Porsche Sports Exhaust PSE vs No Sports Exhaust 911 991.2 

I agree quad exhaust makes the car look better and wider

Can we please appreciate the way Nick compares the volume of the different cars. Well done! Love your videos! Greetings from The Netherlands.

Nick: you did a fantastic thing that nobody else ever does- manual gain. Really great job!

"Sweating like a rapist"? I've never heard that expression before? Is it a NZ thing?

Nick, I love your attention to detail. Somehow you pull it off without being pedantic and nauseating.

I think the PSE sounds better at standstill but the non PSE sounds better on the move. The quad pipes also look better on the car. Good review thanks

Anyone else who just love the chat bubbles from William haha ?

Nick Murray You can have the Backfire in Individual Mode if you configure it in the Menu in the Bord Computer to use "Sport" as Engine baseline. Greetings from Weissach!

PSE does not make a huge difference and the quad tips look much better. I'd much rather put that $3k towards an aftermarket exhaust system.

As someone shopping for a 991.2, and wondering about the sports exhaust, this was fantastic! Thanks very much for posting

Always great when Nick uploads!!

Absolutely agree. Whenever I'm on the Porsche configurator (because this is as close as I'll ever get to owning one) I keep the standard exhausts as it looks so much better and you're right, it does make it look wider. Maybe an aftermarket one would be the way to go.

Wow, the sound of the Non PSE sounds quite similar to my 997.2 Turbo, like an angry vacuum cleaner (got some clips on my channel). Hoping to fix that with this new exhaust I got coming in! The sound of the PSE on the 4S sounds pretty sweet as far as turbo Porsches go

For what it's worth here's my opinion as stranger on the internet: you made the right decision Nick, 4 pipe exhaust looks better and honestly it sounds a bit better to me, you can hear more of intake sound instead of wooshing of the exhaust. Just sounds more natural to me. Nice!

You're absolutely correct. The sports exhaust looks awful. The stock one looks a million times better.

Just came back from a test drive and spent the entire time in sport with PSE on and thought the burbles were soo annoying! Had me thinking aftermarket exhaust was the only way to get rid of it. Extremely helpful!

Dear Nick, Thank you for your helpful Videos. I have seen all of your Porsche Videos and last week I ordered my first 911. It is a carmine red Carrera 4s. Your explainations made it much more easier to me to configurate the best 911 for me. I had to wait till November, then a dream comes true. Regards from Aachen, Germany 😀😀😀🙋🙋🙋

Since you mentioned the aesthetics of the pipes now I can't unsee it, and I totally agree.

As always, great review Nick ! However, in my experience, in a 991.2 4S cabriolet, the PSE definitely IS a huge step forward from the standard exhaust and worth every penny. You should try it some day... switch the car into Sports mode and give it a serious go with the top down. You'll love it !

Great video, Nick. The quad exhaust looks much more menacing and muscular. It's the one I'd pick too!! Keep up the good work!!

The best exhaust comparison online, Nick. Thank you! Please do it for the NA engines, too!

thanks for the video. I was already leanign towards the quad-pipe for my (first) 911.... now i know that not just looks it is better, but also the sound is better with the standard exhaust.

Yes! Such a good idea to set a benchmark this is missing from every exhaust video everywhere

I went for the quad pipes in my 2017 991.2 Cab (same external color as Nick's) - no regrets!!

The four pipes look sooooo much better! But I like the sound of the sport exhaust.

Very good observation, and explanation on the 'Snap, Crackle, and Pop' mode.

I find it funny how people come across as being such an authority on certain things, like for example, the sport exhaust. The reality is they have never driven, nor owned either of the two cars (with and without the option) to make the comparison. Enjoy your 911.

You made the right choice on the exhaust. Looks so much better. Sound difference is negligible inside cabin which is what matters for the driver. Your car would be perfect with the PDK. Oh well. As they say at the end of Some Like it Hot "Nobody's perfect." Cheers.

Thanks a lot for this vid, very nicely answered all possible PSE questions a potential 911 owner could have. Also I was not aware of that 3rd mode topic. When shopping our Macan my Porsche SA pointed out that a P-car already sounds good enough without PSE - I was actually quite surprised about his statement but it eventually gave me the impression that he's the down to earth type of guy, which is good. After 11 months ownership I have to say, below 3k rpm I don't want to hear much of the car, perfectly happy without PSE, while totally understanding why others get it. Same here, wouldn't have gotten it for a 911 just because of the looks.

