There’s a reason Corvette fans get a little misty-eyed at the words “Grand Sport.” Carrying more weight than most badges in American automotive history, it started not as a trim level, but as a barely-legal racing program run by Zora Arkus-Duntov in 1963 when GM’s brass had forbidden factory racing. He built five purpose-built lightweight racers in secret, got caught, and those five cars went underground into the hands of drivers like Roger Penske and A.J. Foyt. Today, they’re arguably the most valuable Corvettes on earth.
For 2027, the Grand Sport is back on the C8 platform, and this time it comes with the most torque-rich naturally aspirated V8 in the model’s history.
The Story Behind the Name
The Grand Sport moniker has reappeared strategically throughout Corvette’s history, most notably as a C4 send-off in 1996, dressed in Admiral Blue with a white center stripe and red fender hash marks, and then again in the C6 and C7 generations as the “goldilocks” model between the base Stingray and the Z06. The formula has always been the same: take the widebody and upgraded hardware from the range-topper, dial back just enough to make it accessible, and load it with visual character. The C8 Grand Sport follows that tradition faithfully, but the engineering inside is bigger this time.
More Than Just Displacement
The big news here is the engine. Chevrolet’s new LS6 is a 6.7-liter naturally aspirated V8 (half a liter up from the outgoing 6.2) achieving extra displacement through a longer stroke and boastin 535 hp and 520 lb-ft of torque. That torque figure is reportedly the most ever produced by a naturally aspirated V8 in a production car, full stop. The specs also list a 95mm throttle body, tunnel-ram intake with high-velocity ports, forged pistons and rods, and a 13.0:1 compression ratio. Now the standard engine across the Stingray lineup, it revs to 6,600 rpm, hooks up to an 8-speed dual-clutch, and drives the rear wheels too. The LS6 is built at GM’s Flint Engine Operations, the same city where Corvette V8s were first assembled in 1955.
The Package
The Grand Sport wears the Z06’s wide body and larger side intakes, and comes standard with Magnetic Ride Control, Touring Suspension, and Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4s. The signature fender hash marks have migrated to the rear fenders for the first time (a deliberate nod to the C8’s mid-engine layout) and Admiral Blue Metallic returns from the C4 era to pair with the white stripe and red accents. A new color, Pitch Gray Metallic, is also added to the options list.
For an upgrade, the Z52 Sport Performance Package adds summer tires and the Z06’s J56 iron brakes. At the top sits the Track Performance Package with Pilot Sport Cup 2Rs, carbon-ceramic J57 brakes, full carbon-fiber aero (splitter, dive planes, rear wing, underbody strakes), and track-tuned chassis calibration. It’s basically a Diet Z06, which is exactly what a Grand Sport should be. An available quad center-exit exhaust is new for the pushrod C8.
The Launch Edition interior features Santorini Blue-Dipped throughout with red stitching, a plan-view Grand Sport graphic embossed in the headrests, and a leather-wrapped visor with red accents that align with the steering wheel’s center mark.
Grand Sport X: The Hybrid Wildcard
A level even higher is the Grand Sport X, replacing the E-Ray and adds a front-axle electric motor and compact battery pack sourced from the ZR1X, pairing it with the same LS6 V8 to produce 721 hp combined and standard carbon-ceramic brakes. It’s eAWD, it’s faster than the Z06 on paper, and it features track-focused drive modes — Endurance, Qualifying, and Push-to-Pass — along with a 50 mph Stealth mode for electric-only cruising. The battery sits low and centered to preserve the mid-engine balance.
Spec Sheet
Models: Grand Sport & Grand Sport X
Model Year: 2027
Engine: LS6 6.7L NA V8 (Grand Sport); LS6 6.7L V8 + front e-motor (Grand Sport X)
Output: 535 hp / 520 lb-ft (Grand Sport); 721 hp (combined) (Grand Sport X)
Drive: RWD (Grand Sport); eAWD (Grand Sport X)
Transmission: 8-speed DCT
Production: Bowling Green, KY
Pricing & Availability
Production kicks off this summer at Bowling Green Assembly, with sales expected in the second half of 2026. Pricing hasn’t been confirmed yet.
Recap
2027 Corvette Grand Sport & Grand Sport X
The 2027 Corvette Grand Sport and Grand Sport X are back with a brand-new 6.7-liter LS6 V8 pumping out 535 hp and a record-setting 520 lb-ft of torque — all wrapped in the widebody Z06 stance and those iconic hash marks. The hybrid Grand Sport X takes it further with a front electric motor borrowed from the ZR1X, pushing combined output to 721 hp with eAWD.
