New Borla Exhaust Systems for the Camaro ZL1

Borla Releases a New Line of Exhaust Systems for the Camaro ZL1

Disclaimer: These systems are brand new, and I haven't had a chance to hear any of them on the ZL1 yet. I won't pretend that I have. What I have heard, however, is each of the three muffler types on a Camaro SS, a Corvette Z06, a C6 Base Corvette, a 5.0 Mustang GT, and on a Cadillac CTS-V (with the very same LSA engine, albeit, tuned a little differently than the Camaro ZL1 has). So while I can't tell you exactly how these exhaust systems will sound on the Camaro ZL1, I can give you a very good idea, and a very good reason to be excited about them just like I am.

One search of any populated Camaro group or forum will give you a quick answer to the following question: which exhaust is the most popular and most well-reviewed for the fifth generation Camaro?

The answer: Borla.

The Borla, and specifically their ATAK and Sport model systems, have sold like hot cakes since being introduced for the Camaro SS line. Part of the reason the pairing is so perfect is the fact that Borla designed the ATAK originally just for the Camaro SS. That doesn't mean they did a unique design of the ATAK for the Camaro SS, because every ATAK system they make is specifically built and tuned to the specific vehicle for which its built, it means that they developed an entirely new exhaust tone technology--known as their Acoustically Tuned Applied Kinetics, or ATAK for short--just to match up with the LS3's unique Camaro tuning. The result was something legendary, and since the first sound clip of the ATAK hit the internet, that Borla exhaust system has been hands down the car's most sought after exhaust modification.

On the Camaro SS, the ATAK exhaust system provided a note unlike anything heard before. It still had the depth and power of the American Small Block V8 engine that every driver had come to expect, but there was also something else there. Where Mustangs have for years paraded out their engine's raspy tone as being indicative of a Pony car, the ATAK showed that this wasn't necessarily the case. The ATAK exhaust system on the Camaro SS was a powerful, deep, and resonant tone, but it was also clean. The crescendo of the exhaust upwards through the RPM range resulted in an almost exotic peak, the sort of clean yet awe inspiring power that one expects to see on a Formula series road track, or screaming through the twists and turns of the Nurburgring.

That sort of tone is exactly what a Camaro ZL1 owner can expect also. Taking the LSA engine and making it sound good is easy--the car does that naturally. In fact, I'd claim it to be impossible for a 6.2L Supercharged Small Block V8 to sound bad. However, taking the LSA engine and making it sound other worldly, well, that's a feat that only the best exhaust systems can achieve.

The stock exhaust on the Camaro ZL1 is nice. It's bi-modal, which is a ton of fun--especially if you're afraid of volume--but that also means that there's a tinny ring in the upper registers of the RPM band. Listen for it next time you're on the road. Open up the car, go wide-open throttle, and enjoy the chorus. It's a rebel yell of an exhaust, but, at about 4000RPM there's a note that's not in line with the rest of the system. It's a sort of high pitched rattle. A faint echo of pennies in a Coke can, or someone talking in to a telephone made from two empty green bean cans and a length of string. This isn't to say that the exhaust sounds bad. Quite the contrary, actually. The exhaust is incredible and will bring a tear to even the most hardened car enthusiast, but, it isn't perfect, and there's room for improvement.

By switching away from the bi-modal system to a true straight-pipe exhaust like the Borla exhaust systems for the Camaro ZL1, you'll be forgoing some of that modern vacuum-valve technology, but this isn't a bad thing. Vacuum valves have been born out of necessity for keeping cars quieter so an older consumer can also enjoy them. Vacuum valves are the domain of the elderly and the "proper". Nobody buys a Camaro ZL1 for that sound. No, the people who buy Camaro ZL1s want their car to scream. They want it to sound like a black bear, standing over a kill on its hind legs, bellowing a ferocious roar that says to anything in hearing distance "I am the king of the forest!", they want their Camaro ZL1 to scream that it, just like that bear, is King; because, well, the Camaro ZL1 is the king. A Borla exhaust will help give your car that ferocious roar, that's for certain.

Borla ATAK: As Ferocious as a Roaring Black Bear

The beauty of this too is that, like the black bear, when it needs to be a Borla exhaust is majestic. It can roar like no other when it must, but, under normal driving conditions it's down right pleasant to listen to, especially the ATAK. It's a true exhaust note. It's clean. It's deep. It rumbles, but not too much. It's loud, but, it won't wake up the neighbors at start up or frighten small children when cruising. It has a certain sense of class to it that belies the monster that lives inside.