Thanks Nick, I've been waiting for this video comparison ever since you brought this car. I agree, the look of the quad-exhausts looks better, & the sports exhaust adds a little bit of a deeper sound. The next 911 (992) the sports exhaust will be louder & worth spending the extra $3000 USD. It will also look wider at the front & rear with a similar interior to the new Panamera. Q: Nick, will you consider buying the new 992?

Really useful blogg as I have just configured my wife’s car and like you opted for the better looking quad pipes, she had an F type SVR before and that was louder than my Ducati, so loud was not a priority. Also love the wiz of the turbo.

Great video. Have to say visually quad wins. It does look wider on camera. Noise sports exhaust wins. The crackle and pop are intoxicating outside. I think the best alternative is aftermarket with valves. Win win

Nick, I own a 2017 Macan GTS and the sport exhaust "crackle" definitely happens in Sport Plus mode. In fact, the exhaust, steering and suspension are all sharper as you progress from Normal, Sport and Sport Plus.

Agree, prefer the look of the quad pipes, love the sound of the PSE.

The sports exhaust sounds amazing when you break and downshift the PDK to 2nd in the middle of traffic, and hear the rattles echo.

Yes I agonised over this decision due to the look. I agree with you, in fact I asked could the standard base exhaust be converted to sport! Alas no. What I find is the cold start deep bark even without selecting sport creates a sense of warming the beast for the journey ahead.

Great work, well thought out and presented. Really useful.

I'm with you on the esthetics Nick. The quad pipes spread to the outside look nicer than the dual pipes down the center. I do like the chrome tips on the PSE, and the aural effect of the PSE is gorgeous too. Shame you can't have your cake and eat it too.

I have a 991.1 with PSE, but I never knew that Sport Mode produced that beautiful crackly on deceleration. I learned a great lesson here, I will drive in Sport Mode for the rest of my days! Thanks.

"I like a big butt." - Nick Murray

I'd like to add that in my experience, the cabin sound in a non-PSE car is actually sweeter and louder than that of a PSE equipped car (both in Sport mode). That "sound symposer" seems to be stronger for non PSE. PSE is for the outside world to hear you coming.

Love your reviews! Also looking to change my F80 M3 for a Carrera 4S!

You should get a Sharkwerks-exhaustsystem so you can have your quadpipe-look with a great flat6-sound! Their systems sounds great imo.

Totally agree Nick. 4 pipes look (and to my ears sound) so much better. Every time I see a PSE 911 I can't stop myself from thinking VW Beetle (the original rear engined version)! Looks better and saves over £1800 (UK). That's a win-win in anyone's book!

I allways thought the normal exhaust sounds better on Porsche - and it does! Your car sounds much better because the exhaust doesn't drown the original flat six sound. I drive a Cayman S, and I have the normal exhaust system and won't replace it. Keep up the good work 👍😎

Sport exhaust is the way to go, because of the insane exhaust note. You don't have that on yours. The sound change is huge...can't believe you are saying its minor!

Great video Nick!!! I´m currently building my new 911 GTS and your videos has been very helpful to watch(except I know you don´t like the GTS) :)

No Nick you picked the best exhaust, looks wise, that sport exhaust hasn't grown on me at all but I still like your friends car🤗

Hi Nick! Thank you so very much! Your videos are entirely amazing and really beautiful in production quality, and the information presented, especially on the Porsche brand, so dearly needed and so very much appreciated! ... P.S. I agree with you, I think that the BEEG bum of the Carrera 911 991.2 4S with the four exhaust pipes, is entirely gorgeous :)!... P.P.S. I think the T-shirts from "Nick's Silly Shop" to be entirely great too :)!

I have the sports exhaust on mine... = happy camper too! Love the clapback sound too!

Great video and attention to detail. The dual twin pipes do make the back appear wider. Any chance in comparing the 991.1 with sports exhaust to these two models?

Thanks for the video, very informative. I think it's telling that you can have an excellent comprehensive presentation on PSE without ever discussing performance. A "sports" exhaust should involve some element of improved performance, should it not? Otherwise it's simply a "loud" exhaust. Like so many Porsche options, PSE is an expensive nothing. I prefer the look of the standard exhaust also, Nick.

