American gearheads are no stranger to being denied some of the greatest automotive pleasures known to man. Only after years of begging and pleading did Audi decide to bring its much-loved fast wagons over to the states. But, sometimes, we do get some cool stuff. A rumor suggests the USA may be getting an exclusive M2 with a manual gearbox and now we've learned that the domestic market Corvette Z06 will be a lot cooler than their global counterparts.

Thanks to emissions regulations in key markets such as Australia and Europe, Chevrolet has had to redesign the exhaust outlet for the supercar-slaying Z06. While US-spec versions will receive the centrally-mounted quad-exit tailpipes, models destined for export will boast a layout resembling the setup found on the lesser Stingray derivative. The reason behind this is simple: the global variant requires the fitment of gasoline particulate filters which the original setup cannot accommodate.

Tailpipe design may not matter to many, but the main reason behind the distinctive layout is exhaust noise. The exhaust system was re-engineered to get the best possible note from the quad pipes. Even worse news for non-US Z06 buyers comes in the form of a potential decrease in performance. Like the Z06, foreign market Stingrays also receive the gasoline particulate filters which reduces power output.

As such, European Corvette Stingrays, for example, produce 468 horsepower (compared to 495 hp in the US) and 455 lb-ft of torque (470 lb-ft in the States). This means we can assume Z06 models destined for import will also have an unfortunate power deficit. The 5.5-liter LT6 V8 could lose up to 27 hp of output. Still, buyers outside of the USA certainly won't be put off - Chevrolet has worked hard to turn the Z06 into a world-beater.

While performance figures such as top speed remain unknown, what we do know looks promising. The all-American sports car can rocket to 60 mph in a mere 2.6 seconds. What's more, the flat-plane crank V8 is capable of revving up to 8,600 rpm which should be an aural treat for the senses - it's a pity our global counterparts won't be able to enjoy this noise as GM had intended.

Chevrolet has kept several details under wraps, but more will be revealed as we edge closer to it being made available this summer. Pricing hasn't been announced as yet, but some are speculating that it may just hit the six-figure mark, although others expect it to retail for a more palatable $90,000. That is, of course, if greedy dealerships don't add unrealistic markups to these cars. They've been warned, though - GM has threatened to reallocate Z06 dealer stock if dealers partake in unethical behavior.