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Yes and no. You can hear that it's louder and a bit more raspy. But sadly there's not enough revving in either video to get it for real. This Saturday I'm filming stock vs Borla. Hopefully you'll be able to tell more. That said, it's great. It's a bit more raspy and muscular and less exotic. But I love it. It's probably not for everyone but it's for most I'd guess. lol
I'd try to find someone who has one local. Or wait for my vid. Or if you're doing the wrenching but it and try it. It will be an easy sell if you don't like it.
I did watch the video and the titles for each video called them out as a C7 Z06. On the red car (w/ Borla), it did look like a Z06, the tail lights were clear. On the gray car (before Borla) it did call the car out as a C7 Z06, but I couldn't determine whether the tail lights were clear or not. Your better at this than I am, why did you say these cars were Stingrays and not Z06's?
I installed mine today, wrap and all. The sound is perfect to my ear. It feels like the throttle response has improved but it may just be the more aggressive sound. I did get an added bonus that I'm thrilled with. I used to get a slight change in exhaust tone when the car went into and out of V4 mode. No one else in the car would have ever heard it but I did and it's completely gone now. I don't know if it was the pipe or the wrap or both but that sound used to bother me and I'm really happy its disappeared. I put about 100 miles on the car today. The titanium wrapped smelled a bit for a while but that too is gone now. My car is a 2015 A8 with a Halltech CAI. No codes with either mod. Thanks to Gene for the great report and inspiration.
Filmed over the weekend. I've been swamped with work this week and will be until the beginning of next. I'll get it thrown together as soon as I can.
Originally Posted by Rumba
I installed mine today, wrap and all. The sound is perfect to my ear. It feels like the throttle response has improved but it may just be the more aggressive sound. I did get an added bonus that I'm thrilled with. I used to get a slight change in exhaust tone when the car went into and out of V4 mode. No one else in the car would have ever heard it but I did and it's completely gone now. I don't know if it was the pipe or the wrap or both but that sound used to bother me and I'm really happy its disappeared. I put about 100 miles on the car today. The titanium wrapped smelled a bit for a while but that too is gone now. My car is a 2015 A8 with a Halltech CAI. No codes with either mod. Thanks to Gene for the great report and inspiration.
Finally got the Borla X-pipe installed. Dealer charged me 2.5 hours which I felt was a little high however they only charged 0.5 hours on the steering wheel swap so no complaints.
First off I decided to go with unpopular choice, the Borla, for a number of reasons.
1. Many people say the Corsa makes the car sound more exotic while the Borla simply makes the stock sound more aggressive. For me, this is exactly what I wanted. I'm not looking to pretend I have a foreign sports car. This car is American and I wanted it to roar like one. Why change it at all? I love the stock sound but wanted it to be a little louder and bite a little harder.
2. Other reasons are the many things that are addressed in the thread below. I drive my car a lot and in all weather types so the fact the Borla is a direct factory fit was important to me. This also means the pipe size is the same as stock. Bigger isn't always better. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-vs-corsa.html
3. The pipe is lighter than both the Corsa and stock pipe. Of course this isn't a huge amount but every bit counts.
So you know where I'm coming from my C5Z had LG catless LT headers with Borla Stingers (my god) and my C6Z had catless LT headers with the stock NPP catback.
Results:
Sound: I expected good results of course but I didn't expect this. The car sounds absolutely outrageous now. If catless headers is 100 and stock is 0 I'd say it's a 69. I was expecting a 30. The car is much louder, deeper, and aggressive sounding. At idle it's deeper and you know the car is modified, however it's not much louder. From reading the reviews I thought you really had to get on it to hear the difference, not so. Unless you drive like a complete, dare I say "waxer", you'll always hear the improvement. When you drive it hard it's unbelievable. It's the stock sound on crack, it's NBA Jam On Fire, it's Pacman after a big dot, oh it's so good and it's just what the car needed. I'm no longer driving in the lower gear searching for the good sound I only hear on acceleration. Now it sings along at a cruise just as it should have. Personally, I can't understand why purchase a different catback exhaust for sometimes several thousand dollars when simply changing the pipe is such an epic difference. FWIW it's still whisper quiet in stealth mode and zero drone.
Power: Please don't buy this pipe, or any X pipe, for power. Maybe it makes 10 at most....maybe it loses 10 at most. It probably gains a very small amount but nothing that is remotely noticeable.
Other: I'm not sure why but the car felt like it revved up a bit quicker. I know this doesn't make sense but it's an impression I had so I'm posting it here. FWIW The Vitesse was disabled during all Xpipe drives thus far.
Warranty: I spoke with the head mechanic who worked on the car and to the service advisors and they couldn't possibly care less about the Xpipe other than the fact they loved how it sounds.
Video: Not here yet but please read on. Since I was dropping the car off Monday I intended to do a before video this past weekend. Unfortunately I was extremely sick for 24 hours and wasn't able to get it done. Having professionally done video work in the past I have professional microphones, excellent cameras, and a decibel meter. I intend to do an after video but help me help you. If anyone is in the area with a stock Z06 let's get together and make a video. We can record both revving side by side and also measure decibels back to back with a second view on the RPMS....and obviously some drive byes. If anyone's interested I'll buy you lunch and take some sick photos of your car. To up the ante if anyone has a Corsa X pipe but is stock otherwise a three way could make it even more interesting. My zip is 10509.
