Chevy Corvette Spied With Strange Exhaust, Could Be New 500-HP Model

The Corvette Z06 is well within the beginning of its life cycle, but Chevy isn’t forgetting about the base Corvette Stingray just yet. In fact, our spies have caught a prototype being tested on public roads. While the C8 you see here might look like any other ‘Vette at first glance, a quick gander at the rear tells you that something’s different with this sports car.

As you can see from the spy shots below, the Corvette Stingray is equipped with a strange pair of narrow and long exhausts, unlike the quad-exhaust typically seen in a standard C8. Is Chevy testing a powertrain update for the Corvette C8?

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According to our sources and from reports circling the industry, Chevy will be giving the Stingray a power boost for its next update. The exhaust tips that you see here are actually EPA certification pipes, which could be meant to test out the revisions on the C8’s powertrain.

The extent of changes to bump up the Corvette’s power is still a mystery at this point. What we know is that sources claim that the power boost will bring the output to over 500 horsepower – up from the current 495 hp (364 kW) rating when equipped with the optional dual-mode performance exhaust system.

Of note, Chevrolet has given the Corvette C8 Stingray a substantial update for the 2022 model year. The changes were applied to the engine’s fuel delivery, Active Fuel Management systems, and slightly revised engine calibration. The result was an increase in EPA fuel economy city ratings and a decrease in highway ratings. The mixed rating has been retained.

We’ll keep an ear to the ground for any recent development regarding this expected powertrain revision for the C8 Corvette Stingray. Our sources claim that the changes will be applied to the 2024 model year, with an official debut in Q1 of 2024.