Mercedes-AMG SLS C197 V8: the gullwing icon, the exhaust system guide
With its gullwing doors, its endless bonnet and its engine set behind the front axle, the SLS C197 established itself as a modern AMG icon. Its naturally aspirated 6.2-litre, 571 hp V8 has no turbo to smother it, and yet the factory exhaust filters out most of it. What follows helps you configure a ROG exhaust, material, valves and fitting, for an SLS that sounds the way it looks.
Written by ROG Motorsport · Updated
Your ROG exhaust for Mercedes-AMG SLS C197 V8
From €5,490 in stainless steel, €6,490 in titanium
Configure my exhaust- Vehicles
- Mercedes-AMG SLS C197 6.2 V8 (2011-2014)
- Engine
- 571 hp · 650 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
The naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V8: the heart of the SLS C197
The SLS C197 is powered by a naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V8, mounted front-mid and dry-sump lubricated, which allows it to sit very low in the chassis. It produces 571 hp and 650 Nm without forced induction. The dual-clutch gearbox is moved to the rear, against the axle, to balance the weight. The engine responds instantly and revs out with a vigour that defines the car's character.
A car like the SLS is driven as much by ear as by hand. The factory exhaust, bound by the constraints of a road car, softens the V8 and masks some of its nuances. The ROG valved exhaust replaces it with no ECU remap and no work on the engine: you keep a civilised car with the valves closed, and with them open you rediscover the full breadth of the 6.2-litre.
What makes up the exhaust on your Mercedes-AMG SLS C197 V8
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 Mercedes-AMG SLS C197 V8, 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 Mercedes-AMG SLS C197 V8, 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 Mercedes-AMG SLS C197 V8 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 Mercedes-AMG SLS C197 V8, we advise taking it to an approved tuning centre afterwards.
On a naturally aspirated V8 of this calibre, an ECU remap mainly sharpens the response and the top-end reach, with modest gains compared with a turbo engine. The ROG exhaust is its natural complement: on the SLS, a successful tune is felt first and foremost through the sound.
Configuring your exhaust, step by step
3 choices, in the same order as the product page configurator.
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Step 1 of 3: Material: stainless steel or titanium
For your Mercedes-AMG SLS C197 V8, the exhaust costs €5,490 in stainless steel and €6,490 in titanium.
304 stainless steel
5 490 €
- Weight
- Baseline
- Sound
- Full and rounded
The safe bet: strong, corrosion-proof, with a full, rounded sound. The best value for money.
Titanium
6 490 €
- 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 3: Front section: manifolds and catalytic converter
Optional: the manifolds on your Mercedes-AMG SLS C197 V8, 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
+1 950 €
8/10Road use and French MOT
More flow, emissions control retained: the right option for road use.
100-cell sports catalytic converter
+1 950 €
9/10French MOT pass not guaranteed
More open than the 200-cell: the sound hardens at high revs and emissions control is reduced.
Decat
+1 440 €
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 3: Valves: ROG remote or factory control
Two ways to control the valves on your Mercedes-AMG SLS C197 V8.
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.
The ROG sound signature on the SLS's V8
The 6.2-litre V8 has a big-capacity voice, muffled and choppy at idle, that becomes a broad thunder at full load. In the SLS, the long bonnet and the engine's position add even more to its mechanical presence. The factory exhaust delivers a polished version of it, far from what the engine really has to say.
With the ROG exhaust and the valves open, this thunder regains its full breadth, with acceleration that resonates and a climb through the revs full of depth. With the valves closed, the SLS keeps a lower profile, so you can leave a residential street without being noticed.
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 Mercedes-AMG SLS C197 V8 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 Mercedes-AMG SLS C197 V8
-
Daily driving
5 490 €
- Stainless
- Cat-back only
- ROG remote
Your Mercedes-AMG SLS C197 V8 stays easy to live with, the factory emissions control is retained, and you open the valves whenever you decide.
View this configuration -
Fast road
8 440 €
- Titanium
- 200-cell manifolds
- ECU remap
The best of both worlds: character and breathing, with emissions control retained.
View this configuration -
Track
7 930 €
- Titanium
- Decat manifolds
- Stage 2
The most extreme configuration, for track use only.
View this configuration
Every Mercedes-AMG SLS C197 V8 has its own story and its own use: if none of these profiles sounds like you, let's talk.
Mercedes-AMG SLS C197 V8: your questions
How much power does an exhaust add on the Mercedes-AMG SLS C197 V8?
As standard, the Mercedes-AMG SLS C197 V8 produces 571 hp and 650 Nm. The exhaust alone acts first on sound, breathing and weight; the extra horsepower comes from an ECU remap. With a Stage 2 build, the published figures reach 625 hp and 704 Nm.
Stainless steel or titanium: which material for the Mercedes-AMG SLS C197 V8?
For the Mercedes-AMG SLS C197 V8, the ROG exhaust costs €5,490 in stainless steel and €6,490 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 Mercedes-AMG SLS C197 V8?
It is not compulsory. The cat-back alone is enough to change the character of the Mercedes-AMG SLS C197 V8. 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 Mercedes-AMG SLS C197 V8 pass the French MOT with a ROG exhaust?
The cat-back only and the 200-cell converter both retain emissions control: present the Mercedes-AMG SLS C197 V8 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 Mercedes-AMG SLS C197 V8?
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 Mercedes-AMG SLS C197 V8.
What price and lead time for a ROG exhaust on the Mercedes-AMG SLS C197 V8?
From €5,490 to €8,440 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 Mercedes-AMG SLS C197 V8. 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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