Very useful, Nick. One thing that you didn't pick up on...I think....which serves to consolidate the case for staying well away from the PSE on Gen 2 is that its actual 'volume' of noise cancels out the classic induction sound you still get with the Gen 2 further up the rev range. That classic flat-6 induction (admittedly more muted but in 'quality terms' still present & correct) is now masked by a nondescript racket: aka high volume PSE exhaust 'thrash'. Therefore, what exactly is the point in cancelling out the very sound you really want ? ....And note, I said 'sound', not just 'noise'. Combine that with the visually sad piece of 'stuck-on' plastic between the 2 central pipes on the Gen 2 PSE (Message to AG: centrally-exiting exhausts on Gen 2s should be close together like the GT cars....or quad pipes as on 997 and Gen 1s) as well as the optical illusion of 'narrowing' the car, you've got good reason to AVOID the Gen 2 PSE. Sad though...... if your heart's set on a GTS.... Get a 4S and add a Powerkit, maybe ? ;-) So, this only goes to show some folks out there continuously confuse 'more' with 'better': for 'sound enhancement' this is not the case.

I love the look of the quad but the 911 just sounds so good with a nastier exhaust note. I recently drove Matt Moreman's GT3 and I would have to say it is the best sounding car I have ever had the privilege of driving. The 911 is an amazing car in every level it can be purchased. I will own one. Great video Nick!!

I have bought a Quicksilver titanium exhaust - made by my good pal Paul Goddard. You then get the quad exhausts and a banshee at the upper end. You have spent one fifth of the price and got a better exhaust (rather than the OEM). Great piece Nick Murray.

The button you are showing and pressing at 0:46 is the same button I have in my 2015 991.1 Carrera 4 GTS, yet I have the same exhaust configuration as in your car; the dual pipes on the left and the dual pipes on the right. And you are right, it does look a lot better. What I don't like on the newer 911s are the vertical fins on the engine lid. The horizontal ones look so much better and they make the car look wider.

The sport exhaust makes a MUCH BIGGER difference in the Cabriolet. Even with the top up, you still get more exhaust note into the cabin. AND, with the top down, it is HUGE difference. Much more than the coupe with the windows down.

Hey Nick congrats for the channel, If I configure a 991 with the sport exhaust system but no chrono pack, will the system have all the crackles and bangs?

Yeah I'm with you on this one, has the 997 c4s rear look which I like a lot

Awesome job Nick. When I can finally afford one of these cars in 10 years, I will be looking back to this video for advice. Also great job adding the lexus for comparison, because holy shit that is a big difference. Sounds like you really can't go wrong either way.Also, I think your car looks wider because of the darker color.

Hey Nick. Another great video, as usual. Someone may have already commented on this (I didn't read all the comments) but I wanted to correct one thing in your video. Based on my experience with my GTS, if you choose the Sport Mode as the driving mode in your Individual setting, you will get the crackles and pops the same as if you just manually select the Sport mode.

Nick, you have to install something aftermarket, it will helps a lot ) 4 pipes a lot bettre looking, but PSE sound's also a lot better

It would be great if you could compare your PSE tests against a 991.1 NA Carrera fitted with a PSE and Sport selected.

How about an aftermarket 4-pipe exhaust for your car?

My car is manual transmission with PSE and Sport Chrono, giving sport and Sport plus modes. In any mode, PSE does not sound much different when the engine is unloaded and revving freely. The difference really makes itself felt when accelerating hard, when the open valves make the exhaust sound much fuller and raspier. Engaging sport mode adds beautiful pops and crackles especially on a trailing throttle at 3k RPMs. Sport plus adds rev matching which means it's even easier to drop gears as you shed speed when approaching an intersection and that in turn means you'll hit the sweet spot for best trailing throttle pops and crackles much more often. I love it so much that I habitually drive in sport plus mode with PSE on, although on my car it also puts PASM into sport chassis mode and I switch it back to comfort mode before I drive off.

Thank you, exactly the video I was looking for

Excellent video - as always. I'm looking for a manual 991.2, which is a challenge to find the right color and specs (I currently have a 991.1 base PDK). Would a base 991.2 non-PSE sound similar to the 991.2 S non-PSE? Or, the does S change the sound? Many thanks.

The standard exhaust still sounds like a Porsche flat six, but the so-called sports exhaust, while slightly louder, sounds more like a flat four. You made the right decision, Nick.

nice. I have a 335is and love the sound of the PE. 911's sound great.

