xpipes - what's better: Fabspeed or Challenge?

[Fen335i]

I'm looking at xpipes (street versions that only remove the secondary cats and have a pair of resonators). It appears that both Challenge and Fabspeed make these and their materials and designs are very similar. Claimed performance gains are also similar. The only difference I can see is price. Fabspeed wants 795 and Challenge wants 1195.

Am I missing something? Is there a good reason why one would go with Challenge over Fabspeed?

[Brosef]

Challenge for sure. I've heard of a few people having fitment troubles with the fabspeed. Not saying it's a bad product; just saying that the Challenge is a cut above.

[tom @ eas]

Without a doubt - Challenge.

[Nate@IND]

Originally Posted by tom @ eas

Without a doubt - Challenge.

[powertrip]

I had the Fabspeed ; do yourself a favor and just get the Challenge.

[LateBraking]

Never ran either, but just seeing build quality of the two first hand, Challenge.

[Grail05]

Challenge call EAS

[kitw]

Come on.

I've installed both on my car and the challenge is a nice piece, but the newer Fabspeed units are very nice, too.

You've got to look beyond just the robotic TIG welds on the Challenge. They are definitely nice, but are made in some soulless robot factory in Taiwan, where the Fabspeed parts are handmade. They are made in the US, too. My Fabspeed fit perfectly, although I know there have been some fitment issues in the past.

The Challenge is very nice in that it removes the crushed section on the driver's side, but there is no real power difference between the two. Plus, my Challenge X pipe fit fine, after I struggled with it. Boy, were the tranny mount clamps hard to deal with!

[Fen335i]

Thanks everyone, but no one is saying why (other than one post who said build quality was better)

if you think one is better than the other, please state why you feel that way.

[Fen335i]

Originally Posted by kitw

Come on.

I've installed both on my car and the challenge is a nice piece, but the newer Fabspeed units are very nice, too.

You've got to look beyond just the robotic TIG welds on the Challenge. They are definitely nice, but are made in some soulless robot factory in Taiwan, where the Fabspeed parts are handmade. They are made in the US, too. My Fabspeed fit perfectly, although I know there have been some fitment issues in the past.

The Challenge is very nice in that it removes the crushed section on the driver's side, but there is no real power difference between the two. Plus, my Challenge X pipe fit fine, after I struggled with it. Boy, were the tranny mount clamps hard to deal with!

Great comments, thanks for the honesty.

[tom @ eas]

Originally Posted by kitw

Come on.

I've installed both on my car and the challenge is a nice piece, but the newer Fabspeed units are very nice, too.

You've got to look beyond just the robotic TIG welds on the Challenge. They are definitely nice, but are made in some soulless robot factory in Taiwan, where the Fabspeed parts are handmade. They are made in the US, too. My Fabspeed fit perfectly, although I know there have been some fitment issues in the past.

The Challenge is very nice in that it removes the crushed section on the driver's side, but there is no real power difference between the two. Plus, my Challenge X pipe fit fine, after I struggled with it. Boy, were the tranny mount clamps hard to deal with!

Thanks for the review, but just want to make clear that all Challenge components are all indeed manufactured in the US.

[rockd]

If you're interested, also check out the Sosi Performance X-Pipe. We're running a $100 promotion through the month of March, so it ends up being $495 shipped to the continental US. Click on the first link in my sig below!

[LV-E92M3]

Fabspeed is good and I like it a lot because it gains 35whp with hfc. I know some people got a cell on their car, but I never had it (I drove it over 10k miles) + never had a fitment problem with the fabspeed

[J08M3]

Originally Posted by tom @ eas

Without a doubt - Challenge.

Have no idea how you come up with this, other than you sell Challenge.

I had Fabspeed and fitment was spot on. Did the install myself with my car up on jack stands. Plus it costs less than Challenge. How can Challenge be better?

My issue with Fabspeed is they lie about their HFC's and CEL issue. But as far as Xpipe goes, they are pretty much all the same, do yourself a favor and buy the one that costs less. They already charge insane amounts for Xpipes on this car.

[JDM3]

Gintani!

[Nate@IND]

Originally Posted by tom @ eas

Thanks for the review, but just want to make clear that all Challenge components are all indeed manufactured in the US.

Tom is correct on this I have personally met the guys that make all the Challenge X-pipes here in IL.

[TheKosherStogie]

if you are looking for catless, but resonators all check out gintani, just cause they make one with 4 resonator is you want to keep the sound down.

I dont know challenge, but never hear great thing about fabspeed

[dcgolfdr]

I have had the Dinan midpipe and currently the Gintani midpipe, both catless with 4 resonators. Both pipes increased power but it was is difficult to tell if one pipe added more than the other. Gintani is louder but not obnoxious. Fit on both pipes was right on. If you only want to remove the rear cats, then you would be better off having a local shop cut out the rear cats and add a pipe to where that cats were. With the two pipes you are talking about you are going to have to chop up your x pipe anyway, might as well save some bucks in the process.

[Fen335i]

Originally Posted by dcgolfdr

I have had the Dinan midpipe and currently the Gintani midpipe, both catless with 4 resonators. Both pipes increased power but it was is difficult to tell if one pipe added more than the other. Gintani is louder but not obnoxious. If you only want to remove the rear cats, then you would be better off having a local shop cut out the rear cats and add a pipe to where that cats were. With the two pipes you are talking about you are going to have to chop up your x pipe anyway, might as well save some bucks in the process.

Is this true? I thought it was a simple install with both of these, just remove the stock xpipe and bolt on the new. Is there cutting involved with either of them?

[dcgolfdr]

If you are going to keep your stock cats, then yes hacking is required. If you are going to buy HFC's and the pipe from the vendors then no hacking is required and it would then be a bolt on piece.

[rockd]

Originally Posted by Fen335i

Is this true? I thought it was a simple install with both of these, just remove the stock xpipe and bolt on the new. Is there cutting involved with either of them?

The M3 exhaust is all one piece from the headers to the muffler's connecting pipes. So if you plan on keeping your primary cats and O2 sensors, then you need to cut to install any x-pipe. If you planning on buying an x-pipe with HFC's, then you can just unbolt and replace everything between the headers and the muffler's connecting pipes.

[Fen335i]

Challenge claims it is a bolt on, no cutting. Hmmmmm

not sure about Fabspeed. Their web site doesn't say.