Porsche 996 Carrera 4S SOUL Valved Side Mufflers

Product Description

The SOUL Valved Side Mufflers are a premium dual-mode exhaust upgrade developed specifically for the 2002–2004 Porsche 996 Carrera 4S equipped with Porsche Sport Exhaust / PSE, preserving the factory exhaust-valve controls while dramatically expanding the range between quiet cruising and aggressive performance sound.

With the valves open, SOUL's freer-flowing exhaust path delivers a Cup car-inspired naturally aspirated flat-six sound with substantially greater volume, mechanical character, and high-RPM intensity. Close the valves and exhaust is redirected through SOUL's proprietary drone-fighting mufflers, significantly reducing cabin resonance and creating a refined sound appropriate for commuting, highway driving, and longer trips.

Because the system is fully compatible with the Carrera 4S's factory valve controls, there is no need to replace Porsche's original PSE operating strategy with a separate aftermarket controller.

The SOUL Valved Side Mufflers weigh approximately 35.4 lbs compared with 49.9 lbs for the factory PSE exhaust system, removing approximately 14.5 lbs / 6.5 kg from the rear of the car.

FITMENT:

• Fits 2002–2004 Porsche 996 911 Carrera 4S Coupe with factory PSE

• Fits 2004 Porsche 996 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet with factory PSE

• Designed specifically for the 996 Carrera 4S

• Designed for the naturally aspirated 3.6L flat-six

• Factory Porsche Sport Exhaust / PSE valve controls retained

• Compatible with the factory catalytic converters

• Compatible with SOUL Sport Catalytic Converters

• Compatible with SOUL Cat Bypass Pipes

• Compatible with applicable SOUL 996 catalyst and X-pipe components

• Does not fit standard narrow-body 996 Carrera / Carrera 4 / Targa rear-muffler applications

• Does not fit 996 Turbo, GT2, or GT3

DETAILS:

• Pair of Valved Side Mufflers

• True dual-mode exhaust operation

• Fully compatible with factory Porsche exhaust-valve controls

• Aggressive, freer-flowing exhaust character with valves open

• Cup car-inspired valves-open sound

• Proprietary SOUL drone-fighting mufflers with valves closed

• Refined cabin presence during cruising

• Designed to minimize undesirable cabin resonance

• Particularly effective even when paired with aftermarket catalyst upgrades

• Increased naturally aspirated flat-six volume and mechanical tone

• Transformational difference between open and closed modes

• Approximately 35.4 lbs / 16.1 kg

• Factory PSE exhaust system approximately 49.9 lbs / 22.6 kg

• Saves approximately 14.5 lbs / 6.5 kg

• Approximately 29% lighter than the corresponding factory PSE exhaust

• Mandrel-bent T304L stainless-steel construction

• .060-inch wall thickness

• Bespoke SOUL mufflers

• Laser-cut mounting brackets

• Nearly 15 fabrication man-hours per set

• Built and tested in thick-gauge aluminum fixtures

• Fixture-tested prior to shipment

• Quality checked and foam packed

• Available with Polished Chrome tips

• Available with Black Chrome tips

• Designed and built in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania

• Backed by SOUL Performance Products' Lifetime Warranty for street and track use

DESIGNED FOR FACTORY PSE CARRERA 4S

The 996 Carrera 4S was available with Porsche Sport Exhaust, giving the car two distinct exhaust behaviors through factory-controlled exhaust valves.

SOUL designed this system specifically to preserve that functionality while significantly improving both modes.

Rather than converting the car to a permanently loud exhaust, the Valved Side Mufflers retain the ability to switch between:

Refined / Valves Closed

and

Aggressive / Valves Open

using the Porsche factory valve-control system.

FULL FACTORY VALVE-CONTROL COMPATIBILITY

SOUL specifically states that the Valved Side Mufflers are:

Fully compatible with the factory valve controls.

That means the vehicle's existing PSE functionality remains integral to the system.

There is no need to add a separate aftermarket valve controller simply to operate the SOUL mufflers on an appropriately equipped Carrera 4S.

This is one of the primary differences between these mufflers and universal aftermarket valved systems.

VALVES OPEN

With the valves open, SOUL prioritizes a freer-flowing and much more aggressive exhaust character.

SOUL describes the result as:

Cup car-inspired sound.

Expect substantially greater:

• Flat-six engine character

• Acceleration volume

• Mechanical exhaust tone

• High-RPM intensity

• Throttle-related feedback

• Gear-change sound

• Deceleration presence

The naturally aspirated 3.6L flat-six becomes significantly more prominent than with the original PSE mufflers.

CUP CAR-INSPIRED CHARACTER

The valves-open mode is intended to give the Carrera 4S a much more motorsport-oriented character.

