Porsche Boxster type 987.1: a flat-six at your back, the exhaust guide
The Boxster 987.1 puts a naturally aspirated flat-six right behind your shoulders, in 2.7 or 3.4-litre form, in a mid-engined roadster with remarkable balance. With the roof down, everything should invite you to listen to this engine, and yet the factory exhaust works hard to keep it at a distance. This guide sheds light on the ROG exhaust: material, valves, fitting, and what each of these choices changes with the roof down.
Written by ROG Motorsport · Updated
Your ROG exhaust for the Porsche Boxster type 987.1
From €2,490 in stainless steel, €2,990 in titanium
Configure my exhaust- Vehicles
- Porsche Boxster 2.7 / 3.4 type 987.1 (2005-2008)
- Engine
- 240 to 295 hp · 270 to 340 Nm, depending on the version
- 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: Porsche 718 Boxster / Cayman 2.0 turbo type 982, Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 2.5 turbo type 982, Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 4.0 type 982, Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS 4.0 type 982.
The naturally aspirated flat-six: the mid-mounted engine of the Boxster 987.1
The Boxster 987.1 is powered by a naturally aspirated flat-six mounted mid-engine, just behind the cabin. It comes as a 2.7-litre and as a 3.4-litre for the S version. The 2.7-litre is rated at 240 hp and 270 Nm, with the S version going further. Without a turbo, the power builds progressively all the way to the top of the rev counter, and the mid-mounted engine delivers the agility that made the Boxster's name.
On a mid-engined roadster, the sound comes from right behind you, and the exhaust sets almost all of its character. The 987.1's factory exhaust was designed for comfort and keeps the flat-six in the background. The ROG valved exhaust replaces it, with the engine and ECU left as standard: you keep a peaceful roadster for cruising, and a flat-six that makes itself heard as soon as you open the valves.
How the exhaust on your Porsche Boxster type 987.1 is put together
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 Porsche Boxster type 987.1, from the outlet of the front section to the tips: pipes, silencers, 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 Porsche Boxster type 987.1, 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.
The figures for your Porsche Boxster type 987.1
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. Factory figures vary by version; Stage 2 figures published for the 295 hp version.
The ROG exhaust works with or without an ECU remap. To get the full potential out of your Porsche Boxster type 987.1, we recommend taking it to an approved tuning centre afterwards.
On the Boxster's naturally aspirated flat-six, a remap mainly brings extra liveliness and a little more top-end reach, with modest gains compared with a forced-induction engine. The ROG exhaust completes this work where it is most noticeable from the driver's seat: with the roof open, in the way the engine makes itself heard.
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 Porsche Boxster type 987.1, the exhaust costs €2,490 in stainless steel and €2,990 in titanium.
304 stainless steel
2 490 €
- Weight
- Baseline
- Sound
- Full and rounded
The safe bet: strong, corrosion-proof, with a full, rounded sound. The best value for money.
Titanium
2 990 €
- 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 Porsche Boxster type 987.1, 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
+1 320 €
8/10Road use and French MOT
More flow, emissions control retained: the right option for road use.
100-cell sports catalytic converter
+1 320 €
9/10French MOT pass not guaranteed
More open than the 200-cell: the sound hardens at high revs and emissions control is reduced.
Decat
+900 €
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 Porsche Boxster type 987.1.
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 Porsche Boxster type 987.1, 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 the Boxster's flat-six
The Boxster's flat-six has a husky, muted sound at low revs, which clears up and turns more metallic as it climbs through the rev range. With the engine so close, you hear it as much through the intake as through the exhaust. But the 987.1's factory exhaust smooths the edges and robs the roadster of some of its depth.
With the ROG exhaust and the valves open, the flat-six revs all the way up with a clearer, more present voice, a real pleasure with the roof down on a country road. With the valves closed, the Boxster regains its factory calm, for town, the motorway or late journeys home.
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 Porsche Boxster type 987.1 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 came from that part. Our article on the manufacturer's warranty.
Our recommendations for your Porsche Boxster type 987.1
-
Daily driving
2 490 €
- Stainless
- Cat-back only
- ROG remote
Your Porsche Boxster type 987.1 stays easy to live with, the factory emissions control is retained, and you open the valves whenever you decide.
View this configuration -
Fast road
4 310 €
- Titanium
- 200-cell manifolds
- ECU remap
The best of both worlds: character and breathing, with emissions control retained.
View this configuration -
Track
3 890 €
- Titanium
- Decat manifolds
- Stage 2
The most extreme configuration, for track use only.
View this configuration
Every Porsche Boxster type 987.1 has its own story and its own use: if none of these profiles sounds like you, let's talk.
Porsche Boxster type 987.1: your questions
How much power does an exhaust system add to the Porsche Boxster type 987.1?
As standard, the Porsche Boxster type 987.1 produces from 240 to 295 hp and 270 to 340 Nm, depending on the version. 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 for the 295 hp version reach 326 hp and 378 Nm.
Stainless steel or titanium: which material for the Porsche Boxster type 987.1?
For the Porsche Boxster type 987.1, the ROG exhaust costs €2,490 in stainless steel and €2,990 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 Porsche Boxster type 987.1?
It is not compulsory. The cat-back alone is enough to change the character of the Porsche Boxster type 987.1. 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.
Will the Porsche Boxster type 987.1 pass the French MOT with a ROG exhaust?
The cat-back only and the 200-cell converter both retain emissions control: present the Porsche Boxster type 987.1 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 to the Porsche Boxster type 987.1?
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 Porsche Boxster type 987.1.
What does a ROG exhaust cost for the Porsche Boxster type 987.1, and how long does it take?
From €2,490 to €4,310 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 Porsche Boxster type 987.1. 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
- All Porsche exhaust systems
- Porsche 718 Boxster / Cayman 2.0 turbo type 982
- Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 2.5 turbo type 982
- Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 4.0 type 982
- Exhaust diameter: bigger does not mean more powerful
- Passing the French MOT with a sports exhaust
- Stainless steel or titanium: what really changes
- The 22 brands we cover
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