718 Cayman GT4 & GT4 RS Exhaust: Akrapovic Compared

A Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 exhaust upgrade is one of the few modifications that improves how the car sounds, how much it weighs, and how it looks — without touching the engine's factory calibration. The 2020–2024 GT4 and Spyder share a 4.0L naturally aspirated flat-six making 414 hp at 7,600 rpm, and the 2022+ GT4 RS pushes that same architecture to 493 hp at 8,400 rpm with a 9,000 rpm redline. Both engines are built to be heard, and Akrapovic's titanium slip-on systems are the most popular way owners let them breathe. At NLP Performance in Tampa, FL, these are among the most-requested Porsche exhausts we ship, so this comparison lays out exactly how the five Akrapovic options differ and which one belongs on your car.

Why the 718 GT4's flat-six deserves a titanium exhaust

The 718 Cayman GT4 runs a 4.0-liter naturally aspirated flat-six that revs to roughly 8,000 rpm and produces 414 hp (420 PS) and 309 lb-ft of torque. Unlike a turbocharged engine, an NA flat-six wears its exhaust note on its sleeve — there is no turbo to muffle the top end — so a lighter, freer-flowing exhaust has an outsized effect on character. The factory system is stainless steel and heavy; Akrapovic replaces the rear section with hand-welded titanium, which drops meaningful mass behind the rear axle where it matters most for a mid-engine car's balance.

The payoff is threefold: a deeper, more metallic tone that sharpens as the tach climbs, reduced weight in the tail of the car, and a set of exposed titanium tips that look the part. Because these are slip-on systems that connect to the OEM catalytic converters, they keep the car's emissions equipment intact and require no ECU tune to run correctly.

Akrapovic Slip-On Race Line vs Slip-On Line: what is the difference?

The core hardware is the same titanium slip-on muffler; the difference is how the tips are handled. The Slip-On Race Line for the standard GT4 and Spyder is sold as the muffler section on its own — the listing is flagged "Req Tips," meaning you add a separate Akrapovic Tail Pipe Set to finish it. The Slip-On Line (Option 2) is the complete package: the same titanium muffler with the tips already included, offered in either natural titanium or black-coated titanium. For the GT4 RS, the Slip-On Race Line ships as a complete system with its tips.

In plain terms: if you want one box that arrives ready to install, choose a Slip-On Line with tips (or the GT4 RS Race Line). If you already have Akrapovic tips or want to select the finish separately, the tips-required Race Line is the lower entry price at $7,848.58.

The five 718 GT4 exhaust options at a glance

GT4 RS Slip-On Race Line: the flagship pick

The 2022+ 718 Cayman GT4 RS is the most extreme naturally aspirated Cayman Porsche has built, and its exhaust needs match the engine. The GT4 RS uses a 4.0L flat-six derived from the 992-generation 911 GT3, spinning to a 9,000 rpm redline and making 493 hp (500 PS) at 8,400 rpm and 331 lb-ft at 6,250 rpm, good for a 0–60 mph time of roughly 3.2 seconds. On this car the Akrapovic Slip-On Race Line arrives as a complete titanium system with its tips, so there is nothing else to order.

GT4 & Spyder Slip-On Line: the complete titanium system

For the standard 718 Cayman GT4 and 718 Spyder, the Slip-On Line (Option 2) is the option most owners choose because it ships complete with tips at $9,159.22. It is the same titanium slip-on muffler as the Race Line, just packaged with the tail pipes so there is nothing else to buy. You pick the look: natural brushed titanium or black-coated titanium.

The tips-required Race Line: lowest entry price

If you want the lowest starting price on a genuine Akrapovic titanium system for the GT4 or Spyder, the Slip-On Race Line at $7,848.58 is the answer — but read the fine print. This listing is the muffler section only and is flagged "Req Tips," so you finish it with an Akrapovic Tail Pipe Set ($1,310.64). Bundled together that lands around $9,159, essentially matching the all-in-one Slip-On Line, which is why the complete kit is the simpler buy for most owners. The Race Line makes sense if you already own Akrapovic tips or want to mix finishes.

Titanium vs black-coated titanium tips

The choice between natural and black-coated titanium tips is purely aesthetic, and both cost the same $9,159.22 on the Slip-On Line. Natural titanium tips develop the signature blue-gold heat patina over time, a look many Porsche owners specifically want. Black-coated titanium tips stay dark and are the stealthier choice, pairing especially well with the GT4's optional black wheels and Guards Red or GT Silver paint. Function, weight, and sound are identical; only the finish changes.

Sound, weight, and power: what a titanium slip-on actually changes

A titanium slip-on's biggest, most repeatable gains are sound and weight, not headline horsepower. Because these systems retain the factory catalytic converters and connect downstream of them, they free up a small amount of backpressure for modest, Akrapovic-claimed power and torque gains — on a naturally aspirated flat-six, expect single-digit horsepower rather than a transformation. What changes dramatically is the acoustic experience: a harder, more resonant top-end wail that the GT4's 8,000 rpm and the GT4 RS's 9,000 rpm redlines fully exploit.

The weight reduction comes from replacing the heavy OEM stainless rear muffler with hand-welded titanium, trimming mass at the very back of a mid-engine chassis. For a car engineered around balance and rotational inertia, shedding weight behind the rear axle is more valuable than the number alone suggests. Every option in this guide keeps the OEM cats, so none of them require a tune or throw a check-engine light when installed correctly.

Installation and fitment notes

A 718 GT4 Akrapovic slip-on is a bolt-on rear-section swap that a competent shop typically completes in two to three hours. Because it is a slip-on, the OEM catalytic converters, headers, and mid-pipe stay in place; you are unbolting the factory rear muffler and installing the titanium unit in its place. Confirm your exact fitment before ordering: the GT4 RS system is specific to the 2022+ GT4 RS, while the standard Slip-On Line and Race Line cover the 2020+ 718 Cayman GT4 and 718 Spyder. If you buy the tips-required Race Line, order the matching Tail Pipe Set in your preferred finish at the same time. Our Tampa, FL team can verify part numbers against your VIN before your kit ships.