Rather than simply making the exhaust deeper, SOUL emphasizes the mechanical and higher-energy frequencies of the flat-six when the aggressive path is active.

The effect becomes particularly noticeable as engine speed increases.

This gives the car a much more dramatic personality during:

• Back-road driving

• High-RPM acceleration

• Track use

• Downshifts

• Full-throttle operation

VALVES CLOSED

Closing the valves places SOUL's proprietary drone-fighting mufflers back at the center of the exhaust path.

The objective is to create a dramatically calmer driving experience without eliminating the increased character of the upgraded system entirely.

With the valves closed, expect:

• Lower exterior volume

• Reduced cabin presence

• Reduced low-frequency resonance

• More comfortable highway cruising

• More restrained neighborhood operation

• Greater long-distance usability

PROPRIETARY DRONE-FIGHTING MUFFLERS

SOUL developed the quieter path around bespoke mufflers specifically intended to control undesirable cabin resonance.

This is particularly valuable on the 996 platform because aggressive catalyst and muffler modifications can easily introduce:

• Low-frequency drone

• Booming cabin resonance

• Harshness

• Excessive cruising volume

SOUL's goal was to retain a genuinely useful quiet mode rather than simply making one valve position slightly less loud.

TWO DISTINCT PERSONALITIES

The defining characteristic of this system is the difference between its two operating modes.

Valves Closed

• Refined

• Drone controlled

• Street friendly

• Comfortable for commuting

• Suitable for longer drives

Valves Open

• Aggressive

• Freer flowing

• Cup car inspired

• Much greater flat-six presence

• Dramatically increased high-RPM sound

SOUL describes the result as an OEM-plus system with transformational potential.

DESIGNED FOR DAILY USE

A 996 Carrera 4S is old enough today that many examples are enthusiast cars, but that does not necessarily mean owners want a permanently loud exhaust.

SOUL's dual-mode architecture allows the exhaust to remain suitable for:

• Daily driving

• Commuting

• Highway trips

• Residential areas

while still providing a much more aggressive experience when desired.

DEVELOPED TO WORK WITH AFTERMARKET CATALYSTS

SOUL specifically notes that the valves-open sound can be further amplified with aftermarket catalyst replacements.

More importantly, the valves-closed drone-fighting mufflers remain useful even when additional upstream exhaust modifications are installed.

This makes the system particularly well suited to a Carrera 4S that may eventually receive:

• SOUL Sport Catalytic Converters

• SOUL Cat Bypass Pipes

• SOUL X-Pipe components

• SOUL Competition Headers

WITH FACTORY CATALYTIC CONVERTERS

With Porsche's original catalytic converters retained, the Valved Side Mufflers provide the most conservative overall setup.

Expect:

Valves Closed

• Refined sound

• Controlled cruising volume

• Factory catalysts providing additional acoustic attenuation

Valves Open

• Strong increase in flat-six character

• More high-RPM sound

• Greater mechanical tone

• More aggressive throttle response acoustically

This is a strong configuration for a customer primarily interested in improving sound while leaving the upstream exhaust system original.

WITH SOUL SPORT CATALYTIC CONVERTERS

Pairing the Valved Side Mufflers with SOUL Sport Catalytic Converters provides a more comprehensive street-oriented exhaust system.

The Sport Cats add:

• Increased exhaust flow

• Deeper flat-six sound

• Greater overall volume

• Reduced catalyst restriction

while the Valved Side Mufflers retain the ability to significantly reduce cabin presence when desired.

This combination offers a much wider range of sound than using fixed Sport Side Mufflers with the same high-flow catalysts.

WITH SOUL CAT BYPASS PIPES

Pairing the Valved Side Mufflers with SOUL Cat Bypass Pipes creates a considerably more aggressive configuration.

Expect substantially more:

• Exhaust volume

• Raw flat-six sound

• High-RPM intensity

• Deceleration character

• Cabin presence

with the valves open.

The presence of SOUL's drone-fighting muffler path becomes particularly valuable in this configuration because closing the valves provides meaningful acoustic control over an otherwise highly aggressive catless exhaust.

WITH SOUL COMPETITION HEADERS

The Valved Side Mufflers can also be combined with the shared SOUL 996 Carrera Competition Headers.

Those headers improve exhaust flow immediately after the cylinder heads through:

• Equal-length runners

• True 3-into-1 merge collectors

• Improved flange-to-primary transitions

while the Valved Side Mufflers manage the sound farther downstream.

DEDICATED CARRERA 4S REAR EXHAUST

The Carrera 4S uses different rear packaging from the normal narrow-body Carrera.

SOUL therefore developed a dedicated C4S exhaust rather than adapting the standard Carrera mufflers.

This product should not be confused with the standard:

996 Carrera Sport Side Mufflers

which explicitly do not fit the C4S.

