Corvette Stingray Coupe

Make
Chevrolet
Segment
Coupe

As long as the internal combustion engine hangs on, we'll be talking about engine sound and what a proper exhaust system upgrade can achieve. Acoustics are deeply embedded in the sports car experience and, when it comes to the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8, we declared Fabspeed's exhaust system to be the best we've heard yet on the mid-engine sports car.

But the competition is heating up and AWE has now announced that pre-orders are opening for its own Corvette exhaust suite. The company describes its exhausts as the "best-sounding" on the planet. Among the benefits of the AWE upgrade are gains of 19 horsepower and 15 lb-ft of torque at the wheels. That's added to the standard 490 hp and 470 lb-ft already produced by the 'Vette's 6.2-liter V8 engine.

There are also weight-saving advantages, with the Touring Edition system shedding 31 pounds over the stock exhaust and the louder Track Edition being lighter by 39 lbs. For the Touring Edition, drone-canceling 180 Technology is applied for customers who prefer a little more discretion.

The upgrade is a direct bolt-on with no cutting required and AWE promises that the exhaust systems have been extensively tested both on the road and in a drag environment. Fashioned from CNC mandrel-bent stainless steel, the asymmetric system looks as good as it sounds, with a choice of 4.5-inch chrome silver or diamond black quad tips.

"This is the one we've all been waiting for," said AWE's VP of Marketing, Jesse Kramer. "Others have started to make systems, but we think this is the lineup that C8 drivers have been waiting for." He goes on to say that it's the system to beat.

Is it better than Fabspeed's Valvetronic Maxflo exhaust system? We'll leave that for you to decide; it's a bit difficult to directly compare as Fabspeed recorded its exhaust sound in an enclosed environment. Both sound properly mean, though.

AWE's in-house system comes with a perfect-fitment guarantee and a lifetime warranty. The estimated retail launch will be in mid-August.