The anticipation for the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 continues to build up. We've seen countless videos and frankly, the wilder C8 couldn't come soon enough in the metal. Chevy wants to add up to that anticipation by releasing a short Corvette Academy video about one of the most talked-about aspects of the new Z06: its exhaust note.
The video, embedded atop this page, tries to explain the science behind the Corvette Z06's glorious exhaust note as seen and heard at the recently concluded 106th Indianapolis 500. It's not rocket science, we should say, but it isn't short of amazing.
Gallery: 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
Chevy points out that it wants Corvette C8 Z06 owners to get the feeling of being in an exotic car based on the vibration that they feel and the sound that they hear. To do this, the Z06's exhaust goes into the center-mounted tips (not available outside the US) or bezels that are part of the car's rear fascia, designed to reflect the sound back up to the cockpit for that visceral experience.
Of note, the Z06's engine is the world's largest flat-plane crankshaft V8. As Chevy puts it, it's something that doesn't exist in any other type of engine the company had in the past.
Chevy also explains that there are two sets of valves that help change the exhaust note depending on usage – the intake manifold valves and the variable exhaust valves. These gates allow adjustments of 2-degree increments, which translate to four exhaust note modes in the Z06. In contrast, the previous setup was just open and close.
There are four exhaust modes: Weather, Tour, Sport, and Track. Weather is the quietest of the four, made so your neighbors will still love you. Tour's a bit louder than Weather, while Sport's even angrier. For maximum aural pleasure, Track mode opens all the valves so that the driver could feel the new Corvette Z06's maximum potential.
With the Corvette configurator still not showing the Z06, we're pretty sure aspiring owners are getting anxious about when they can get their hands on their future, glorious-sounding supercar.
