SYMPHONY in the key of C8

Tenneco and GM solve multiple technical challenges to engineer the mid-engine Corvette's sweet-sounding active exhaust system.

Few things in the automotive space are more soul-stirring than the sound of a V8 engine - at wide-open throttle, or top-gear cruising, or at any combination of engine speed and load in between. For Chevrolet Corvette enthusiasts, engine sound quality is Holy Grail stuff. But the Vette's classic roar is just one piece of an aural signature that has grown increasingly sophisticated in the car's last two (C7 and C8) generations.

“Exhaust note is part of the Corvette's DNA, but the car also must meet pass-by noise laws and various global-market sound regulations,” observed Dmitri Konson, VP of global clean air engineering at Tenneco, which supplies the complete cold-side exhaust (from the catalytic converter to the exhaust tips) for the 2020 C8 Stingray and components for the LT2 V8. However, acoustics engineering isn't only about numbers and curves, Konson noted. Engineers “must listen together, talk about solutions and decide what's right,” he said.