Corvette Z06 Export Models Won’t Get The Cool Quad-Center Exhaust Setup

From putting up with emasculated catalyzed imports of the 1970s and 1980s with their diving board bumpers to being fobbed off with a fake BMW M3 in the mid-1990s, American car fans often got a worse deal than their compatriots around the globe.

But the boot is on the other foot these days. While North American versions of the 2023 Corvette Z06 feature a cool quartet of center-mounted exhaust tailpipes and will generate 670 hp (679 PS), most export models will feature a boring dual corner-mounted exhaust setup and could make significantly less power and noise.

The reason for the difference is the need to fit export-market Z06s with gasoline particulate filters which Chevy wasn’t able to package without losing the center-exit exhaust system. So while Z06s bought in Europe and Australia will still get the 5.5-liter flat-plane crank V8, they’ll channel their horses through a more restrictive style of an exhaust system that looks like the one fitted to ordinary LT2-engined export Corvettes.

The difference was uncovered by the Corvette Blogger website, after speaking to members of the Corvette team who confirmed the change. Chevrolet hasn’t confirmed power and torque outputs for export Z06s, but they’re guaranteed to be lower than for US-spec cars.

Regular LT2-engined Corvettes sold in Europe already come with GPF exhausts and are rated at 475 hp (482 PS) versus 495 hp (502 PS) in the U.S., suggesting the Z06’s 670 hp (679 PS) North American rating could drop to around 650 hp (659 PS) by the time it has hopped across the Atlantic.

Corvette engineers recently revised the exhaust system of the Z06 ahead of its launch to improve the in-cabin engine sound, but that sound is also likely to be compromised by the fitment of GPFs in export cars. However, a member of the development team told Corvette Blogger that the sports cars “still sound great.”

H/T to Motor1/Corvette Blogger