Porsche Cayman GT4 type 981: the purist's choice, the exhaust system guide

The naturally aspirated 3.8 flat-six: the heart of the Cayman GT4 type 981

The Cayman GT4 type 981 gets a 3.8-liter naturally aspirated flat-six, mid-mounted just behind the seats. It produces 385 hp and 420 Nm. Without forced induction, it responds instantly to the throttle and gathers revs with a linearity that makes the driving so rewarding, especially paired with a manual transmission and such a precise chassis.

On a naturally aspirated engine like this one, the exhaust shapes a large share of the sensations: it accompanies every climb through the revs and every downshift. The GT4's factory exhaust filters a great deal and adds weight at the rear. The lighter Rog valved exhaust gives you back the voice of the flat-six when you want it, and quieter running with the valves closed, without touching the engine or the ECU.

What makes up the exhaust on your Porsche Cayman GT4 type 981

An exhaust system is best understood in two parts. Here is what each one does, and what Rog replaces.

The figures for your Porsche Cayman GT4 type 981

What an exhaust changes straight away is the sound, the engine's breathing and the weight at the rear. For more power, add an ECU remap.

Published factory and Stage 2 figures.

With or without an ECU remap, the exhaust fits and works. But it is an ECU remap at an approved tuning center that truly unleashes your Porsche Cayman GT4 type 981, and that is what we recommend.

Being naturally aspirated, the GT4's 3.8-liter does not have the headroom of a turbo engine: a Stage 2 remap adjusts ignition and injection for more modest gains. The Rog exhaust is its natural complement, showcasing what the flat-six has to say at high revs.

Configuring your exhaust, step by step

3 choices, in the same order as the product page configurator.

1. 1

   Step 1 of 3: Material: stainless steel or titanium

   Titanium costs more than stainless steel; the price of each version is shown on the product page, in your currency.

   304 stainless steel

   Weight

   Baseline

   Sound

   Full and rounded

   Durable, corrosion-resistant, with a rounded, full sound: the most popular option.

   Titanium

   Weight

   Around 40% lighter

   Sound

   Metallic, crystal-clear

   For the same design, it weighs around 40% less than stainless steel. A more metallic note at high revs and a look all of its own, from brushed to blued.

   Both materials age well: 304 stainless steel copes with winter and salt, and titanium does not rust. Stainless steel or titanium: what really changes.

2. 2

   Step 2 of 3: Front section: manifolds and catalytic converter

   Optional: the manifolds on your Porsche Cayman GT4 type 981, with the catalytic converter. Sound rating out of 10, valves open: the factory exhaust sits at 3.

   Cat-back only

   Included

   7/10

   Factory emissions control

   Nothing changes at the front: the cat-back alone is already enough to change the car.

   200-cell sports catalytic converter

   8/10

   Road use and inspection

   The everyday compromise: emissions control is still there, and breathing improves noticeably.

   100-cell sports catalytic converter

   9/10

   Inspection: depends on local rules

   One step further: more flow, a more aggressive sound, reduced emissions control.

   Decat

   10/10

   Track use

   Everything unleashed: maximum flow and unrestrained sound, for the track.

   Sound intensity, on a scale of 0 to 10

   1. 10/10Decat manifolds + Rog cat-back
   2. 9/10100-cell sports catalytic converter + Rog cat-back
   3. 8/10200-cell sports catalytic converter + Rog cat-back
   4. 7/10Rog cat-back only, factory catalytic converter retained
   5. 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 cat, it can come on with some engines: the sensor placed after the catalytic converter measures a different level of emissions control from the original. It is not a mechanical failure, but a warning light should never be masked or cleared without dealing with its cause: the right answer is a catalytic converter suited to the engine, with a map by a tuner who takes it into account. The decat version, for track use only, almost always triggers it. If this happens to you, write to us and we will point you in the right direction. Passing vehicle inspection with a sports exhaust.

3. 3

   Step 3 of 3: Valves: Rog remote or factory control

   Two ways to control the valves on your Porsche Cayman GT4 type 981.

   Rog remote

   

   The simplest solution: a control unit in the trunk and a remote, open or closed at the press of a button, whatever mode you are in. A question while fitting? We will get back to you.

   Factory control

   • Only for vehicles fitted with factory valves
   • Controlled by the drive modes

   Does your vehicle have factory valves? The exhaust keeps their existing control: the drive modes operate the valves, as before, with no added electronics.

   On a long journey, what matters is the absence of drone at a steady speed. With the valves closed, the exhaust keeps the cabin calm; the show is still there whenever you ask for it. More about exhaust drone.

The Rog sound signature on the Cayman GT4's flat-six

The GT4's naturally aspirated flat-six has a racing voice: gruff and metallic in the mid-range, then increasingly piercing towards the rev limiter. Sitting just behind you, it ought to fill the cabin; yet the factory exhaust holds a good part of it back, especially outside the car.

With the valves open, the Rog exhaust lets the flat-six howl freely at high revs, with more vocal downshifts punctuating every braking zone. With the valves closed, the GT4 is more discreet, for driving to the circuit or passing through a village without turning every head.

From order to fitting

1. Configuration

   You choose the options for your Porsche Cayman GT4 type 981 and enter its VIN, found in box E of the registration document or at the base of the windshield.

2. Check

   We confirm compatibility with your car before we build it.

3. Manufacturing

   Made to order, for your Porsche Cayman GT4 type 981.

4. Delivery

   Free, insured delivery, with tracking sent on dispatch.

5. Fitting

   Clamps and gaskets, no welding: two hours on average at the garage of your choice.

20 working days from order confirmation to delivery

Warranty

3 years, parts and workmanship, from the date of purchase

Payment

Card, PayPal or bank transfer

Installation

At the garage of your choice

What about the manufacturer's warranty? In Europe, fitting a part from another brand is not enough on its own to void it; the manufacturer has to prove the link between that part and the fault. Our article on the manufacturer's warranty.

Our recommendations for your Porsche Cayman GT4 type 981

• Daily driving

  • Stainless
  • Cat-back only
  • Rog remote

  Your Porsche Cayman GT4 type 981 stays easy to live with, the factory emissions control is retained, and you open the valves whenever you choose.

  View this configuration

• Fast road

  • Titanium
  • 200-cell manifolds
  • ECU remap

  For great roads: more voice and more response, while staying road-friendly.

  View this configuration

• Track

  • Titanium
  • Decat manifolds
  • Stage 2

  The most extreme configuration, for track use only.

  View this configuration

These profiles are starting points. The right choice is often made in a few messages.

Porsche Cayman GT4 type 981: your questions

Further reading

• All Porsche exhaust systems
• Porsche Boxster / Cayman 2.7 type 981
• Porsche 718 Boxster / Cayman 2.0 turbo type 982
• Porsche 718 Boxster / Cayman GTS 2.5 turbo type 982
• Weight saving: the hidden advantage of a performance exhaust
• How to pass vehicle inspection with a modified exhaust
• Stainless steel or titanium: what really changes
• The 28 brands we cover