Sam Krahn 
Now that the 2020 Corvette Stingray is out and about, owners want to make them faster. Given the vehicle is effectively untunable with the current ECU blockages, exhausts are just about the only way to increase the performance of the C8 apart from more aggressive tires. Luckily, now that owners have their hands on their mid-engined Corvettes, the exhaust manufacturers do too. The latest to deliver a C8 Corvette Exhaust is Fabspeed, and it’s a compelling upgrade.
Starting at $3,895.95, the Fabspeed Valvetronic Maxflow cat back exhaust brings a number of improvements over the standard system. First, the exhaust boosts power across the board. Compared to the NPP valved exhaust, the Fabspeed system adds 4 whp with the valves open, and 11.5 whp with the valves closed. Fabspeed expects to see more gains when they compare it to the standard C8 Corvette exhaust without valves. In addition, the new exhaust saves 20 pounds over stock.
As for the noise, Fabspeed opted for a valved system. This allows for the exhaust to be quiet when you need it to be, and loud when you want it to be. Based on the provided video, it sounds pretty fantastic. Fabspeed says it brings out the American V8 sound, while the X-pipe construction gives it a bit more exotic tone.
In terms of construction, the exhaust is made of full stainless steel, and can have polished or carbon quad tips. Because it’s a cat back system, it doesn’t result in any ECU issues or break any emissions regulations.
While this is a very nice sounding exhaust with many benefits, we also covered an aftermarket headers system from Kooks that gives a 20 hp gain, with higher torque gains as well. To get those gains, you need to option headers and sports cats, but it uses the stock muffler. All of this comes in at a similar price to the Fabspeed’s valved X-pipes, while the company also offers catalytic converter upgrades. It certainly would be something to get a Fabspeed and Kooks kit to work together.
With two compelling C8 Corvette exhaust offerings on the market, and more surely coming soon, the decision is only going to be more difficult for C8 owners wanting more noise.
