Lotus Exige S2 / S3: lighter and more vocal, the complete exhaust system guide
The Exige is Lotus at its most uncompromising: a road-registered track car where every gram and every sensation counts. Its factory exhaust is the last place where weight and character lie dormant: our exhaust system deals with both in one go. Here you will find everything that matters before configuring the exhaust for your Lotus Exige S3 V6 supercharged: catalytic converter, material, valves, tips and French MOT.
Written by ROG Motorsport · Updated
Your ROG exhaust for Lotus Exige S3 V6 supercharged
From €3,390 in stainless steel, €4,140 in titanium
Configure my exhaust- Vehicles
- Lotus Exige S3 3.5 V6 supercharged (2012-2019)
- Engine
- 350 hp · 400 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
Closely related versions have their own guide: Lotus Emira 3.5 V6 supercharged, Lotus Evora GT410 3.5 V6 supercharged, Lotus Evora S 3.5 V6 supercharged.
Your Lotus's engine: the Chapman philosophy applied to the exhaust
Your Exige S2 / S3 follows Colin Chapman's doctrine: lightness above all. Every kilo counts, every sensation comes through unfiltered, and the engine, mounted right behind you, is an integral part of the experience. The factory exhaust is decent, but it remains an area where Lotus had to compromise with regulations: too much weight and too many silencers, not enough character.
The ROG exhaust takes the doctrine all the way: lighter and freer, it amplifies what makes a Lotus a Lotus, the direct connection. The mid-mounted engine sings a few centimetres from your ears, and the valves keep the volume under control.
What makes up the exhaust on your Lotus Exige S3 V6 supercharged
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 Lotus Exige S3 V6 supercharged, from the outlet of the front section to the tips: pipes, silencer, 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 Lotus Exige S3 V6 supercharged, 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 it is optional: it frees up the flow, and it is the ECU remap that turns that into horsepower.
Your Lotus Exige S3 V6 supercharged in figures
An exhaust system is judged first by ear and on the scales. The extra horsepower comes from an ECU remap.
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 Lotus Exige S3 V6 supercharged, we advise taking it to an approved tuning centre afterwards.
Let's be honest: on a Lotus, the exhaust's gain is measured as much in kilos as in horsepower, and that is a compliment. Breathing improves, the sound is transformed, and weight comes down. The supercharged versions also respond very well to an ECU remap at an approved tuning centre.
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 Lotus Exige S3 V6 supercharged, the exhaust costs €3,390 in stainless steel and €4,140 in titanium.
304 stainless steel
3 390 €
- Weight
- Baseline
- Sound
- Full and rounded
The safe bet: strong, corrosion-proof, with a full, rounded sound. The best value for money.
Titanium
4 140 €
- 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: manifolds and catalytic converter
Optional: the manifolds on your Lotus Exige S3 V6 supercharged, with their 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
+1 250 €
8/10Road use and French MOT
More flow, emissions control retained: the right option for road use.
100-cell sports catalytic converter
+1 250 €
9/10French MOT pass not guaranteed
More open than the 200-cell: the sound hardens at high revs and emissions control is reduced.
Decat
+850 €
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 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? 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 Lotus Exige S3 V6 supercharged.
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 Lotus Exige S3 V6 supercharged, 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 your Lotus
The mid-mounted engine sings right behind you: our exhaust turns up the volume on that privilege. A freed-up timbre, total presence through the revs, crisp crackles on the overrun with the valves open, and a weight saving true to the Chapman doctrine. With the valves closed, journeys stay civilised.
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.
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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 Lotus Exige S3 V6 supercharged 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 comes from that part. Our article on the manufacturer's warranty.
Our recommendations for your Lotus Exige S3 V6 supercharged
-
Daily driving
3 390 €
- Stainless
- Cat-back only
- ROG remote
Your Lotus Exige S3 V6 supercharged stays easy to live with, the factory emissions control is retained, and you open the valves whenever you decide.
View this configuration -
Fast road
5 390 €
- Titanium
- 200-cell manifolds
- ECU remap
The best of both worlds: character and breathing, with emissions control retained.
View this configuration -
Track
4 990 €
- Titanium
- Decat manifolds
- Stage 2
The most extreme configuration, for track use only.
View this configuration
Every Lotus Exige S3 V6 supercharged has its own story and its own use: if none of these profiles sounds like you, let's talk.
Lotus Exige S3 V6 supercharged: your questions
How much power does an exhaust add on the Lotus Exige S3 V6 supercharged?
As standard, the Lotus Exige S3 V6 supercharged produces 350 hp and 400 Nm. The exhaust alone acts first on sound, breathing and weight; the extra horsepower comes from an ECU remap.
Stainless steel or titanium: which material for the Lotus Exige S3 V6 supercharged?
For the Lotus Exige S3 V6 supercharged, the ROG exhaust costs €3,390 in stainless steel and €4,140 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 Lotus Exige S3 V6 supercharged?
It is not compulsory. The cat-back alone is enough to change the character of the Lotus Exige S3 V6 supercharged. Replacing the manifolds is how you go further, together with an ECU remap: 200 cells for the road, 100 cells or decat for more radical use.
Can the Lotus Exige S3 V6 supercharged pass the French MOT with a ROG exhaust?
The cat-back only and the 200-cell converter both retain emissions control: present the Lotus Exige S3 V6 supercharged 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 on the Lotus Exige S3 V6 supercharged?
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 Lotus Exige S3 V6 supercharged.
What price and lead time for a ROG exhaust on the Lotus Exige S3 V6 supercharged?
From €3,390 to €5,390 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 Lotus Exige S3 V6 supercharged. 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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