C8 Stingray by NAP Carbon styling and a stainless-steel exhaust system for mid-engine Corvette

When General Motors unveiled the eighth generation of the Corvette, many fans of this legendary US sports car felt their chins hit the floor. For the first time in the vehicle’s nearly 70-year history, the engine in the new C8 Stingray has been placed behind the seats. While traditionalists turned up their noses at this breach of taboo, performance specialists looked on with excitement, as the mid-engine layout meets key requirements for quantum leaps forward in driving dynamics. Ultimately, there’s a reason most supersports cars feature this configuration.
The tuning experts at NAP Sportauspuff Manufaktur have now pushed the Corvette C8 Stingray to new visual and acoustic heights. NAP’s engineers have designed a valve-controlled exhaust system for this American thunderbolt, made from stainless steel and equipped with the latest generation of NAP automatic wireless valve control system as well as highspeed three- inch valves. Meanwhile, the stylists at NAP Exclusive have fitted the Corvette with a tailor-made, full-carbon aerodynamic kit that underlines and accentuates the C8 Stingray’s sharp design.
Corvette design manager Kirk Bennion and his team have said that, when creating the bodywork for this mid-engine sportster, they drew inspiration from airplanes. The designers at NAP Exclusive picked up where Bennion left off, incorporating the Corvette’s sharp design vocabulary in their carbon-fiber hang-on parts. The carbon-fiber body kit, produced by hand from numerous layers of fabric and then sealed with layers of clearcoat, includes front air intakes as well as a large, projecting front lip, with this design vocabulary continued in the side rockers that rise strikingly towards the rear as well as lateral air intakes along the side of the vehicle. A carbon-fiber rear wing with a strong motorsport look sits on the Corvette’s tail and, thanks to its aerodynamic efficiency, boosts contact pressure while reducing air resistance. Of course, all components in the carbon-fiber aerodynamic kit come with corresponding certificates for entry into the vehicle’s documentation.
Meanwhile, the NAP valve-controlled exhaust system ramps up the acoustic presence of this V8 piledriver. Certified in accordance with the latest EC regulations (R51.03 ASEP + GRB), master craftsmen at NAP Sportauspuff Manufaktur WIG-weld the thermo-isolated system from premium V2A stainless steel WIG – creating a high-quality product, engineered and made in Germany! A technical highlight of the valve-controlled exhaust system is undoubtedly the NAP automatic wireless valve control. This electronic control unit is able to read the CAN bus signals from the Corvette powertrain, thereby ensuring that the vehicle conforms to legal requirements and stays within defined EU parameters at all times. Whatever mode the Corvette is in, the electronic valve control system intervenes quickly and smoothly, with the four electronically actuated highspeed three-inch valves taking just a few milliseconds to open and close. The valves are controlled by a NAP button in the cockpit or using a function button (like the Z-mode button in the Corvette C8) if the vehicle is equipped with one. Depending on your preferences and driving situation, the Corvette’s “voice” can range from a sonorous growl to a full-bodied motorsport roar. The exhaust system’s four mighty stainless-steel endpipes are available either polished, ceramic-coated or with a carbon-fiber coating. The NAP valve-controlled exhaust system – which can be installed at NAP’s workshop in Nordhorn upon request – does not affect the vehicle’s warranty.
By the way, the NAP upgrades don’t just boost the C8 Stingray’s visual and acoustic performance, they also have a significant impact on driving dynamics! Official testing has shown that acceleration from 100 to 200 km/h is almost a second faster after the upgrades, with Vmax also 1-3% higher!
The project car shown in the photos is now in the hands of Autohaus Köhler and can – COVID restrictions permitting – be viewed by appointment at Köhler’s Potsdam showroom.