Reviving an Old Topic: Sport Exhaust

Just got off the Fabspeed website <a href="http://www.fabspeed.com/996.html" target="_blank">http://www.fabspeed.com/996.html</a> . Great sound clips. Have been on and off whether to purchase the sport exhausts or not. Got scared when I read posts that there is a gain of top end power at the cost of low end power. One guy actually took his fabspeeds off and now has them for sale for that reason. Can't quite makeout whether the car on the dyno in the above website had ONLY the Fabspeed muffler change, or whether it had other tuneups as well (chips, filters, whatnot) to achieve those posted results. My question: Is the change in sound, given the improved sound of the 2002 996's, significant enough, and the loss of low end power insignificant enough to justify the change? If I were to change, I'd probably go with the Porsche Sport exhaust, simply because it's still OEM.

hi palting keep it stock- sounds great as it is! <img src="graemlins/burnout.gif" border="0" alt="[burnout]" /> why take the risk? <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" />

Can't comment on power change from stock to Fabspeed, but the sounds on the clip are accurate. My 02Cab w/fabspeeds sound just like the clip, and I don't notice any change in power. Just a normal driver, tho

Palting, I've got about 1500 mi on my C4S and the exhaust note definitely has changed for the better. I'm pretty sure I'm going to leave the exhaust stock. Also, the C4S is my daily driver and at the end of the occasional 15 hour work day the last thing I want to hear is the German Army marching behind my head on the commute home. Non-sequitir : The car and I got a backhand compliment from my wife while driving home yesterday: "Is this a car or a rollercoaster? I need to take a Xanax when you drive."

I just put Gemballa exhuast on my car last week. I was nervous about how loud it was going to be. I had a 1998 with motorsound. I just wanted to have a sound like that. I didn't want a loud track car sound. The gemballa was louder at full throttle. The idle sounded very simliar to stock. I can't say I gained more power, but it accomplished my objective. I wanted an aggressive sound and I didn't want it to be a nuisance. Clubrcr 99 996 92 Carrera Cup Car

I got the sports exhaust on my 2002 C2 and love it. It's not all that loud, especially if the windows are up but it has a wonderful sound in the 3200 to 4000 rpm range. Personally I'd go for it as I felt it sounded much nicer than the standard system. Can't comment on power issues since I didn't spend that much time in a C2 with the standard exhaust. The one negative comment I will make is that in the morning when the car is cold (first couple of mins) the exhaust system is louder than normal but it doesn't last long at all. Thanks! Jim

The sport exhaust for the 02 models sounds great. Sounds much like the aircool 993 with the rsr mufflers. Plus you have to factor in ease of installation. Aftermarket may not be a direct bolt-on as they say. Regards. Mike

This is a great post as I am also wondering if I want to replace the stock exhaust and, if so, with what? I've been all over the web and opinions are extremely varied. I'm thinking of just waiting until I get mine and going to some PCCA events to see if there is something I like. I also visited the Fabspeed website. I brought my wife in to listen to the clips and was told I am "obsessing". Oh well!

<img src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" border="0" alt="[hiha]" /> Had the same response from my wife, Dave. Guess we all are, to a certain extent. Well, thanks for the input,y'all. I still like my stock exhaust. Enough so I can wait until I can hear a C4S with the sport exhaust myself, probably at a DE or something.

Don't forget that you will save some weight with aftermarket exhausts, and every little bit helps. Much easier and cheaper to save weight than to hadd HP! <img src="graemlins/burnout.gif" border="0" alt="[burnout]" />

Palting - In an earlier post I mentioned that my 02 C4S unexpectedly arrived with the factory sport exhaust option (i.e., I didn't order it that way). When I grimaced at the cost of the option, my salesman had one of the porters park an 02 C2 with the standard exhaust next to my car. We then alternated between the two cars - starting, revving and, ultimately, driving each of them in order to listen to each system as it worked through a typical rev range. There is a more powerful "rrruuppp" when the sport exhaust first fires up, but the real music starts around 3000 rpms and continues until about 4000 rpms or until you even out your acceleration. While my salesman went to great lengths to explain the componentry diffences and baffling technology, all I know is that the 02 sport exhaust note reminds me of the way my air cooled 93 C2 sounded with its Fabspeed exhaust. And that is a VERY good thing. As for the cost of the option, I was able to negotiate down from MSRP of $2,400 to $1,500, presumably because the car was not configured as I had ordered it. I think the upgrade is worth every penny, and I would have probably paid $2,400 had I been pressed.