VALVED VS. SPORT SIDE MUFFLERS

SOUL offers two dedicated rear-muffler solutions for the Carrera 4S.

SOUL Sport Side Mufflers

• Start at $3,175

• Fixed / non-valved sound

• Proprietary drone-fighting mufflers

• Increased flat-six sound

• Refined OEM-plus character

• Simpler architecture

• Lower price

SOUL Valved Side Mufflers

• Start at $4,555

• Retain factory PSE valve control

• Two distinct sound modes

• Cup car-inspired valves-open character

• Drone-fighting valves-closed operation

• Approximately 14.5 lbs lighter than factory PSE

• Much wider range of sound

For a factory-PSE-equipped C4S, the Valved Side Mufflers are the more complete solution if preserving active exhaust control matters.

14.5-LB WEIGHT REDUCTION

SOUL publishes:

Factory PSE Exhaust System:
approximately 49.9 lbs / 22.6 kg

SOUL Valved Side Mufflers:
approximately 35.4 lbs / 16.1 kg

Weight Savings:
approximately 14.5 lbs / 6.5 kg

That represents approximately a:

29% reduction

in the mass of the exhaust components being replaced.

This is a much larger weight reduction than the standard Carrera Sport Side Muffler system.

REAR-MOUNTED WEIGHT SAVINGS

The 14.5-lb reduction is particularly useful on a rear-engined 911 because the factory mufflers are positioned toward the back of the car.

While 14.5 lbs alone will not fundamentally change vehicle balance, reducing unnecessary mass at the extreme rear is directionally beneficial for a performance-oriented build.

.060-INCH-WALL T304L STAINLESS STEEL

SOUL constructs the system from:

Mandrel-bent .060-inch-wall T304L stainless-steel tubing

The comparatively thin-wall construction helps balance:

• Durability

• Strength

• Corrosion resistance

• Reduced mass

• High-temperature performance

SOUL's current page does not publish an exact tubing diameter, so DasMotoring does not assign one.

BESPOKE SOUL MUFFLERS

The system uses mufflers developed specifically for the intended sound and resonance behavior of this application.

These are not simply generic universal mufflers welded into model-specific pipework.

The muffler architecture is central to producing the quieter valves-closed experience.

LASER-CUT BRACKETS

SOUL uses precision laser-cut brackets to locate the exhaust correctly within the Carrera 4S rear chassis.

Accurate mounting geometry helps maintain:

• Muffler position

• Exhaust-tip alignment

• Chassis clearance

• Valve-system alignment

• Consistent installation

NEARLY 15 MAN-HOURS PER SET

SOUL states that nearly:

15 man-hours

of fabrication labor are invested into each set of Valved Side Mufflers.

The labor-intensive construction reflects the added complexity of producing:

• Two exhaust flow behaviors

• Valved routing

• Bespoke mufflers

• Model-specific brackets

• Accurate tip alignment

within the restricted packaging available behind the 996 Carrera 4S.

THICK-GAUGE ALUMINUM FIXTURES

Each exhaust is built and tested in a thick-gauge aluminum fabrication fixture.

The fixture helps control heat-related distortion and maintains repeatable:

• Pipe geometry

• Muffler position

• Valve positioning

• Mounting-point alignment

• Exhaust-tip alignment

FIXTURE-TESTED FITMENT

Every system is checked in its production fixture before shipment.

SOUL performs a final quality-control inspection and then foam packs the mufflers to help protect the finished components in transit.

POLISHED CHROME TIPS

The Polished Chrome configuration provides a traditional bright-metal appearance appropriate to the period styling of the 996 Carrera 4S.

Price: $4,555.00

BLACK CHROME TIPS

The Black Chrome configuration provides a darker and more understated rear appearance.

Price: $4,795.00

The Black Chrome option carries a:

$240 premium

over Polished Chrome.

NO PUBLISHED HORSEPOWER CLAIM

SOUL does not publish a controlled stock-PSE-versus-Valved-Side-Muffler dyno comparison for this product.

The system's primary documented benefits are:

• Sound control

• Increased valves-open sound

• Reduced valves-closed resonance

• Factory PSE integration

• Substantial weight reduction

DasMotoring therefore does not advertise a numerical horsepower or torque increase from the mufflers alone.

NO ECU TUNE REQUIRED

No ECU calibration is required to install the Valved Side Mufflers.

On a properly equipped Carrera 4S, the system uses the existing factory valve-control functionality.

The mufflers do not themselves replace:

• Catalytic converters

• Oxygen sensors

• Headers

• ECU hardware

EMISSIONS SYSTEM REMAINS UPSTREAM

The Valved Side Mufflers are downstream exhaust components.

Installing the mufflers alone does not remove the vehicle's catalytic converters.

Emissions considerations will depend on whatever upstream catalyst configuration is installed on the vehicle.