Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290: the straight-six uncovered, the exhaust system guide
The Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 takes the form of a low, stretched four-door coupé, powered by a 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six producing 367 hp. A layout renowned for its balance and its sound, yet the factory exhaust smooths it out until it becomes anonymous. This guide points you towards the ROG exhaust that brings this straight-six back to life, without giving up the comfort of a grand tourer.
Written by ROG Motorsport · Updated
Your ROG exhaust for the Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 inline-six turbo
From €3,390 in stainless steel, €4,140 in titanium
Configure my exhaust- Vehicles
- Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 3.0 inline-six turbo (2019-2023)
- Engine
- 367 hp · 500 Nm
- Exhaust
- Valved cat-back, built for your VIN
- Material
- 304 stainless steel or titanium
- Front section
- Optional: catted downpipe 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: Mercedes-AMG GT63 / GT63 S X290 4.0 V8 biturbo, Mercedes-Benz CLS450 C257 3.0 inline-six turbo 4MATIC, Mercedes-AMG CLS53 C257 3.0 inline-six M256 4MATIC+, Mercedes-AMG E53 W213 3.0 inline-six turbo.
The 3.0 turbo straight-six: balance at the heart of the GT43
The GT43 X290 is built around a layout enthusiasts love: the straight-six. With 3.0 litres and turbocharging, it produces 367 hp and 500 Nm, with torque available very early. Its layout gives it a natural balance that translates into very smooth running, and the 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive puts its power down efficiently.
A straight-six naturally has a fine voice, but the factory exhaust on the GT43 is designed so that you do not hear it: it smooths everything out. The valved ROG exhaust lets through the characteristic tone of this layout, smooth and silky, which hardens under acceleration. Then, depending on the road, you choose to let it sing or to return to factory serenity.
How the exhaust on your Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 inline-six turbo 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 Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 inline-six turbo, from the outlet of the front section to the tips: pipes, silencer, valves. Routing, silencer, valves: this is where the sound is shaped, and where we focus our research and development.
The front section, where the catalytic converter sits
On your Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 inline-six turbo, this is the downpipe, the pipe that leads away from the turbo. It contains the factory catalytic converter: the second restriction in the exhaust, after the silencer. Changing this part remains a choice: it pays off mainly with an ECU remap, which turns the freed-up flow into power.
Your Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 inline-six turbo in figures
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.
Power
Torque
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 centre that truly unleashes your Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 inline-six turbo, and that is what we recommend.
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 Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 inline-six turbo, the exhaust costs €3,390 in stainless steel and €4,140 in titanium.
304 stainless steel
3 390 €
- Weight
- Baseline
- Sound
- Full and rounded
Durable, corrosion-resistant, with a rounded, full sound: the most popular option.
Titanium
4 140 €
- 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.
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Step 2 of 4: Front section: downpipe and catalytic converter
Optional: the downpipe on your Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 inline-six turbo, with its catalytic converter. Sound rating out of 10, valves open: the factory exhaust sits at 3.
Cat-back only
Included
7/10Factory emissions control
Nothing changes at the front: the cat-back alone is already enough to change the car.
200-cell sports catalytic converter
+800 €
8/10Road use and French MOT
The everyday compromise: emissions control is still there, and breathing improves noticeably.
100-cell sports catalytic converter
+800 €
9/10French MOT pass not guaranteed
One step further: more flow, a more aggressive sound, reduced emissions control.
Decat
+500 €
10/10Track use only
Everything unleashed: maximum flow and unrestrained sound, for the track.
Sound intensity, on a scale of 0 to 10
- 10/10Decat downpipe + 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? It can appear with a sports catalytic converter: the downstream oxygen sensor reads a different level of cleaning from the factory unit. It is not an engine fault, and it is dealt with by an ECU remap or a diagnostic tool. With a decat, an ECU remap becomes necessary. 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 Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 inline-six turbo.
ROG remote
The simplest solution: a control unit in the boot 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.
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Step 4 of 4: Tips: the visual signature
Match the tips to the style of your Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 inline-six turbo, 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 GT43's straight-six
The straight-six produces a fluid note, free of unwanted vibration, which gains a rougher edge as soon as you call on the turbo. In the standard GT43, this progression is smoothed over: the car accelerates vigorously, but the soundtrack stays flat, out of step with its looks.
With the valves open, the ROG exhaust lets the straight-six sing from start to finish, from a muted idle to crisp climbs through the revs. With the valves closed, the GT43 regains the discretion of a luxury tourer, perfect for piling on the miles in peace.
From order to fitting
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Configuration
You choose the options for your Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 inline-six turbo and enter its VIN, found in box E of the registration certificate.
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Check
We confirm compatibility with your car before we build it.
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Manufacturing
Made to order, for your Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 inline-six turbo.
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Delivery
Free, insured delivery, with tracking sent on dispatch.
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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 delivery
- Payment
- In instalments with Klarna
- 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 Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 inline-six turbo
-
Daily driving
3 390 €
- Stainless
- Cat-back only
- ROG remote
Your Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 inline-six turbo stays easy to live with, the factory emissions control is retained, and you open the valves when you decide.
View this configuration -
Fast road
4 940 €
- Titanium
- 200-cell downpipe
- ECU remap
For great roads: more voice and more response, while staying road-friendly.
View this configuration -
Track
4 640 €
- Titanium
- Decat downpipe
- 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 five minutes on the phone.
Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 inline-six turbo: your questions
How much power does an exhaust add on the Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 inline-six turbo?
As standard, the Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 inline-six turbo produces 367 hp and 500 Nm. Without a remap, the exhaust transforms the voice and lightens the rear; it is the ECU remap that increases power.
Stainless steel or titanium: which material for the Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 inline-six turbo?
For the Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 inline-six turbo, the ROG exhaust costs €3,390 in stainless steel and €4,140 in titanium. Choose stainless steel for value for money and a rounded sound, titanium to save around 40% in weight and get a clearer tone.
Do you need to replace the catalytic converter on the Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 inline-six turbo?
No, the cat-back alone already does most of the work on the Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 inline-six turbo. The downpipe option is for those tuning the engine: 200 cells to stay road-friendly, 100 cells or decat for the track.
Does the Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 inline-six turbo pass the French MOT with a ROG exhaust?
The cat-back only and the 200-cell sports catalytic converter both keep emissions control: that is the configuration to present, with the valves closed. The 100-cell converter makes a pass uncertain, and the decat fails the emissions test on the Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 inline-six turbo.
How is the ROG exhaust fitted on the Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 inline-six turbo?
Fitting needs no welding or cutting and takes two hours on average on a lift. We check compatibility with the VIN of your Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 inline-six turbo before manufacturing.
What price and lead time for a ROG exhaust on the Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 inline-six turbo?
From €3,390 to €4,940 depending on the configuration. Allow 20 working days from order confirmation to delivery. Free delivery in Europe, 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 use your Mercedes-AMG GT43 X290 inline-six turbo. 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.
Behind every ROG exhaust is a French team you can actually reach, who know the cars they talk about. More than 500 exhaust systems fitted and a rating of 4.9 out of 5.
Further reading
- All Mercedes-AMG exhaust systems
- Mercedes-AMG GT63 / GT63 S X290 4.0 V8 biturbo
- Mercedes-Benz CLS450 C257 3.0 inline-six turbo 4MATIC
- Mercedes-AMG CLS53 C257 3.0 inline-six M256 4MATIC+
- Stage 2: the role of the downpipe
- Passing the French MOT with a sports exhaust
- Stainless steel or titanium: what really changes
- The 22 brands we cover
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