A family member bought me an early birthday present and I have the GHL mufflers now.... He has the Corvette versions and is very satisfied with those as well. I am extremely impressed so far. Not too loud but a deeper note and no 3k resonance issues. I must admit to driving hard on my way to Dallas and I think there is a notable difference pulling hard in 4th (105-125) compared to stock. I don't feel any difference in torque and I am more concerned about top end anyway. If I wanted torque I would have bought a Viper.... JUST MY 2 CENTS...

My stock sport exhaust sounds very good to me above 3000. It came with the car that I bought from the showroom floor in Feb. Had it not been included I probably would have gotten a Fabspeed unit. My question now is how will it sound if I install Fabspeed headers and posssibly their airbox. Fabspeed headers will get my C4S about halfway to the new X51 option according to Fabpseed's estimate that they add about 12 rwhp and 12 ft. lbs. Do not yet nkow if they void the warranty and will not install them if they do.

If I was you and I was looking for RWHP... I would look into the various chips for tuning. You need to have a good source for 93 0r 94 octane with some of these chips so keep that in mind.The cost of headers and sport cats will be more than double the chip and won't make as much difference as your being told.... There is a powerkit from Porsche that is sold through some people here stateside. It's Porsche's effort to get more power and it's pretty extensive and they only get 20hp. How in the world is a header going to get 12? You will learn that there are alot of smoke in mirrors in the stuff so be careful. BTW... I believe the powerkit is 10k... thats half a GT3 motor from the Racers Group (360hp) Just alot of random thoughts..

Where did you read and or hear that fabspeed gives up low end power ? I've never heard of this and have been following the exhaust threads for as long as I've had my car...3 1/2 years. Xxxxxx xxxxxx/996/fabspeed exhaust/fabspeed airbox

Perry, Any free-er flowing exhaust would reduce low-end torque on a normally-aspirated engine unless other mods are made. It has to do with reduced backpressure on the aftermarket exhausts. Most people don't feel this difference until they re-install the stock exhaust back.

I had the Porsche Sport Exhaust installed with some modifications. The wiring was installed as designed, however the control was unplugged and a switch and relay was wired in that allows me to control the exhaust. The switch is a PSM switch in the panel where the heated seat switches go. I turn on the ignition switch and if the orange light in the switch is illuminated I'm in the Sport Exhaust mode, hit the switch and I'm in the quiet mode. In the sport mode the car roars specially when driving aggressively past 90 mph. At 140 mph it really roars. I'm very happy with the sound improvement. I'm considering headers next. I plan to Dyno it soon in both modes.

My 2000 carrera sounds awesome. The person who owned the car before me had the stock exhaust cut open and may have had baffels removed, and reseamed the stock exhaust and added large tips. I believed the work was done at Ogner Porsche. Is anyone familiar with this procedure, that can comment further on this.

These people did this at one time. <a href="http://www.motomall.com/scargo/pages/scg2.html" target="_blank">S Car go</a>

A friend of mine has a standard GT3. He has his car dynoed with and without muffler. Top hp difference without muffler was 3 hp.

Found a great web site for Porsche OEM sound, right on the Porsche homepage. <a href="http://www.us.porsche.com/english/unlimited/soundgallery/sound/911.mp3" target="_blank">http://www.us.porsche.com/english/unlimited/soundgallery/sound/911.mp3</a> They also have the 993. Great sounding car.

I had Fabspeeds on my 99 996 and loved them. There's a tunnel not far from where I live and I would regularly go there just to hear the sound amplified. Driving along with the windows down was a joy compared to stock exhausts, esp under heavy acceleration through the 3's and 4's. (Haven't heard the latest Porsche sports exhaust though.) I took the Fabspeeds off when I sold the car, so if anyone's interested give me a call [phone removed]. Cheers, Paul