Ok all, so finally after ordering the Borla X pipe on July 1st it arrived on August 24th!
I wont bore you with the details but a long out of stock at Borla, a screw up by UPS, and my summer vacation it took forever to arrive. I had it installed today and after about 100km, here are my thoughts:
Install:
Took it Boyer GM in Pickering and was charged 1.5hours labour.
No CEL light and all good so far.
The weight difference between stock and Borla is quite noticeable--I think at least 5 pounds or so.
Start Up:
In track setting it's loud, with the normal bark taken up a few notches. It did that before, but there is definitely extra bite.
Idle:
Again, in track you will notice the difference. In my view, the car sounds much better at idle than it did previously. Much more of a muscle car sound without being overwhelming or annoying.
Driving:
No noticeable drone to my ears. Very similar to stock but a touch louder
At open throttle, it's all business and significantly louder than stock. Not obnoxious, but you and others will know it is a modified exhaust. It's definitely a screamer.
Sound:
Let me start by saying I think the stock sound of the Z06 is superb. If you are looking to take it up a notch without spending a small fortune do this and you will not be disappointed. To my ears it deepens the tone and delivers a far more traditional V8 muscle roar. The stock sounded a bit higher pitched and 'exotic' where this sounds a lot meaner. Both are great sounds so please don't think I'm saying one sounds better than the other.
Other:
So others have mentioned this and I must agree--the revs seem more lively and seat of the pants pull feels a touch more responsive. This is likely in my head, but the car felt like it was pulling a bit harder and frankly was more squirrely than normal. I'm in no way suggesting I got more HP from this mod, but the car feels a touch different to me.
Conclusion:
For $600 and 1.5 hours labour (which you can do yourself if you so choose) this is a fairly inexpensive mod that is worth it. Be prepared for a tone change (at least to my ears) and definitely louder. Nice thing is you don't lose the NPP functionality.
Hope this is helpful to anyone considering, and happy to answer any other questions..