I want to completely remove the “butterfly valve” from the exhaust system as they rattle, any videos on how to do this please?

FML I clicked on this very video from my RU-vid home page about a week ago and now i've just watched most of your videos from 2013... and have grown to love your stupid accent for some reason... This doesn't happen to me very often, and I'm not gay. Great content and the way you present and deliver them to us is even better! Brilliant work Nick. much love from London.

Both look great, I like the fact that the quad exhaust looks wider, at the same time I like how the twin looks thinner. By the way what mounts are you using for the cameras? I need to update my setup and would like one for my DSLR as well. Keep up the good work! I'd give that a solid 5/10

hello thanks for the informative video, I didnt get what you said about the 18 way seats at the end are they less comfortable or more ? does the sports exhaust add power or its just sound ? thanks

I agree with your comment on it does look wider with the 4 pipes and it does look better than the 2 pipes.

Interestingly, in the non-PSE car, you can hear the wail of the intakes more, it sounds more like it does in the cabin. The PSE car sounds louder but has less of the classic porsche howl/wail

great job. really enjoyed the video!

Big difference in tone, but I agree on the quad pipes. I don't have PSE on my car, but I did order a Fabspeed X-pipe, just waiting for it to come in. I am really curious how that will change the sound.

Hi Nick, I think the perception of width has more to do with the colour of the car than the number/location of the exhaust outlets. Having said that, I prefer the looks of the quad exhausts. Regardless of how many outlets, I'd also choose to go without the PSE - your car makes enough noise without it.

I'm not sure if you mentioned it or not but the big difference between the .1 and .2 is the turbocharged engine, they just mute exhaust notes. Your .1 sounded incredible with the PSE...

P.S. I agree with your opinion. The four pipes look way better! Great post, Nick! :)

Nick are the suspension options the same on both cars?

Hell yeah. good video nick

Totally agree with you regarding the look. I can't stand the look of the sports exhaust. Now that you've had the car for a bit, have you considered doing any modifications to your car? Like a different exhaust?

quad exhaust is a must, and aftermarket piping with pops n crackles the best solution.

with my 981 Cayman GTS I also noticed, that the crackling in the lower revs appears in Sport and Sport Plus Mode (different than in the 991.2). But when the PSE is switched on I also get the crackles in normal mode but the revs have to be around 5500-6000 rpm. Is that maybe the same in the 911?

Nick, when's the next review coming?? I absolutely love them but haven't seen one in a while.

thanks. your explanation is very good.

Greetings from downunder! I agree that the PSE on the 991 appears to have a minimal impact on the sound and I probably wouldn't spec it for that reason..quite apart from the NON PSE quad pipes which I also agree look better. Having said that a standard 997.2 S is much quieter and as result I've fitted PSE and a backbox bypass....which sounds wonderful and also has the burbling on the overrun.

You do know you can program individual mode to be in sport and have the snap crackle pop also in individual. i have mine set up that way.

I"m looking to get a 991.2 C2 base and seeked one out without the sport exhaust. I find the sport exhaust way to annoying. The pops and burbles just make it sound like an internally broken exhaust. I don't want it in any way, shape or form on my car. The quad tips look so much better too. This video just cemented the decision. Thank you Nick!

What system do you use to record the sounds outside the car? Also can you make your shirts in other sizes? I really want the PDK shirt to piss off the rest of the Porsche Club here but XL is way too big for a wee lad like myself.

Hi Nick, please test the cold and warm exchaust. Acrapovic exhaust sounds different... How is it by Porsche?

I think u did right. 4 pipes look much better then 2 and u save 3k $. For 3k $ u can burbling all day when u drive it. I must admit that we have the same taste about configuring P911 and that's why i like your videos.

Nick, what color is your friends 911? And wheels? I suppose some sort of Grey and the classic 20 inch Carreras?

I want to see "Two bulldogs on your back seat" option in Nick Murray's 911 special edition when they release it. They are going to make it, right? Right?

Yup, standard exhaust looks better sports exhaust sounds better. What about upgrading to a aftermarket exhaust that looks similar to the stock one?

I would love to see a review of the 991.2 base versus your S.

I have those same maui Jim's, best sunglasses ever

Fabspeed have a interesting aftermarket exhaust for the 991.2 where you get the quad pipes and all the crackle you want.

good informative video, right on the point!