The C8-generation Chevrolet Corvette revolutionized the nameplate with a mid-engine layout, a supercar title-securing flat-plane V8, and optional hybrid powertrains devised purely for performance’s sake. While the electrified ‘Vette will live on in the form of “X”-badged eAWD vehicles, including the record-setting ZR1X, the E-Ray platform on which that electrification debuted is officially out. Speaking to the Detroit Free Press, a General Motors spokesperson confirmed plans to phase out the Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray, which arrived in 2023 as the quickest Corvette variant ever.
In its place, the Grand Sport returns to the Corvette lineup for the first time since 2019. The sophomore-level, GT-minded entry that sits between the Stingray and Z06 brings with it some signature identifiers, including the hash marks previously seen on the front fenders of C4, C6, and C7 models—now they’re on the rear, nodding to the engine’s more rearward position. Admiral Blue Metallic, a signature hue from 1980, returns to give buyers the chance to revive one of the Corvette’s most iconic colorways: a blue base featuring a fat white racing stripe.
“Grand Sport has always been the Corvette for drivers who want the spirit of a race car in a package they can enjoy every day,” said Scott Bell, vice president of Global Chevrolet. “With the new Grand Sport and Grand Sport X, we’ve taken that formula into the mid-engine era, pairing a heritage-rich design with the most advanced Corvette technologies we’ve ever offered.”
The Grand Sport isn’t getting a quiet comeback, either. Its return for the 2027 model year is marked by the debut of a brand-new V8 dubbed the LS6, a name first used in the 1970s on a 454-cubic-inch big-block engine, then resurrected to refer to the 5.7-liter small-block found in the C5-gen 2001 Corvette Z06 and original Cadillac CTS-V.
In the 2027 Corvette Grand Sport, as well as the new Stingray, the LS6 refers to a 6.7-liter unit that reigns as the torquiest naturally aspirated production V8 ever, pushing out 520 pound-feet at 4,600 RPM and 535 horsepower at 6,100 RPM.
“We’re trying to recreate some of what worked in the muscle-car era,” says Mike Kociba, assistant chief engineer for the Small Block. “We wanted a wide, high torque band, and high power. It feels like we’re bringing a piece of Americana back.”
As Chevrolet points out, the LS6 gains displacement over the preceding 6.2-liter LT2 V8 via an extended stroke (the distance the pistons travel). Its compression ratio—the ratio between the volume of the cylinder at the bottom of the piston’s travel and the top—is 13:1, the highest ever for a Corvette.
Chevrolet wanted to beat the compression ratio of the legendary 427-cubic-inch L88 big block of 1967-1969, a V8 made specifically for racing. “That was 12.5:1 on leaded fuel,” Kociba says. “The only way we could pull off beating that today with unleaded fuel was with our advanced controls.”
Distinguishing the Grand Sport from the entry-level Stingray is standard, body roll-mitigating Magnetic Ride Control, touring suspension and Michelin Pilot Sport All-Season 4 tires—an ideal setup for grand touring. Those with speedier ambitions might opt for the Z52 Sport Performance Package, featuring a stiffer suspension, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer tires, and J56 iron brakes from the Corvette Z06. And for those who want to take their Grand Sport on a closed circuit, there’s the Z52 Track Performance Package, which mates carbon-ceramic J57 brakes and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tires with the Grand Sport’s most aggressive chassis tuning and an aero package featuring a carbon-fiber splitter, dive planes, rockers and wing.
But from a pure performance perspective, the ultimate Grand Sport expression is the one with X in the title. All the juice from the LS6 V8 combines with 186-hp/145-pound-foot electric motor on the front axle to produce produce a combined 721 horsepower. For comparison’s sake, that’s just 34 horses fewer than you got in the C7-generation’s top-dog Corvette ZR1. Magnetic Ride Control, carbon-ceramic brakes and Michelin Pilot Sport All –Season 4 tires are standard on the Grand Sport X, while the available Performance Package adds Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires.
GM’s Bowling Green Assembly will begin building the Grand Sport lineup this summer. Prices and dates of availability weren’t announced, but expect the Grand Sport to start at just under $95,000, per Car and Driver.
