The Grand Sport nameplate for the Corvette returns with a very loud bang, as Chevrolet slaps it on a non-supercharged ZO6.
The new Corvette Gran Sport made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show and took everyone by surprise by how much more focused the new model is compared to its predecessors.
The chassis tuning, upgraded cooling systems, and performance technologies of the Corvette Z06, all passed to the new Grand Sport as is. Add the optional ZO7 performance pack and the new Grand Sport becomes a weapon to those who wanted ZO6 handling with a 460hp dry-sumped LT1 V8 powertrain.
In fact the Grand Sport with the Z07 package is less than one second off the track record for the previous-generation Corvette ZR1 on the road course at GM’s Milford Proving Ground. For a car being down almost 180hp, that is quite an achievement.
“We didn’t hold back with the new Grand Sport,” said Tadge Juechter, Corvette chief engineer. “For the first time, buyers can equip the Grand Sport with a Z07 performance package – which adds carbon-ceramic brakes, Michelin Sport Cup 2 summer tires, and carbon-fiber aero package that delivers true downforce.”
The new Corvette Grand Sport will be available with the seven-speed manual or the eight-speed automatic transmission.
The show car you see in the photos is a Collector Edition, which will be offered later, featuring an exclusive Watkins Glen Gray Metallic exterior with Tension Blue hash-mark graphics, satin black full-length stripes, black wheels and a unique Tension Blue full leather and suede-wrapped interior.
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