Now, if this sounds too tame, maybe the Sport is more your style. I know that Borla advertises the ATAK as the more aggressive system, but I can confidently say that this isn't necessarily the case. Maybe the Borla ATAK registers more volume on a decibel reading, but the Sport system really harkens back to those muscle car days of yore with a deeper, throatier, and raspier exhaust tone. If you're reading my description of the ATAK's Nurburgring sound and saying that you want a car that sounds more like it belongs on a drag strip with a parachute ready for deployment and some fat racing slicks on the back, well then, the Sport's the ideal exhaust for you.

Of course, if all of this sound a little too intense, but you still want to switch to a straight-through exhaust for the performance gains it gives--and there's a lot of those, too, and I'll get to them in a moment--well Borla has you covered also. The Touring system for Borla is a little too quiet for my tastes, personally, but it still features a deep and powerful tone. The volume is comparable to the stock bi-modal system with the exhaust tips open, cabin drone is absolutely nonexistent, and the exhaust tone is a deeper, more aggressive one. That tinny note I mentioned earlier? It's gone with the Borla touring, which brilliantly utilizes multi-layer resonation cones inside of the muffler to keep exhaust sound backwards and powerful, which ensuring the vehicle isn't too loud inside--even for the aforementioned Sunday driver.

Now, the beauty of an exhaust mod, is that it's not just about sound. Sure, sounding better makes driving the car more fun and helps widen the permagrin smile every Camaro ZL1 owner has just a bit, but an aftermarket exhaust also helps a vehicle perform. The name of the game in terms of performance for any and every engine is airflow capability, and this is even more important on an engine with a forced induction system akin to the LSA's Supercharger. The blower equipped to the Camaro ZL1's engine pushes a ton of air backwards through the engine, and every bit of air that hits the valves then has to exit through the exhaust. The stock pipes are of the same diameter of the Borla exhaust system, but they're less efficiently designed. There's more distance to travel, and then the mufflers choke them out even further. Piping inside the Camaro ZL1 bi-model muffler drops down to 2.5" instead of the stock 2.75" diameter. This results in the vehicle not being able to breathe as well as it would like, and, as result some of its performance potential being sapped.

Straight through exhaust pipes and Borla mufflers will result in increased air flow. Greater air flow out means the engine has the freedom to push more air in. More air in means more power. On the Camaro SS I've seen dynos report between 10 and 18 horsepower day in and day out with the addition of a Borla exhaust. On a car like the ZL1, I can only expect those numbers to be higher. Gains of around 18-28 HP on the supercharged LSA seem like a reasonable expectation, and a proper tune will only help realize even more.

The final touch on the Borla systems goes beyond the mufflers. Whether it's the Touring, Sport, or ATAK each and every Borla system for the Camaro ZL1 is a Cat-Back system. This means that in addition to over-axle piping, mufflers, and tips, every Borla system also features new mid-piping. The stock H-Pipe mid-pipe is a restrictive design that results in a lot of back pressure. The back pressure is actually physically audible as you're coming to a stop. Next time you're slowing down from 60mph+ to a stop, listen for a"popping" noise from this exhaust. This pop, known as decel-pop, is result of the choked out piping causing back pressure from the air volume changes. A Borla X-Pipe uses a much more open cross-sectional meeting points, as opposed to the straight across H pipe, and allows for greater amounts of air to flow both in and out of the system. This eliminates deceleration back pressure and the decel-pop that accompanies it. All in all, this means, again, more HP and Torque across the entire RPM band, as well as a cleaner and more modern sounding racecar exhaust tone.

Also, rest assured purchasing a Borla exhaust system. Since the exhaust piping is all post-cats on the vehicle, it doesn't change your engine warranty in any way shape or form. Your Camaro ZL1's factory warranty will remain exactly the same with this performance upgrade--something that headers, pulleys, cams, and other performance gaining mods can't promise--and that expensive new exhaust will feature a warranty as well. All Borla exhaust systems come with Borla's own Million Mile Warranty, which protects against any and all damage resultant from material or production defect. It won't be covered in case of an accident, but that's about it.

So, yeah, with Borla introducing their full line of exhaust systems to the Camaro ZL1 it's time to get excited, and start saving up a little $$$. This is one mod that you're certainly going to want to splurge on, and one that will feel and sound worth it for the entire life of your vehicle.