There’s been plenty of buzz around the new Corvette Grand Sport, and now Chevy is teasing its official debut.
Almost from the beginning of the Corvette’s seven-decade history, there’s been a Grand Sport model to prove, and later celebrate, the model’s racing pedigree. It was pretty much a given that the latest C8 generation would eventually keep the tradition alive, and now that moment is finally here. Chevrolet just teased the new Corvette Grand Sport’s March 26 debut, with a couple nuggets of critical information for the enthusiasts anxiously awaiting the moment.
The company debuted the new 2027 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport over the weekend’s 12 Hours of Sebring race in Florida, running the parade lap alongside four previous generations, stretching back to the C2 that Roger Penske and Jim Hall drove to victory in the 1963 and 1964 seasons.
Now, for the moment Chevy is still keeping many of the details of the new Grand Sport under wraps. We do know, however, that it will pack “the next generation of V8 technology” under the hood. The automaker is likely referring to the recently reported LS6 there, a new 6.7-liter pushrod, cross-plane crank V8 that brings in both direct and port injection, but no forced induction to the mix. So, this engine is about as much as purists could ask for given the broader push toward turbocharging and electrification (like the E-Ray or the ZR1X, for example). The general consensus is that this new LS6 will make in the region of 550 horsepower, which is a decent bump on the Stingray’s 495-horsepower LT2.
Moving forward, it’s possible (even likely) this new V8 will replace the older-generation V8s GM has floating around, to the point that this will be the new de facto engine for the base Stingray as well as the E-Ray. We’ll have to wait and see on that one, but there’s a fair to good chance the company is going to want to capitalize on its recent, large investment in its Tonawanda engine facility, which is responsible for building the new small-block V8s.
While the notion of a naturally aspirated small-block V8 is certain to get enthusiasts’ blood pumping, there is one (unsurprising) bummer: This C8 Grand Sport will not get a manual transmission. Instead, all signs point to the 8-speed dual-clutch transmission still being the norm here, despite hopeful rumors to the contrary.
We’ll find out more on March 26, so stay tuned for some more details then.
