The new 2023 Chevy Corvette Z06 incorporates a variety of styling cues that help it stand out from the C8 Stingray, including a central exhaust system that mounts a quartet of rounded exhaust pipes in the middle of the rear bumper. That said, Australian Corvette Z06 customers will receive a different exhaust system with outboard tips.
Corvette Z06 with outboard exhaust
Corvette Z06 with central exhaust
Back in May, GM Authority reported that the 2023 Corvette Z06 would incorporate an outboard exhaust treatment for some foreign markets, with Z06 test mules spotted on the street running an outboard exhaust treatment. Now, a recent report from Australian automotive website Drive has confirmed that Corvette Z06 models sold in Australia will include an outboard exhaust setup, rather than the central exhaust equipped by U.S. models.
The outboard Corvette Z06 exhaust system is believed to have been developed to bring the sports car in compliance with Euro 6d emission standards, and likely includes a gasoline particulate filter. Although Australia does not follow the same emissions standards as Europe, it’s possible that the inclusion of the Euro-spec outboard exhaust over the U.S.-spec central exhaust system is intended to bring the Corvette Z06 into compliance with Australian vehicle noise regulations. The Corvette Z06 outboard exhaust system will include unique “large” exhaust tips.
For now, official power and torque figures for European and Australian Corvette Z06 models are not confirmed. Here in the U.S., however, the Corvette Z06 is rated at 670 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. The naturally aspirated 5.5L V8 LT6 is onboard for motivation.
Corvette Z06 central exhaust
Notably, the Aussie-spec C8 Corvette Stingray is rated at a U.S.-matching 495 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque with the factory performance exhaust system. The Euro-spec C8 Stingray, however, is down on output, rated at 482 horsepower and 452 pound-feet of torque. As Drive points out, past GM performance vehicles have also required different exhaust systems specific to the Australian market, including the Chevy Camaro ZL1.
Australian-spec Corvette Z06 models will be built on the same Y2 platform as the rest of the C8 lineup, with production taking place at the GM Bowling Green plant in Kentucky.
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Comments
I was behind a Camaro the other day, same color as my C8. It had outboard exhaust and those “not round” tail lights,
and I realized just how much Camaro and C8 look alike form the rear. Sigh…
Had a 16 2SS Camaro and now a 22 C8. Very vague resemblance, and who cares anyhow?
It you are at the rear of car with engine running, much easier to access the storage and engine with outboard exhaust.
Center exhaust blasts your legs, just sayin.
Did you ever wonder why foreign countries love to mess with American made vehicles? The Aussies require outboard exhaust versus center mounted exhaust on Corvette’s we send over to them…and they require the US to make them all right hand drive, which seems crazy because they are not going to be sending very many of these C8’s (especially the Z06) to that place “down under”. And how about Japan, South Korea, Great Britain and other countries that drive on the opposite side of the road than the USA and other countries drive on. The cost of making the few Corvette’s that’ll actually make it over to those “right hand drive countries” is totally crazy, and it really isn’t necessary, the car will drive just as well if kept with the left hand drive and other “things” left intact as we drive here in the Good Old USA. We have right hand drive vehicles running around the USA, perhaps not “New” but if you’ve ever driven a right hand drive car in America, it is a bit of an oddity at first, but you pick it up within the few few miles, if you’re a capable individual, and then it can be fun and even interesting if you just relax and enjoy the differences. Oh well, personally speaking, I can’t see going to all of the trouble to change the steering wheel location and many other “assigned items” just to satisfy a few people with enough money to purchase a “foreign vehicle” and not think twice about why their government requires “these changes” to what is already a very well built vehicle….and it not like you’re making a million of these specialty vehicles, you’ll be lucky if you even see a new C8 Corvette in “Aussie Land” cruising around “in the land down under”. Oh well, it is, what it is…let the games begin.