At $59,995 right off the bat, the eighth generation of the ‘Vette isn’t affordable but it’s seriously good value for the money considering the mid-engine design and all-around performance. With a few desirable options like the Z51 and carbon-fiber engine appearance package, you can easily get to $75,000 or $80,000.
Given this information, what would you say if someone spent $10,000 or a sixth of the base car’s value on an exhaust system? Enter Daily Driven Exotics and their C8, now featuring a custom-made titanium exhaust that's properly loud and weighs far less than the OEM four-valve NPP exhaust system.
Including the mufflers, cats, and heat shield, the Tenneco-supplied unit tips the scales at 142.85 pounds (65 kilograms). Once removed from the fiery red car, it’s easy to tell how heavy and cumbersome the exhaust is even for a couple of mechanics. Titanium, on the other hand, is noticeably lighter.
Named after the Titans of Greek mythology, Ti is 40 percent lighter than iron while titanium alloys are typically stronger than high-strength steels. As far as the strength-to-weight ratio is concerned, no metal comes closes to it. Did you know the bite-the-back-of-your-hand beautiful SR-71 Blackbird strategic reconnaissance aircraft is 92 percent titanium? Anyway, moving on...
3:16 Speed is the shop responsible for the titanium race exhaust worth $10k, custom made in five days. Dubbed “the world’s first titanium exhaust on a Corvette C8,” the system doesn’t feature a muffler or cats and the quad tips are now round instead of rectangular. All in all, it’s a very serious setup.
DDE and 3:16 Speed don’t mention a thing about weight savings, but it’s pretty much a certainty that we’re dealing with fewer than 100 pounds (45 kilograms), much fewer than that. In a road-going car, dieting doesn’t matter much but a good driver like Randy Pobst can definitely feel the difference.
And in a way, the C8 needs to get lighter. A full 237 pounds (107.5 kilograms) heavier than the C7 Stingray Coupe, the eighth generation sweetens the deal with a quicker transmission (a dual-clutch unit instead of a torque-converter automatic), better traction off the line, and a more potent small-block V8.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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