European C8 Corvette Z06 Loses Big Power Thanks to Gas Filter

The European C8 Corvette Z06 – and most likely the Australian version as well – won’t be quite as capable as the American variant.

When the all-new C8 Corvette Z06 debuted, it did so with a history-making powerplant mounted mid-ship – GM’s naturally-aspirated 5.5-liter LT6 V8, which generates a substantial 670 horsepower. But while we Americans get the full-bore version of the new Z06 – which comes equipped with most powerful production N/A V8 in history – that isn’t the case with European C8 Corvette Z06 models, which lose a relatively significant amount of power thanks to the addition of a gasoline particular filter (GPF), according to Drive.

News that the European C8 Corvette Z06 would be equipped with a more conventional exhaust system in lieu of the American version’s center-exit pipes surfaced last year, but that exported exhaust also contains the aforementioned GPF, which is designed to both slash the emissions emitted by the car and also the volume of sound that the LT6 powerplant emits. However, that one little part also robs the European C8 Corvette Z06 of a handful of ponies.

GM says that the exported Z06 generates 474 kW and 595 Nm of torque, which equates to around 636 horsepower and 439 pound-feet – or losses of 34 horsepower and 21 pound-feet compared to the U.S. spec. It’s unclear at the moment if the Australian version of the American supercar will match these figures, but it seems likely, given the fact that it will also come equipped with the conventional exhaust system and GPF.

Of course, this is already the case with the C8 Stingray – which is sold in Europe with less power than its American counterpart – but that same car in Australia features the same numbers and exhaust system as the U.S. version. Drive speculates that it’s possible the Z06 isn’t capable of meeting that country’s noise regulations, which could be why it’s being modified for that particular market.

Thus, sadly for our friends Down Under, it seems as if the C8 Z06 won’t quite manage to take the title as the most powerful GM vehicle ever sold there – instead, it would fall right behind the Camaro ZL1 in the proverbial pecking order, which was previously converted to right-hand-drive and sold in Australia by Holden prior to its demise a couple of years ago.

Photos: Chevrolet

.