There’s a hybrid Corvette and the promised electric Corvette is MIA, but Chevy is about to give enthusiasts what they really want: a new V8 alongside the return of the Grand Sport.
On Saturday at the 12 Hours of Sebring race in Florida, the 2027 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport debuted during a parade lap with the four previous generations of the nameplate.
Chevrolet’s mum on details aside from the fact the nameplate returns for the 2027 model year, this thing exists, here’s what it looks like (spoiler, the trademark blue paint with white stripe and red hashes are back), and confirmation that this model will debut “the next generation of GM V8 technology.”
The only other two bits of official news about the 2027 Corvette Grand Sport from Team Chevy is that it “is for the purist” and that it “will be a high-volume model.” No limited edition here, kids. Sorry dealers, it’ll be hard to justify markups and “market adjustments” on this one.
The Grand Sport won’t be the only legendary nameplate to return with this C8 Corvette model. Prepare for the rise of the LS6.
While GM’s mum on the important details we are pretty confident the “next-generation of GM V8 technology” is a new LS6 pushrod V8 with a cross-plane crank, direct and port injection, and 6.7 liters of displacement. The sixth-generation small block V8 will be naturally aspirated (there’s that purist bit) and is expected to produce somewhere in the neighborhood of 530 to 550 horsepower. That’s a significant upgrade from the 6.2-liter LT2 V8 in today’s Stingray, which produces 495 hp.
One thing is for sure, the Grand Sport and the rest of the Corvette lineup is not getting a manual transmission.
If we were placing bets, which we absolutely are not, the new LS6 might become the new engine in the base Stingray and replace the 6.2-liter LT2 V8. Then the LS6 will find its way into the Grand Sport and be paired with Z06 suspension bits. Further expanding the lineup could be a rumored Grand Sport X, which would replace the E-Ray, because for some reason it seems consumers might be confused and think the E-Ray is an electric Corvette instead of a hybrid, and pair the electrified Corvette’s front electric motor with the new LS6 for over 700 hp and all-wheel drive.
That would make the 2027 Corvette lineup check in with a Stingray, Grand Sport, Grand Sport X, Z06, ZR1, and then the king, the ZR1X. Of course, this is all just us putting the pieces together. We’ll have to wait for Team Chevy to spill the beans on the full 2027 Corvette lineup. Expect that to be coming real soon given the Grand Sport’s grand entrance on the race track over the weekend.
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