One thing though, In touring mode on a stock car, the car is quiet till 3K or so and then its loud, so couple questions
Will this drone under the 3K in touring mode?
Is it still super quiet (in touring) under 3K then armageddon? how loud is your loud? I have borla stingers on my 08 c6
I just like the quiet then loud experience , hoping it will be just as quiet under 3K and then rock concert.
While I don't drive it in tour often I'll throw it in stealth. It is still dead silent when the flaps are closed and there is zero drone. It's fun to punch it in stealth and have it go from silent to OMFG.
It's hard to say how loud loud is. I recorded a video that I have to edit together but from what I've heard even my good Senheiser microphone couldn't really capture it. As I said it's more raw and less exotic, if you're ok with that you'll be a very happy gas pedal masher.
I had mine put on this week and found a CarX that put it on for $50. They actually did a great job. I'll second the above results. I fired it up in the shop and wow what a difference. I was contemplating getting headers but I see no need to now. I pulled fuse 42 and there is still no drone at highway speeds. If you're on the fence about doing this mod go for it!! I didn't notice any lower gain but I notice I'm deeper into the throttle more just to hear the sound so I suspect that's why some are "feeling" more power.
One thing though, In touring mode on a stock car, the car is quiet till 3K or so and then its loud, so couple questions
Will this drone under the 3K in touring mode?
Is it still super quiet (in touring) under 3K then armageddon? how loud is your loud? I have borla stingers on my 08 c6
I just like the quiet then loud experience , hoping it will be just as quiet under 3K and then rock concert.
In Tour Mode while just cruising down the highway the exhaust volume/sound is identical to stock. I've been all over the country in mine both before & after the Borla X-pipe and noticed no change in the exhaust while in Tour Mode w/NPP valves shut.
Just waiting for the Before\After Vids before I place my order.
Thanks for the informative post.
Jack,
I've got bad news. The video simply doesn't cut it. George Vee came by my place last weekend and we did revving shots and also flybys. I used a very very good sennheiser microphone for the video but it didn't capture it properly. George's stock Z sounds right in the footage buy my Z sounds very high pitch. It's like the mic, in an effort to capture the sound and not clip, only captured the high end and none of the low end. The car sound almost ricer at some points in the video. I guess the best thing would be for George to post about what his thoughts were as he heard several fly flybys and was out of his car for the revving portion of it. My apologies, I tried.
That said, here are some fun highly edited photos of George's Z I shot while he was leaving. It looks phenomenal, especially with his new wheels.
Borla X Pipe Ordered. I know it is a direct bolt-on, but did you have any issues with the install? What lubricant do you use? Any suggestions would be appreciated as I will be doing this myself.
Borla X Pipe Ordered. I know it is a direct bolt-on, but did you have any issues with the install? What lubricant do you use? Any suggestions would be appreciated as I will be doing this myself.
Complete directions come with it, even tells you the socket sizes to use. It's straight forward. I had a lift and jack stand which made it easy. Used PBBlaster on the front bolts so they wouldn't gaul. Preyed off the old seals with a screwdriver, they came right off. Bolted the front on first using the jacket stand to hold up the rear then put the rear clamps on loose, then the hanger last and tighten. The cover plate comes right off leaving the two bolts with slots just loosened a bit. Much easier than it sounds. I used the titanium wrap, took me two 50 ft rolls. You might get away with one roll if the over lap is 1/4" or so. I used the balance of my last roll on the turbo on my boat. You'll love it. Good luck!
Paul
Complete directions come with it, even tells you the socket sizes to use. It's straight forward. I had a lift and jack stand which made it easy. Used PBBlaster on the front bolts so they wouldn't gaul. Preyed off the old seals with a screwdriver, they came right off. Bolted the front on first using the jacket stand to hold up the rear then put the rear clamps on loose, then the hanger last and tighten. The cover plate comes right off leaving the two bolts with slots just loosened a bit. Much easier than it sounds. I used the titanium wrap, took me two 50 ft rolls. You might get away with one roll if the over lap is 1/4" or so. I used the balance of my last roll on the turbo on my boat. You'll love it. Good luck!
Paul
Is the wrap required? Does the stock pipe come wrapped?
Thanks,
This is a coincidence. I have a Borla x pipe for almost a year now. Zo6 A8 and love it. I had a Corsa system on my C6 installed at Lingenfelter. The joints always leaked even after they said I needed new clamps. Oh also one of the mufflers had water in it because they forgot to drill a drain hole for the condensation, their reason not mine. The Borla fit perfect on the C7 and the sound, just wild in Sport or Track. In fact look at my post from last Saturday, ad my car at the ring, had a tutor with me with over 15 years experience at the ring and guess what, we got thrown out. Max decibels is 95 we were 136. "Your outa here" . Learned something , never argue with a German in German in Germany" got a ticket to prove it, lol
Went back Sunday and the tutor said w had it fixed so we got to run 7 laps,
03-15-2016, 06:53 PM
Please don't buy this pipe, or any X pipe, for power. Maybe it makes 10 at most....maybe it loses 10 at most. It probably gains a very small amount but nothing that is remotely noticeable.
