Over the past few months, speculation surrounding the return of the Corvette’s Grand Sport trim has been rampant, and after what appeared to be the C8 Grand Sport was spotted in the wild a month ago, Chevy finally confirmed the model’s existence at the 12 Hours of Sebring last weekend, displaying it alongside previous Grand Sports during a parade lap. Now, a new report from The Supercar Blog claims that the C8 Grand Sport will debut with between 550 and 720 horsepower. The report says the RWD Grand Sport will make the lower number, while the Grand Sport X, which is widely believed to be the replacement for the hybrid E-Ray variant, will make the latter.
What to Expect from the New C8 Grand Sport Models
A vehicle suspected to be a pre-production prototype of the Grand Sport was caught on video late last year, and it sounded different from the 6.2-liter LT2 V8 in the Stingray. Not long after, multiple sources claimed that the Grand Sport would get a new sixth-generation LS6 with both direct and port fuel injection, with a monstrous 6.7 liters of displacement. This LS6 is expected to be considerably more potent than the 495-horsepower LT2, potentially delivering as much as 550 hp to the rear wheels of the Grand Sport, and paired with a front-axle electric motor in the Grand Sport X, total output is rumored to crest 720 hp. Naturally, the latter hybrid setup would make the 655-hp E-Ray all but redundant, so the first AWD Corvette is being sent to the scrapyard in the sky.
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The E-Ray name is reportedly being dropped because customers think its name signifies an all-electric Corvette. With the E-Ray accounting for only single-digit percentages of overall Corvette sales, it won’t be missed; a change in strategy seems prudent. However, that extra grunt will doubtless come at a price.
Expect the Corvette Grand Sport to Be Expensive
Currently, the base Stingray costs around $70,000, and the E-Ray costs nearly $110k. With a new engine, more power, and the iconic Grand Sport name, the impending arrivals will surely carry a premium over their LT2-powered predecessors. It’s unclear if the “base” Stingray will continue to be offered, but it probably will, as a somewhat affordable option would make sense to continue driving volume. Either way, don’t think of the Grand Sport and Grand Sport X as expensive versions of the Stingray—they’ll be better considered cut-price ZR1 and ZR1X supercars. They won’t have the flat-plane crank LT7 and its two turbos, but with 6.7-liter naturally aspirated V8s, they may prove even more likable. We’ll know more in just a couple of days.
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