After just a few short years, we can officially close the books on the Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray. For 2027, that model ceases to exist. RIP to the hybrid Corvette, right? As it turns out, not quite. While the E-Ray nameplate may be dead, its spirit lives on in a faster, more powerful, and more capable electrified supercar: The Grand Sport X.
The Grand Sport X formula is pretty simple: Take the E-Ray, replace its LT2 V8 with GM’s new LS6, and then swap out the electric motor on the front axle for a beefier unit lifted from the ZR1X. The result is a 721-horsepower monster that now leans more into the Corvette’s sporting character than the E-Ray it replaces.
By comparison, the E-Ray was more of a grand tourer. Sure, you can track one (and according to instructors at the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School at Spring Mountain, the number of people who have is higher than you might think), but that wasn’t really the point. With Grand Sport X, performance driving isn’t just better-enabled, it’s flat-out encouraged.
The Grand Sport X’s power bump comes from both the higher output of the new 535-hp LS6 V8 and the beefier (186 hp) electric drive unit fitted to the front axle (the ZR1X’s battery was ported over too). Chevy’s engineers also fiddled with the E-Ray’s battery management to make electrification feel more worthwhile on the track—again borrowing some tricks from ZR1X.
Its three battery modes give the driver more flexibility in using (or conserving) the battery’s extra oomph. “Endurance” mode conserves battery for later; “Push-to-Pass” does just what it sounds like, depleting the battery for a single burst of power; “Qualifying” mode metes that extra boost out more slowly—giving less ultimate power but allowing you to expend it over the course of a fast lap.
If those changes aren’t enough to tease performance enthusiasts away from the gasoline-only Grand Sport, Chevy has more goodies on offer. The X can be optioned with the same upgrades offered on the standard Grand Sport, including carbon ceramic brakes. The standard touring suspension will be matched with all-season tires (hey, it has all-wheel drive, after all); the performance package gets you summers, specifically Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber.
Chevy hasn’t announced pricing for the 2027 Corvette Grand Sport X (or the rest of the ’27 Corvette lineup) yet; we expect to hear more in the coming months.
Got a news tip? Let us know at tips@thedrive.com!