Guides Porsche Boxster / Cayman 981
Porsche Boxster / Cayman 981: the flat-six signature, the complete exhaust system guide
Many consider the 981 the purest mid-engined chassis of the modern era, with the last entry-level naturally aspirated flat-sixes. The market has noticed. The mid-mounted engine sings right behind you: our exhaust turns up the volume on that privilege. Here, point by point, is how to choose the exhaust for your Porsche Boxster / Cayman type 981, and what each option really changes.
Your valved exhaust for Porsche Boxster / Cayman 981 is configured from your VIN, and the Porsche Boxster / Cayman 981 Valved Exhaust page brings together every system we make for this generation.
Valved Exhaust System for Porsche Boxster / Cayman 981 2.7 (2012-2015)From 2 490 € · free delivery · 20 working days
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Your Rog exhaust for Porsche Boxster / Cayman type 981
Price shown on the product page, in your currency
Configure my exhaustThe short answer.
- Vehicles
- Porsche Boxster / Cayman 2.7 type 981 (2012-2015)
- Engine
- 265 to 275 hp · 280 to 290 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 Cayman GT4 3.8 type 981, 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.
The Porsche flat-6: the Zuffenhausen signature, silenced by regulations
The flat-six in your Boxster / Cayman 981 carries the most recognisable sound in motoring: that metallic, rasping timbre unique to the flat layout. The rear or mid-mounted engine makes the exhaust short and direct: every modification can be heard immediately. Unfortunately, recent regulations have imposed filters and silencers that erase part of that signature.
The Rog exhaust restores it: the flat-6 regains its raspy timbre and presence, from idle to high revs, and the valves let you choose between factory discretion and full expression.
What makes up the exhaust on your Porsche Boxster / Cayman type 981
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 / Cayman type 981, 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 Porsche Boxster / Cayman type 981, 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. Changing this part remains a choice: it pays off mainly with an ECU remap, which turns the freed-up flow into power.
Your Porsche Boxster / Cayman type 981 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. Factory figures vary by version; Stage 2 figures published for the 275 hp version.
With or without an ECU remap, the exhaust fits and works. But it is an ECU remap at an approved tuning centre that truly unlocks your Porsche Boxster / Cayman type 981, and that is what we recommend.
To be completely transparent: the exhaust alone brings a moderate gain by reducing back pressure. On this naturally aspirated flat-six, most of the gain lies in response and sound, and that is already huge.
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
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.
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Step 2 of 4: Front section: manifolds and catalytic converter
Optional: the manifolds on your Porsche Boxster / Cayman type 981, with their 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
8/10Road use and inspection
The everyday compromise: emissions control is still there, and breathing improves noticeably.
100-cell sports catalytic converter
9/10Inspection: depends on local rules
One step further: more flow, a more aggressive sound, reduced emissions control.
Decat
10/10Track use
Everything unleashed: maximum flow and unrestrained sound, for the track.
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 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.
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Step 3 of 4: Valves: Rog remote or factory control
Two ways to control the valves on your Porsche Boxster / Cayman type 981.
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 Porsche Boxster / Cayman type 981, understated or bold. A particular finish in mind? Send us a photo and we will look at it together.
- Chrome
- Gloss black
- Blued titanium
Your choices carry over to the product page: only the finishes, your VIN and the cart remain.
The Rog sound signature on the flat-6
Our exhaust restores the Porsche signature in full: the metallic, raspy timbre of the flat-6, presence from idle, harmonics that rise with the revs, and crisp crackles on the overrun with the valves open. With the valves closed, the factory discretion is fully intact.
From order to fitting
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Configuration
You choose the options for your Porsche Boxster / Cayman type 981 and enter its VIN, found in box E of the registration document or at the base of the windscreen.
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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 Porsche Boxster / Cayman type 981.
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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 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 Boxster / Cayman type 981
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Daily driving
- Stainless
- Cat-back only
- Rog remote
Your Porsche Boxster / Cayman type 981 stays easy to live with, the factory emissions control is retained, and you open the valves whenever you decide.
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 Boxster / Cayman type 981: your questions
How much power does an exhaust add on the Porsche Boxster / Cayman type 981?
As standard, the Porsche Boxster / Cayman type 981 produces 265 to 275 hp and 280 to 290 Nm, depending on the version. Without a remap, the exhaust transforms the voice and lightens the rear; it is the ECU remap that increases power. With a Stage 2 build, the published figures for the 275 hp version reach 294 hp and 326 Nm.
Stainless steel or titanium: which material for the Porsche Boxster / Cayman type 981?
The Rog exhaust comes in stainless steel and titanium, at the price shown on the product page in your currency. 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 Porsche Boxster / Cayman type 981?
No, the cat-back alone already does most of the work on the Porsche Boxster / Cayman type 981. The manifold option is for those tuning the engine: 200 cells to stay road-friendly, 100 cells or decat for the track.
Will a Rog exhaust pass vehicle inspection on the Porsche Boxster / Cayman type 981?
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 brings more sound and flow, and whether it is accepted at the emissions test depends on the car and local rules; the decat version is intended for track use on the Porsche Boxster / Cayman type 981.
How is the Rog exhaust fitted on the Porsche Boxster / Cayman type 981?
Fitting needs no welding or cutting and takes two hours on average on a lift. We check compatibility with the VIN of your Porsche Boxster / Cayman type 981 before manufacturing.
What price and lead time for a Rog exhaust on the Porsche Boxster / Cayman type 981?
The price depends on the configuration and is shown on the product page, in your currency. Allow 20 working days from order confirmation to delivery. Free delivery, 3-year warranty.
Valved Exhaust System for Porsche Boxster / Cayman 981 2.7 (2012-2015)
From 2 490 € · 3-year warranty
Configure my exhaustUnsure about your configuration? Write to us.
Stainless steel or titanium, cat-back only or the complete system: the right choice depends on how you drive and on your Porsche Boxster / Cayman type 981. We take the time to talk it through before you order, with a reply within 24 hours. We are not here to push a sale: we help you choose, even if that means a cheaper option because it suits the way you drive. Write to us: we reply in writing, in English.
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 Porsche exhaust systems
- Porsche Cayman GT4 3.8 type 981
- Porsche 718 Boxster / Cayman 2.0 turbo type 982
- Porsche 718 Boxster 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
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