GTSpure

It's amazing, everyone without exception is very happy with Shark Werks Sport Exhaust Cross-Pipe - and I understand it remains the best sound. good to hear.
At the same time, I am missing one thing in this whole equation and I would love an explanation.
In 997.1 Porsche engineers designed a Cross-Pipe with converters.
Over the years to improve sound and performance (I'm not talking about 'Fister'), the most popular improvement in 997.1 and the most noticeable was to change it to X-PIPE with 200CELL converters (or without converters but I do not recommend it).
Years passed, and here, in 997.2, Porsche's engineers changed the design (moved the converters to the headers area and instead of Cross-Pipe, they pre-designed X-PIPE (in central exhaust).
Now I ask - is it right to "go back" in 997.2 to Cross-Pipe?
(By the way, fabspeed is still producing for 997.2 X-PIPE and not Cross-Pipe but I read that the sound is very similar to PSE and the change in sound is not noticeable).
So what is the most engineeringly correct? Cross-Pipe or X-PIPE?
If Porsche chose to do X-PIPE after hours of planning and engineering, why do we go back in 997.2 to the Cross-Pipe configuration?
Thoughts

Bruce In Philly

If you are looking for "logic" or engineering rational for something like "cool sound", you are wasting your time. Trying to understand Porsche's engineering intent to then feed your decision making is well.... I will leave it there.

Aesthetics is in the mind of the beholder. Now makers do care about annoyances like noise (unpleasant.. but that is aesthetics again) and vibration (aesthetics?). No one will know their motivation. I can speculate forever. All I do know is that my 2009 997.2 did not sound like a sports car at all.... to me. Sharkwerks felt the same and when they looked at it... someone there had the brilliant idea of removing that center muffler.... and it went from there.

It is what it is. Who knows what Porsche was thinking? Maybe they were trying to sell more sport exhausts? Maybe they are trying to grab bigger market share and softening the sound is right along with softening the 911 cars in general as we all know they have been doing under our noses for over 25 years.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

GTSpure

I totally agree.
But what is better for engine performance and engine protection.
Well, in the central muffler (built in the X-PIPE shape), there is no mixing of the gases between the Right and Left sides.
At the same time, in the Cross-Pipe, the situation created by the mixing of the exhaust gases is reversed.
The exhaust gases of the right pass to the left, and vice versa.

Bruce In Philly

Sharkwerks claims 18hp gain and they have dyno run on their website. Hype? I dunno. Having installed that pipe myself... is sure appears that... well... there is NO engineering went into it other than regard to fit. It is a tube... a hole... and the dimensions are based on matching each end. The length is like... hmm... measure from out-hole to in-hole. The Fabspeed x-pipe with the port between them was purposefully designed... they have a video on it... they have a dyno in the shop.... is this really all important? Hell I don't know. Make your pick.... do you like shiny? 18 HP, true or not, + or - 10% .... whatever... I can not tell. I just can't. For me it was not about HP but simply getting more sound out of it. The Sharkwerks pipe does that and I am very happy with it ... but having said that... The exhaust system in general, even with the Sharkwerks pipe, could use some acoustic tuning to make it more sports-car like... I do not want louder, I want sports-car- ier. More throaty etc. But for that, either Porsche needed to do some more work, or the aftermarket should. But my lament, is that the aftermarket parts world likes louder in tandem with better.

Check out Fabspeed... they apparently actually did engineering. Better? More HP? More HP than Sharkwerks? Does it really matter? I dunno. https://www.fabspeed.com/porsche-997...ipe-2009-2011/

Peace
Bruce in Philly

Lemarp

Sharkwerks X-pipe, BMC drop in filters on my 997.2GTS4. No complaints here. It pops and bangs sometimes which I like rather than some cars where it sounds like it's programmed to pop 3x or so when you let off the gas.

Quiet enough on road trips and sounds beastly when you're on it.

Ironman88

That was my thought as well.

Until I fired up the car with the Tubi's / Sharkwerks on it.

There is more sound (which the 997.2 absolutely needed), but it's the character and quality of the sound that is most improved. Far better in my opinion than the Fister solution - and virtually no comparison with the stock sound.

ATX_Native

^ this.

I have an MK7 GTI as a daily and the new “crackle” tunes people are getting for them sound horrible IMO.

The cars sound broken, they run on way to long in most cases and they are obnoxious and loud.

I really don’t get why anyone over the age of 16 would want that.

The burbles on the Fister/Sharkwerks combo are perfect imo.

