Is ther a major benefit in changing out to a FabSpeed or similar high flow exhaust on normally aspirated 996's?

Is it only 8-10 HP increase?

If this is a good idea, what system should I go with and where should I get it?

 

please check my thread " bypass" or you can search the exhaust title.

 

while i dont have personal experience w/ porsche exhausts, my experience w/ bimmers & benzes have taught me that most exhausts are for purely sound only. yes there is some weight savings and some claim 5-10HP gains but they never mention the midrange torque loss. goodluck

 

Nice car greyghost.

I have a 2001 996, and asked the very same question when I began to drive my car. It really did originally sound like a sewing machine...I hated that!

I went through approx 2 months of toiling over the exhaust data, performance #'s, etc. Fabspeed, PSE, Techart, Tubi, Gemballa, GHL, B&B, Ruf, Dansk and every other available exhaust in the book. I reviewed them all.

I finally decided on the GHL...for seeral reasons. Cat-back exhast prices ran anywhere from $1000 w/ tips to $4000+ !!! It was outrageous. The GHL met the follwing requirements for me.

1.) It sounded sweet - louder than stock, not racecar ploud, with the ability to keep it quiet when necesssary and no resonance in the car's cabin at any RPM range
2.) No 'ludicrous' performance claims (some were out of control)
3.) They guaranteed that it would not resonate (no one else would do this. Fabspeeds can be obnoxious)
4.)I acquired it at less than retail, and it was already at the low end of the price range above. (If you are interested, reply to this message...I CAN get you the same deal)
5.) Once I installed a cold air kit (EVO's) it "felt" worth the acquisition price (that matters) regardless of performance claims or not. My car seemed to really take to the added intake, making it all come together. It seemed "choked" with the exhaust alone (no intake). Sound, feel, etc.

I did not have the luxury of hearing the exhaust first. I rolled the dice...and won! I really love it on my car...compared to others with some of the other exhausts, I REALLY love it....enough to write this message to convey that to a fellow enthusiast.

I went with the 4" oval "slash cut" tips. Luv 'em b/c i have not seen another pair on any other porsche since I have installed them (1 year ago). Car also sounds the same with no noticible change with mileage (approx. 10k on it since install).

If you are interested...I also have a quick video/audio clip of mone that a buddy recorded as we were cruising side-by-side on the highway one day. Just let me know where to send it.

Again, if you like, I can have my buddy who is "in the business" get you the same sweetheart deal I did to help out with price (less than retail and no sales tax if you are not in Colorado)

Best,

Brad

 

Thanks for the input... that's really helpful. I want to do a bit more research as well but if I decide to go your route I really appreciate the hook-up. I will keep you posted.

 

Purely for sound improvement, 5-10 horsepower max, if any. Now if you do full equal length headers, racing cats and a chip there may be more power to be had..who knows. I've had Ruf and PSE, both very good and very expensive. Give a listen to Fabspeed and GHL, I have never heard anything bad about them and you can't beat the price. Check out the Rennlist.