Fabspeed MaxFlows - An impression

Got the Fabspeeds put on Friday afternoon, and drove the car quite a bit over the weekend. Sport exhaust is always a big topic on the board, so I thought I'd pipe in with some thoughts. I upgraded from a stock 996 C4S, which felt waaaay too tame, considering what a mean looking ride it is. Chris was such a proponent of the Fabs on the C4S, I took a shot. They may a huge difference, but not as extreme as I thought. There's a much meaner bark when you start the car, and it sounds loud and mean when you rev it. In the car, with the windows down and the sunroof open, you feel like you're driving a GT3 or something - it's got a super racy sound, much much louder than stock. With the windows up, it's definately still there in the back, you can here the sound every time you give it gas. On the freeway, it sounds stock until you give it gas - no resonance, no problems at all. All in all, a good mod - about $1200 installed, and it gives the car, both inside and outside, more of an "aural presence" - and it makes driving around town more involving. Plus, they're very high quality - solild and very well built, so I think they'll wear welll. And you can see the chrome cans behind the exhaust tips - very cool.

I like the Fabs also but unfortunately unless you clean them a lot, the cool looking chrome cans will turn a light brown color in no time. Enjoy!

Thanks for the review! I've been contemplating going with Fabspeed since the day I bought the car. It's nice to hear a fellow C4S owner speak highly of them.

I am wondering if the maxflo from fabspeed will be loud enough for me..

Try 'em - they're pretty loud. If you need more after that, add the bypass pipes. That's the whole point - for $1000, it's a fantastic mod - and you can always make it more extreme if need be. It sounds so good when you start the car...

You'll like 'em don't worry. Bypass pipes are too loud for street use imo.

did you feel the claimed ten horsepower?

Yep I bought the bypass pipes and had em on the car for, oh, i'd say ten miles before they came off. My neighbours were relieved...

Hahaha - Oh yeah, sure. But the car DOES sound like a Le Mans car - the sound is really growing on me - it keeps getting better the more I drive it.

recently purchased a '99 996 C2 and have been thinking of adding the fabspeed exhaust. have listened to the available clips online but would like to hear the exhaust in person. anyone on long island with a fabspeed exhaust willing to have me come over for a listen? if so, please email me at: [email removed] thhhhxxx!!!!!!

have them on my GT3 great sound. I have the by pass pipes and they are way loud. I use them on the track sometimes just for fun. I have never felt any performance improvements.

Vrusso, you can give mine a listen, pm me.

thx c4s surgeon - you have a pm.

I agree with nutbeem 100%. They behave exactly as he described. Didnt tell the wife I had fitted them and she did not pick up on the change (I drove it very carefully). But when you let it rip the sound just keeps getting better. The car now sounds like it looks (mean and masculine). No Porsche should be without a fabspeed. I got mine from someone who removed it after two weeks 'cos he thought it was too loud. I put it on based on the fabspeed soundclip and its the best thing I have ever done. The guys at the Porsche dealer who fitted it for me could not understand how anyone could not like it or find it too loud. They are right. Just do it!

I did the whole Fabspeed kit - Headers, Max Flow - Love It - the Sound is simply too dam much ! Daily I smile. Enjoy amigo -

The fabspeeds certainly sound good, but I think as far as sports car exhausts go they are pretty quiet. My C4S with fabs sounds stock to compared to my neighbors NSX with exhaust, or my old M Coupe. You think adding fabspeed sport cats will help make it louder? Muffler bypass are definitely too loud, but I wouldnt mind adding a little more growl.

headers definately will pump up the volume, but will change the tone considerably.

that is sooo odd because i couldn't tell if there is a tonal and volume difference. when i did the mod i didn't have the supercharger. now throwing a SC on does make a big difference.

I didn't notice any significant sound difference with headers, pulled better.

PSE=Purrrrfect!

I wish my Fabspeeds were a bit louder as well. I may just end up with the bypass pipes even though everyone seems to think they are disturbingly loud. I drove a car with the bypass pipes and it was a great experience. I am not sure if living with them everyday would change my mind. Also, I would think that the cabs are louder in the cockpit than the coupes. I have a coupe, does anyone out there have bypass pipes with the coupe and how do you like them?

So what's the deal: do they resonate or don't they? I've read other people's comments saying they could hear the Fabs resonate in the cabin. Blasting around town or on canyon runs with the windows down would be great, but sometimes I want peace on quite with the windows up on the highway, and that is where I worry about a resonating exhaust. I want a mean sounding exhaust and would like to lose some weight off the back-end, so PSE is out. Not that PSE sounds bad or anything, I just want a lighter exhaust.

No resonance - at speed on the freeway, they sound stock until you stand on it...

so an exhaust makes a difference on the 3.6L cars as well? I thought the 3.6L cars were louder than the 3.4L to begin with?

They are, but they're still too tame for my taste. Pump up the volume!

Sounds like you might want to give GHL a call. They are not as loud as Fabspeeds, but there is no resonance.

agree, ghl

I completely agree. There is no hint of resonance. Its the least resonating exhaust Ive heard on ANY car.

resonance is soooo subjective. some think there is no resonance otheres, like me, think there is resonance. when you are lugging it in a higher gear there is slight to moderate resonance in the cabin. when the engine is on song, it goes away. going from PSE to fabspeed i DEFINITELY noticed the resonance but i have gotten used to it. i still say PSE is THE sound for a porsche. raspy and mean sounding but too bad it's heavy.

Is there any exhaust that is between a fab maxflo & fab exhaust bypass in terms of sound? Maxflo might be kinda tame, but the bypass may be too loud... I have never heard either in person tho...

although not exactly between the maxflows and bypass in loudness, PSE is close. it is louder then the maxflows.

This is exactly why I did the $30.00 muffler bypass. To see if the Fabspeed muffler bypass would be too loud for me. From my co-workers today, the overwhelming opinion of the bypass pipes is....... Sounds like a dump truck. That is untill you really get on it. I'm glad I ordered the Fab maxflows. For me, there is just to much resonance or droning at highway speeds without mufflers.