Floyd540

Lets stir up the pot a bit and add some energy to a subject that has no answer anyway.
A couple of facts first. All car companies are under the gun for noise pollution just like air pollution was the big project some years ago. Some countries have very strict standards and then some cities have even harder restrictions. Just like air pollution standards, they will get worse over time. What is law in Switzerland today will get picked up by bureaucrats in other countries very quickly. Quiet cars are the law. Also Porsche has always had a hard time with noise standards because all the sound an engine makes is concentrated in a small area, the rear of the car. Other cars have engine noise in the front and exhaust noise in the rear. Most sound reading are made by microphones as the vehicle passes. It is not SPL total emitted that trips the trigger,
In order to sell cars legally they now have to be quiet. Period. So there.
Now for the hot sauce; What does a "proper "sports car sound like? For this forum the 911 should at least me mentioned. The "real 911" sound comes from the air cool variety we love and most of us has owned. For that car the exhaust was fairly quiet and the mechanical noises (music) from the air cool engine made most of the notes. We cannot do that with water cool systems. We can increase the volume of the exhaust so we pick up the "flat six" voice, but that is about all.
So what is a sports car sound? XK 120?; Healy 3000?; 4 cylinder Triump? ' flat 12 anything?; roller crank 4 cam carrera?; Lotus; Alpha / etc.
Just remember that no arch top Gibson is going to sound like a Martin D 28. Is just is not. Both great but different. Enjoy. Open for comments

Unframed

Burble tunes sound synthetic. That includes factory sport modes with artificial burbles.

akissing997718

I feel like most of what you are going to hear from inside the car is intake noise, which is why the comment above from the neighbor probably holds more weight than a lot of the other input. We had a slightly warmer day here in Indy last week and I decided to take a short drive. Started car (997.2 CS, no PSE, Sharkwerks bypass), and got out the car to run back inside and let warm up since hadn't been started in awhile. As soon as I got out of the car I actually said out loud 'man I forgot how this thing sort of growls and purrs.' The SW bypass, in my opinion, is enough for me and I would not want anything louder. I noticed more change in noise within the cabin when I installed IPD plenum. Exhaust noise is sort of like exterior color - it's for the people outside the car. Intake noise is equivalent to car interior to me - that's what I spend the most time with. It should also be noted that I did neither mod for power increases as I don't put much faith in the reported dyno results. Cheers!
-Alex

f16chuck

I am "new" here after letting my membership lapse years ago after the constant flame wars in those days. Still skimmed the Board.

Saw this X-pipe post and read with interest. Just re-upped. So I have a 2011 C4S with exactly the same sound complaints as the OP. After listening to all the YouTube videos, reading the ads and posts, etc., went with Sharkwerks. Completely happy--As said, great old school sound at start up, relatively quiet at low revs around town, no drone on the freeway yet when you downshift and get into the higher rev ranges very satisfying aural response. Downshift 3 gears and bring on LeMans!

Personally, I have become less tolerant of ridiculous "open pipe" machines, primarily these 60+ year old Harley "outlaws" going from stoplight to stoplight. Same with the Ferrari /Lambo 6000 rpm stoplight racers. Probably age-related, but even when I had Harleys (3) I never went super loud. The Sharkwerks center muffler delete sound is a great middle ground, and fits what I think the 911 represents--competent, classy but just mechanically raw enough. Pretty much the perfect balance I think.

I had mine done at a local muffler shop rather than the dealership because of cost of install and my concern that someone there may claim my CPO warranty "was now void." They had to replace certain of the factory bolts with stainless steel bolts which obviously was fine with me. There is a small noticeable gain in HP, fine gain in sound, and small reduction in weight (The only problem I had with the muffler shop was that they put the old center muffler in the back seat on one of those paper footwell pieces of paper, getting some grease on stuff--I don't think they worked on Porsches a lot...). Easily cleaned and short drive to the dumpster to toss the center muffler.

So two thumbs up!

-Charlie

cgfen

Center muffler delete (sharkwerks) was not enough for my wife, did gundo hack also

carbonduc27

Throwing in my 2 cents I think volume is very much a personal preference. I have always driven modified cars and I know I tend to enjoy the rowdy noise over a clean,civilized tone. I love my 2011 C2S but definitely wanted more noise. I first added a fabspeed x-pipe and it was not nearly loud enough. Full throttle was louder but cruising in D around town I could not tell much difference (good for some, bad for me).

I did drive with no mufflers and also just cats (no pipes) to see what a "straight pipe" would sound like. Yuck! RASP big time

Ended up adding the Top Gear valved mufflers and am very happy with the results. I usually keep the valves open and it is totally acceptable but my wife prefers the valves closed. It is loud outside the car on a cold start with valves open but I kinda like it.


Side note: 911s seem quieter inside with all the action going on behind you. For my tolerance, I think I could also go with 200 cell cats and still be ok but I think I will just enjoy as is (climbing back in my big turbo, catless GTI is WWAAAAY louder )

Risk3233

I guess I've matured. I used to like a loud exhaust note, but prefer more subdued with my GTS. The PSE open just wasn't enough for me. I added the SW bypass and it met my needs. I prefer to keep the PSE closed now as the sound with the bypass is enough. When I'm in the mountains, I open up the PSE and let her rip. The butt dyno says that some power was freed-up, but not really that much. I did notice that after parking the car in my enclosed garage after a drive, the ambient heat emanating from the back of the car seems less to me than with the old center muffler. Maybe it's just in my mind, but it doesn't seem as hot.

I'm very satisfied with the SW and PSE setup and don't really need more. BTW my car has BMC filters, but that added no additional noise to the car.

ftc3

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread. I just ordered one today. I’m looking forward to trying it out. I feel like I have a good idea where I’m going next if the SW isn’t enough.