ride modes. Because Pro-Kit springs are designed around the OEM dampers, they preserve daily-driver comfort far better than a coilover swap while cutting body roll and squat. For owners who want the look and the handling benefit but do not need track-adjustable ride height, springs are the smart-money suspension move at $395.00.

6. H&R 11mm Wheel Spacer & Bolt Kit

H&R's 11mm spacer and bolt kit is the lowest-cost way to give the F90 M5 a wider, more aggressive stance and dial in wheel fitment. Pushing the wheels out 11mm per side — 22mm of added track width across each axle — fills the fender arches, widens the stance for a more planted look, and can help clear big-brake calipers or provide room for aftermarket wheels. H&R uses full-contact hubcentric spacers with a 66.5mm center bore and includes 20 correct extended wheel bolts, so the kit torques on cleanly and keeps the wheels perfectly centered. At $255.28, it is the highest-impact-per-dollar cosmetic upgrade on this list and installs in minutes with basic tools.

Finishing Touch: Akrapovic Rear Carbon-Fiber Diffuser

If you install the Akrapovic exhaust, the matching Evolution Line rear carbon-fiber diffuser is the natural styling complement. The matte carbon-fiber piece with the red Akrapovic logo replaces the factory diffuser, frames the exhaust tips, and gives the rear of the F90 M5 a purposeful, motorsport look. It is a direct-fit accessory that ties the whole rear end together once the titanium system is in place.

How to Prioritize Your F90 M5 Build

Start with the exhaust if sound and weight are your goals, or start with the oil cooler and brake pads if you track the car. A logical order for most owners is: (1) Akrapovic Evolution Line exhaust for sound and weight, (2) aFe intake plus a supporting ECU tune for airflow and response, (3) CSF oil cooler and EBC RP-X pads before your first serious track day, and (4) Eibach springs and H&R spacers to lock in the stance. Because none of these upgrades touch the S63's internals, you can build the car in stages as budget allows while keeping it fully street-legal and reliable.