Chevrolet has brought back the Corvette Grand Sport, making its return this week with General Motors’ latest generation of V8 engines sitting behind the driver.
Designed to slot between the entry-level Corvette Stingray and the more advanced, track-focused Z06, the Grand Sport may be towards the lower end of the model’s ladder but it’s still well-equipped and targeted at daily driving duties.
Available in both Grand Sport and the new Grand Sport X grades, the latter variant replaces the E-Ray as the Corvette’s base hybrid offering, getting the same electric motor for the front axle but making more power overall thanks to its new engine.
Debuting in the Corvette Grand Sport is the new sixth-generation General Motors small-block V8 engine, designated LS6 in the case of the mid-engined sports car.
Displacing 6.7-litres, the LS6 is half-a-litre larger than the 6.2-litre LT2 which currently powers the Corvette Stingray, with its outputs climbing from 365kW and 630Nm to 399kW and 705Nm, making it the highest torque output of any naturally aspirated Corvette ever.
In the Grand Sport, combined power is quoted at 538kW, an increase of 50kW above the E-Ray.
The new LS6 engine continues to drive the rear wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, while Chevrolet claims its ECU is 44 times faster than that of the LT2.
As the sharper variant of the Stingray, the Grand Sport grades get Magnetic Ride Control and touring suspension setups as standard, though buyers can either option the Z06’s stiffer suspension and larger brakes under the Z52 Performance Package.
Opting for the even more extreme Z52 Track Performance Package further enhances its capabilities with carbon-ceramic brakes, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tyres and additional aero parts.
Also to be available on the Stingray, Grand Sport buyers can choose to have the quad-centre exit exhausts fitted to their C8s, previously not available on the LT2-equipped car.
Standard fit are 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport All-Season 4+ tyres, while Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber can be optioned too. The factory-fit wheels are 10-spoke forged aluminium, though five-spoke carbon-fibre rims (understood to be made in Australia by Carbon Revolution) are also available.
Linking the C8 Grand Sport to its C2, C4, C6 and C7 predecessors are specific ‘hash marks’ on its rear wheel-arches, moved from the front end. The Admiral Blue Metallic paintwork which has been linked to the Grand Sport has also returned.
The Grand Sport additionally debuts a new finish in Pitch Gray Metallic, which will be available across the wider 2027 Corvette lineup, as will its asymmetrical Santorini Blue and Jet Black interior upholstery.
Chevrolet has announced the LS6 engine will replace the LT2 in the Stingray, with the entry-level Corvette set to get a number of other upgrades for the 2027 model year.
These include an updated Magnetic Ride Control calibration, a shorter final drive ratio for the Z51 Performance Package, and also Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 tyres for the latter.
It’s unclear if and when the updated Chevrolet Corvette will come to Australia, with a spokesperson for GM’s Australian outpost, GMSV, telling Torquecafe: “At this time, we have no announcements to make on future models for the ANZ region.”
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