[Don]

" Is there a way to keep the side pipes (love the way they look) but dramatically cut down that exhaust noise without killing horsepower? "

If your personal desire is to have " dramatically " quieter side pipes, and accept a loss of HP which will not impact for your style of driving , the pipes will need to be rebuilt using options such as more restrictive mufflers, cones, discs with or without the center pipe being blocked, and other options such as the internal baffles used on a Harley exhaust.

The challenge being there is no magic formula to predetermine the end result. My Z06 with Bassani X pipe and Borla Stingers is loud, but exiting at the rear makes it more acceptable when driving as compared to the location of the side pipes.