Key facts
The new Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport has every chance of becoming one of the most popular versions of the C8 model. According to a recent Car and Driver test, it sits exactly between the base Stingray and the loud Z06. It seems to have all the ingredients for success.
The 2027 Chevrolet Corvette GS tested here was in 3LT trim costing $142,380. Added to it were the Z52 Track Performance package for $20,695 and carbon fiber wheels for $10,995.
What’s under the hood
Like the 2027 Corvette Stingray, the Grand Sport debuted with GM’s new sixth-generation LS6 engine. It is a 6.7-liter naturally aspirated V8 that replaces the former 6.2-liter LT2 unit. In both versions—the Stingray and the Grand Sport—this engine produces 535 hp and 520 lb-ft (705 Nm) of torque. That is 40 hp and 50 lb-ft (68 Nm) more than before.
Acceleration dynamics
The car has an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, rear-wheel drive, and a 5.56:1 final drive ratio, like the Z06. That is why Car and Driver recorded a 0-60 mph (96 km/h) time of 2.7 seconds with a one-foot rollout, or 2.9 seconds without it. Reaching 100 mph (161 km/h) took 6.8 seconds, and the car covered the quarter mile in 11.0 seconds at a trap speed of 123 mph (198 km/h).
Place in the lineup
This puts the Grand Sport exactly between the old 6.2-liter Stingray, which covered the quarter mile in 11.2 seconds at 122 mph, and the Z06, which does it in 10.5 seconds at 131 mph. The 0-60 mph time also falls between the old Stingray’s 2.8 seconds and the Z06’s 2.6 seconds. The publication has not yet tested the 2027 Stingray with the new 6.7-liter engine, but it should show roughly the same results as the Grand Sport.
Braking and handling
It is on the skidpad that the new Grand Sport stands out among other C8 models. On Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tires, it recorded a peak 1.18 g. That is higher than the Z06 (1.16 g), ZR1X (1.14 g), and ZR1 (1.13 g). Braking from 70 mph (113 km/h) to a complete stop took 144 feet (43.9 meters). That is slightly more than the ZR1X’s 135 feet (41.1 meters), and noticeably worse than the ten-year-old C7 Corvette Grand Sport Z07. That same C7 delivered the same 1.18 g of maximum lateral grip, but stopped from 70 mph in just 123 feet (37.5 meters). The older car had an important advantage on the scales—it weighs more than 200 pounds (90.7 kg) less.
Such behavior makes the Grand Sport a very balanced choice in the Corvette family. It almost catches the Z06 in acceleration, and in handling it even outperforms its older siblings. The only area where it loses to the old C7 Grand Sport is braking, and the main factor here is mass. The new C8 is heavier, and that shows in the numbers. Still, for most owners, a difference of a few meters in braking distance is unlikely to be decisive, especially since the grip reserve and dynamics remain at a very high level.