The new Corvette Grand Sport and Grand Sport X take advantage of a 6.7-liter V8 engine and are being advertised as the ideal sports cars for road and track. The production will start this summer, but all the main specifications are already here.
The new LS6 engine produces 542 PS (535 hp / 400 kW) and 705 Nm (520 lb-ft) of torque – more torque than any other mass-produced Corvette so far. The momentum is routed to the rear wheels through the familiar eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. Tweaked Brembo brakes and adaptive suspension further improve the dynamics.
Unlike the regular Grand Sport, the “X” version introduces the front axle to an electric motor driving the total output to 730 PS (721 hp / 537 kW). Among other things, it supports all-electric driving as long as the speed stays under 80 km/h (50 miles per hour). We don’t have any other parameters yet, but everything points to the Grand Sport X being the replacement for the current Corvette E-Ray. If true, the E-Ray might never get so much as a facelift before retirement.
All prices are pending. Going forward, General Motors plans to make active use of its “driver-focused” and “emotional” LS6 engine, putting it into other sports cars and possibly some SUVs and pickup trucks as well.
