If you own a modern BMW or BMW M car with a factory valved exhaust, you might assume selecting Sport or Sport Plus opens the exhaust valves and leaves them open.

In reality, it isn’t quite that simple.

BMW’s factory exhaust valve programming is designed to balance exhaust sound with refinement and everyday drivability. Even when the sportier driving modes are selected, the car continues to control the exhaust valves according to factors such as engine speed, load and operating conditions.

More importantly, on many BMW models the factory system does not command the exhaust valves to their fully open position at all. Instead, the valves remain restricted, meaning you never actually hear the full sound the factory exhaust is capable of producing. 

So even when the car is in Sport or Sport Plus, the valves can continue to open and close or remain only partially open as driving conditions change. For many owners, that creates a familiar experience: the car sounds strong at certain moments, then becomes noticeably quieter again even though the driving mode hasn’t changed. 

In other words, the sound is already there — the factory valve control simply isn’t always allowing you to hear all of it. 

That's the problem that the new Competition+ Exhaust Valve Control Module was created to solve.

The electronic exhaust valves fitted to many BMW models are essentially another tool the vehicle can use to manage exhaust volume.

Depending on the vehicle, the exhaust valve can change how exhaust gases travel through the rear silencer. Opening it allows the exhaust to use the more direct path through the system, while closing it directs more of the exhaust through the muffling section.

The important point is that the factory system remains in control.

Selecting Sport or Sport Plus may change the valve strategy, but it doesn’t give the driver direct control over the actual valve position. The factory software can continue opening, closing or modulating the valve as conditions change.

On many models, the factory control strategy also means the valves never actually reach their fully open position. Even when the car is in its sportiest setting, the valves can remain partially restricted rather than opening completely. As a result, you may never hear the full sound the exhaust system is capable of producing under factory control. 

That’s why a factory exhaust can sometimes sound considerably better immediately after starting the car or during certain parts of the rev range, only to become noticeably quieter moments later.

That inconsistency comes from the factory valve strategy, rather than a lack of sound from the exhaust itself.

A valve controller changes the relationship between the driver and the exhaust.

Rather than asking the vehicle for a sportier exhaust setting and allowing the factory programming to decide what happens from there, a dedicated controller can command the exhaust valve itself.

With the Competition+ module in Fully Open mode, the valve or valves are commanded completely open and remain open regardless of the BMW driving mode selected.

The result is a stronger and, importantly, more consistent exhaust note.

On a standard BMW exhaust, it can reveal considerably more of the depth, volume and character that is already present without changing the rear muffler, cutting the exhaust or immediately moving to an aftermarket system. On a vehicle already fitted with a compatible aftermarket valved exhaust, it prevents the factory valve strategy from repeatedly reducing the sound available from that system.

It’s worth making one distinction here: the Competition+ controller has been developed primarily as a sound and exhaust-control upgrade, not as a claimed horsepower modification. Its purpose is to give the driver proper control over a component that the vehicle normally controls automatically.

And on many BMWs, that simple change can make a surprisingly noticeable difference to how the car feels and sounds from behind the wheel.

Exhaust valve controllers aren't a new idea.

There are already products available that can override the factory exhaust valves. Some use simple wireless open/close remotes, while others integrate with the vehicle’s CAN system and use steering-wheel buttons, factory controls or software configuration.

Years of fitting and testing different approaches, combined with feedback from a wide range of BMW owners, highlighted what people actually want from a valve controller.

The feedback was remarkably consistent.

The valves needed to open fully, not just follow the factory strategy. There needed to be a genuinely quiet option when required, the ability to return instantly to normal BMW operation, and a memory function that could restore a preferred setting each time the car was started.

And all of that needed to be achieved without cutting factory wiring, pulling apart half the interior, navigating complicated menus or installing something that felt like an afterthought.

Those requirements became the basis of the Competition+ system.

Rather than developing another basic valve bypass, considerable time was spent testing and refining a controller specifically around BMW applications. The system was developed and real-world tested in Australia, drawing on years of BMW owner feedback and workshop experience, with every component considered as part of the overall system.

Hardware quality was just as important. The control modules are housed in robust IP66-rated enclosures with sealed cable entries, helping protect the electronics from water, dust, road grime and the harsh conditions found underneath the vehicle. The casing, wiring and connections were also selected with the heat generated around the exhaust system in mind, ensuring the system is suited to long-term use in the environment where it is installed.

Instead of simply packaging the electronics in a generic enclosure, the focus was on creating a unit that felt appropriate for a high-quality BMW application — from the sealed housing and factory-style connections through to the wiring, mounting and overall finish.

The result is a compact four-button wireless remote giving direct access to the functions a BMW exhaust valve controller actually needs.

The remote itself is compact enough to keep wherever is most convenient. It comes with a low-profile mount that can be positioned discreetly inside the cabin for easy access, or removed and attached to a keyring, kept in the centre console or stored elsewhere in the vehicle.

It sounds simple, and that was intentional.

There are controllers on the market that focus on a basic open/close override, while more complex systems can integrate through the vehicle CAN network or require combinations of factory buttons and configuration settings. 

Competition+ takes a more considered approach: all the exhaust control functions most owners actually ask for, without making the installation or everyday operation unnecessarily complicated.

If you want the valves open, press Open (C+).

