The Z came from the factory with a capable twin-turbo V6 but a pretty tame exhaust note. With the sway bars freshly installed, I decided it was time to let the VR30 breathe a little. I went with a two-piece setup from Z1 Motorsports - the Premium Stainless Steel Y-Pipe and the Touring-Ti Titanium cat-back.
First order of business was getting the factory exhaust off the car. I worked backwards from the rear - mufflers first, then the mid-pipe, and finally the factory Y-pipe. One thing that surprised me was how small the OEM Y-pipe diameter was. You'd think a 400hp twin-turbo motor would have a little more room to breathe down there.
The Z1 Y-pipe went in next. The difference in diameter was obvious - the stainless piece replaces the restrictive OEM mid-pipe with larger tubing and braided flex joints. The weld quality on the Z1 piece is impressive - clean welds and solid flange connections.
One thing worth mentioning - the Y-pipe fit tight against the chassis. I had to bend the pipe down slightly to keep it from making contact with the body, which wasn't the easiest thing to do on stainless. Not a dealbreaker, but it took some persuasion.
From there the titanium cat-back bolted right up. The fitment was excellent - everything tucked up tight with good clearance around the differential and sway bar. The titanium mufflers are noticeably lighter than the stock pieces.
The Z1 titanium tips fill out the rear diffuser nicely. Subtle but purposeful.
First startup was exactly what I was hoping for - a deeper, more aggressive tone at idle that opens up under throttle without being obnoxious. The Touring-Ti lives up to its name. Civilized when cruising, but it lets you know the turbos are there when you get on it.
