The C8 Generation of the Corvette has brought some of the nameplate’s greatest entrants. Both the Z06 and ZR1 models are quite simply some of the best performance cars on sale today at any price point. That said, there’s a beloved nameplate that has been notably missing from the lineup: Grand Sport.
Well, after months of fan speculation and leaks, the Grand Sport is finally here with a brand new small-block V-8 under the rear decklid. As if that wasn’t exciting enough, the Grand Sport X also joins the lineup, complete with learnings from the all-wheel drive Corvette ZR1X. Here’s everything you need to know about these new ‘Vettes.
The Grand Sport nameplate is one of the most iconic in all of Chevrolet history. As the story goes, Corvette Chief Engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov wanted to craft a Corvette model aimed at beating the mighty Shelby Cobra in competition. Duntov and a skunkworks team would ultimately only manage to build five units before GM’s internal ban on motorsports put an end to the program. Despite the lack of factory backing, the Grand Sports proved to be formidable racers; the models would participate in key races like the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Daytona, as well as putting up a legendary Shelby-smashing performance at the 1963 Nassau Speed Week. All five examples still exist, and are surely among the most valuable Corvettes ever made.
GM would revive the Grand Sport nameplate with the final iteration of the C4 generation in 1996. And while we didn’t get a Grand Sport for the C5, the C6 and C7 generations each featured a Grand Sport towards the end of their production runs. This latest entry not only follows that release pattern, but it borrows the established “Grand Sport” recipe from the C7.
The C8 Grand Sport features the wider bodywork of the Z06 and ZR1 models, complete with the upgraded suspension, bigger brakes, and wider tires that come on the track-oriented machines. The Grand Sport lineup also serves as the debut for the new 6.7-liter LS6 V-8 engine, which will replace the LT2 in the Stingray moving forward. The new small block is jam packed with performance hardware, including a new tunnel ram intake system, a port and direct injection fuel setup, forged pistons and rods, a new oiling system with dual-main feeds, and a ludicrous 13:1 compression ratio. (You can read more about that new engine here.)
The result is 535 hp and 520 lb-ft of torque, making the LS6 the torquiest naturally aspirated V-8 in Corvette history. That torque curve itself is much broader than the outgoing LT2 as well, which should help the LS6-powered cars feel much more performant. An eight-speed dual-clutch shared with the rest of the lineup is the sole transmission option; despite rumors of a potential manual variant using the Tremec conversion we saw at SEMA, Corvette executives maintain it is impossible to make it fit.
The Grand Sport X model arrives in 2027 as the replacement for the now-defunct Corvette E-Ray, just as earlier rumors suggested. The nomenclature change required a rear-drive Grand Sport model to exist, hence the short-lived E-Ray moniker. That said, this machine is a bit more extreme than its predecessor. Not only does the Grand Sport X receive the LS6 V-8, but it also gets the electric motor, inverter, and battery pack straight off ZR1X. Not only does this provide all-wheel drive, but it boosts total output to 721 hp. (For reference, the E-Ray boasted a “lowly” 655-hp output.)
As such, the all-wheel drive Grand Sports come as standard with the carbon stoppers found on the track cars. The Grand Sport X also adopts some of the ZR1X’s track modes, including Qualifying Mode, which squeezes the most performance possible from the hybrid system for a short amount of time.
Customers will have a lot of choice when it comes to speccing their Grand Sport models. The carbon brakes are an optional extra on the rear-drive machines, while the Z06’s carbon fiber aero package is available across both models. All-season tires come as standard, but a set of Michelin PS4S rubber are on offer for either machine. The rear-drive Grand Sports can be optioned with a Cup tire if you need the most amount of performance possible, though they aren’t available quite yet for the AWD variants. (Chevrolet executives suggested we won’t have to wait too long for the super sticky rubber to come to the X, however.)
The cars can also be ordered with either a corner- or center-exit exhaust, the first time the latter has been offered with a pushrod engine in the C8 generation. Furthermore, the brand is expanding its customization program for the two new machines, as well as offering a wide range of exterior color and hash mark combinations.
Chevrolet isn’t ready to share actual performance figures for the Grand Sport and Grand Sport X quite yet, but we expect the Grand Sport to split the difference between the existing Stingray and the Z06. Given that the Grand Sport X replaces the E-Ray, it will surely remain quicker in a straight line than the Z06. Pricing will also likely fall somewhere in line with the outgoing machine; GM also isn’t ready to share the base cost for the rear-drive Grand Sport, but we expect it to land under $100,000, positioning it well below the mighty Z06 and its 670 hp flat-plane V-8.
Like the Grand Sport models before them, these new offerings might just represent the sweet spot of the Corvette lineup. It doesn’t hurt that the new LS6 sounds incredible, too.
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Born and raised in Metro Detroit, associate editor Lucas Bell has spent his entire life surrounded by the automotive industry. He may daily drive an aging Mustang, but his Porsche 944 and NB Miata both take up most of his free time.
