2019 Corvette ZR1 Makes Nice Gains with Exhaust Work
Achieving 700 hp at the wheels in a new Corvette ZR1 is as easy as swapping in a new x-pipe.
With 755 raging ponies, few would ever accuse the 2019 Corvette ZR1 of being underpowered. But it shouldn’t surprise anyone that at least a handful of people are going to want more. Because, well, this is America after all. More is always better, especially when it comes to horsepower and torque. It’s a quest that YouTuber Street Speed 717 is constantly pursuing. And this time, his experiments take place on Chevy’s fastest Corvette to date.
The beginning of what promises to be a plethora of mods for this 2019 Corvette ZR1 starts with a simple x-pipe installation. But first, like any proper scientific experiment, we must begin with a baseline for this particular car. The group points out from the beginning that the stock ZR1 actually comes with an x-pipe, but it has a connected chamber. So they think the aftermarket piece will only make “a little more power.”
With a couple thousand miles on the clock, this 2019 Corvette ZR1 produces 683 whp and 623 lb-ft of torque at the wheels. Which, coincidentally, is a healthy increase over the numbers it pulled when new. So the real question is, what will a simple exhaust pipe swap do? Well, for starters, it makes what was already a loud car even louder. But then the time comes to see if all that noise translates to actual power.
Right off the bat, the ‘Vette puts down 10 more hp and torque on the dyno. Then 700 whp and 630 lb-ft. So with a simple x-pipe swap, the ZR1 saw a healthy 17-25 hp and 15-20 lb-ft increase over stock. Which is pretty incredible if you ask us. And it just makes us even more interested to see how these things respond to even more serious mods. Not to mention a little tuning!
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