The Plot Thickens
Rumors about the Chevrolet C8 Corvette receiving a Grand Sport trim for the 2027 model year have been circulating for some time. Recent hints continue to surface, with the latest coming from a spy shot taken by @njp_moto on California’s Angeles Crest Highway, showing two examples that appear to be prepped for a shoot.
The area was blocked off by other vehicles, limiting the view to just a brief glimpse of the Corvettes. Still, that may be enough to suggest the Corvette Grand Sport is now out in the wild—especially after paint options for the 2027 model year were recently leaked.
Connecting the Visual Dots
The leak referenced two new colors – Pitch Metallic and Opulent Blue Metallic. The latter is also known as Admiral Blue, a paint option previously offered on the C4 and C7 Corvette Grand Sport. It also appears to match the color of the spied vehicle in California. If that isn’t convincing enough, the prototype also wears red stripes – another common Grand Sport design cue. In previous iterations, however, these stripes were typically found on the front fenders instead.
This may be a reach, but with Chevrolet moving from a front- to a mid-engine layout for the first time with the C8 Corvette, perhaps the stripes followed suit as well.
What’s more firmly supported is the rumor that the C8 Corvette Grand Sport could receive a new 6.7-liter naturally aspirated small-block V8, reportedly carrying the LS6 designation. While the horsepower figures have remained under wraps, the Grand Sport is expected to slot above the Corvette Stingray, so it would likely need to top the Stingray’s 495 horsepower from its 6.2-liter NA LT2 V8. Historically, the Grand Sport has always been rear-wheel drive, which could make it the go-to option here, instead of the all-wheel-drive setup used in the Corvette E-Ray.
Chevrolet
Another Piece of the Puzzle
The 2027 Chevy Corvette is expected to arrive later this year, with some arguing that the Grand Sport could become the model’s volume seller.
If the rumors are true, the Grand Sport would join an already stacked C8 Corvette lineup that includes the Stingray, E-Ray, Z06, ZR1, and the most extreme ZR1X, which produces 1,250 horsepower from a hybridized powertrain. This expanded range could further boost Chevy’s market appeal – especially as Ford has just unveiled another performance-focused Mustang variant, the Dark Horse SC, widely viewed as the S650 generation’s equivalent of the Shelby GT500.
Clive Sutton