If you want the car quieter, press Closed.

If you want the BMW to behave exactly as it did from the factory, press OEM.

And if there’s one setting you use most of the time, save it to Memory.

A valve controller should add functionality without unnecessarily modifying the vehicle around it.

The Competition+ module connects directly between the factory BMW wiring and the original electronic exhaust valve actuator using factory-style connections. There is no cutting, splicing or permanent modification to the vehicle, and the system integrates with the factory electronics without triggering warning lights, fault codes or diagnostic errors.

Installation can generally be completed in approximately 5–10 minutes, with no need to run switches or additional control wiring through the cabin. 

The plug-and-play design also means the system is completely reversible. It can be removed at any time and the original factory connections restored, returning the vehicle to its standard configuration without leaving behind permanent wiring changes.

The remote is supplied pre-paired and ready to use, while the modules themselves are not VIN-locked. This means the system can also be removed and transferred to another compatible BMW in the future.

The result is an installation that feels much closer to a factory-style addition than an aftermarket workaround — simple to fit, easy to remove and designed to integrate cleanly with the vehicle.

BMW has used both single and dual electronic exhaust valve configurations across its F-Series and G-Series range, so Competition+ is available in two versions.

The Single Valve kit is designed for compatible vehicles equipped with one factory electronic exhaust valve actuator, covering applications across models including the F20 M135i and M140i, F22/F23 M235i and M240i, F30/F31 340i, F32/F33/F36 440i, G20/G21 M340i, G22/G23/G26 M440i, G42 M240i, G29 Z4 M40i, and many others depending on production date and exhaust configuration.

The Dual Valve kit uses two matched, pre-paired Competition+ modules that operate simultaneously from the same remote. Applications include models such as the F87 M2 Competition and M2 CS, F80 M3, F82/F83 M4, G87 M2, G80/G81 M3, G82/G83 M4, F90 M5, F91/F92/F93 M8, along with a range of BMW performance SUVs including X5, X6 and X7 M50i and M60i models, and X5 M and X6 M variants.

Both versions work with the original BMW exhaust and compatible aftermarket exhaust systems that retain the factory BMW electronic valve actuators and electrical connections. Exact compatibility should always be confirmed against the vehicle before ordering.

One of the biggest advantages of this type of upgrade is that it makes sense as a first step.

It’s easy to assume that getting more sound from a BMW means immediately replacing the rear exhaust, fitting a mid-pipe or moving into more extensive exhaust modifications.

Sometimes that will still be the right solution.

But before replacing perfectly good hardware, it makes sense to hear what the exhaust already fitted to the car can actually do with its valves completely open.

For some owners, the additional volume and character provided by full valve control will be exactly what they were looking for. For others, it becomes a useful foundation for future exhaust upgrades because the driver retains complete control over any compatible valved system fitted later.

Either way, you’re making the decision with the exhaust valves working the way you want them to rather than relying entirely on the factory programming.

More sound was only part of the brief.

There are plenty of situations where being able to make the car quieter is just as useful — an early morning start, arriving home late at night or simply wanting less exhaust volume while the car is idling.

That’s why Competition+ includes a true Fully Closed mode rather than simply switching between Fully Open and factory operation.

Fully Closed is designed for situations where reduced exhaust volume is useful, such as start-up, idling and light-load driving. It is not intended as a way to keep a loud exhaust quiet while the car is being driven hard or operated at full load. Under hard acceleration, sustained high-load driving or full-throttle operation, the controller should be returned to OEM or Fully Open mode.

Like any manual exhaust valve control, it is ultimately the driver’s responsibility to select the appropriate setting for the way the vehicle is being used. The function is there to provide greater control, but it should be used sensibly and in accordance with the vehicle’s operating requirements and any applicable road and noise regulations.

That gives the driver control in both directions — more sound when the conditions are right, and the ability to quieten the car when circumstances call for it.

At its core, Competition+ is about giving the driver proper control over a part of the exhaust system that your BMW normally manages in the background.

The goal wasn’t to make valve control more complicated. It was to make it more useful — fully open when you want access to the full sound available from the exhaust, fully closed when reduced volume is genuinely useful, instant return to factory operation, and memory for the setting you use most.

All of that is combined with plug-and-play installation, no permanent wiring changes and hardware developed specifically for the conditions in which it operates.

Each Competition+ module is individually programmed, paired and function-tested before packaging, and every kit is backed by a two-year Competition+ product warranty.

For anyone wanting more control over a compatible BMW factory or aftermarket valved exhaust, it’s a relatively simple upgrade that can make a surprisingly noticeable difference. Rather than immediately changing the exhaust itself, Competition+ lets you get more from the system already fitted to the car — more sound when you want it, less when you don’t, and factory operation whenever you choose.

The Competition+ Exhaust Valve Control Module are available in Single Valve and Dual Valve configurations to suit a wide range of compatible BMW and BMW M F-Series and G-Series models.

Competition+ Exhaust Valve Control Module | Single Valve
For compatible BMW models equipped with one factory electronic exhaust valve actuator.

Competition+ Exhaust Valve Control Module | Dual Valve
For compatible BMW models equipped with two factory electronic exhaust valve actuators.

Not sure which version suits your BMW? Check the full vehicle application list on each product page or Contact Us to confirm compatibility.

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