2018 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport

Overview: The Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport occupies the slim real estate between the 455-hp Stingray and the supercharged, 650-hp Z06, combining elements of the two. The Stingray’s naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V-8 is surrounded by the Z06’s gnarly bodywork, flared fenders, meaty tires, and wide-track suspension. Think of the Grand Sport as basically equal to the track-ready Z06 in every way save for power. The combination is potent enough to earn it a spot on our 2017 10Best Cars list, and track rats can go nuts and buy a Z07 aerodynamics and handling package very similar to the one available on the Z06, complete with carbon-ceramic brakes, a deeper spoiler, a harder-core suspension tune, and ultragrippy Michelin Pilot Super Sport Cup 2 tires.

What’s New: Similar to its Stingray and Z06 siblings, the Grand Sport receives a multitude of minor updates for 2018. The backup camera boasts higher resolution, the head-up display can be adjusted over a wider range, and there are a few new interior and exterior color combinations. Headlining the Grand Sport’s transition into the new year is the limited-production Carbon 65 Edition package that’s also available on the Z06.

The Corvette reviewed here came so equipped, meaning it wore exclusive Ceramic Matrix Gray paint, featured Carbon 65 graphics on the fenders and doors, and had carbon fiber practically splattered all over it, including on the splitter, rocker-panel blades, spoiler, side mirrors, hood insert, rear fender ducts, wheel caps, and about half of the steering-wheel rim. These carbon-fiber items are all optional on regular Grand Sports, as are the package’s included Competition Sport seats. The net effect is eye-catching—our Carbon 65 coupe attracted endless attention. The interior’s blue stitching (including quilting for the removable carbon-fiber roof panel’s microsuede-upholstered headliner), additional black microsuede accents, and carbon-fiber trim noticeably classed up the Corvette’s cabin. Whether that’s worth the package’s $15,000 cost (and this specific Carbon 65’s $99,230 sticker) is up to you.

What We Like: Outside of pricey option packages like the Carbon 65 gear, Corvettes—and more specifically the Z07-equipped Grand Sports and Z06s—most definitely are performance bargains, with heroic capabilities including greater than 1.10 g of cornering grip on our skidpad, sub-140-foot braking distances from 70 mph, and excellent high-speed stability. Even the base V-8 pushes out 460 horsepower with the Grand Sport’s standard Sport exhaust (an option on base Stingrays), punting the thing to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds—quicker than the Stingray, thanks to its tires’ extra grip. Opt for the Z07 package for even more insane track performance.

It’s performance you can enjoy, too, thanks to the clear feedback from the steering and chassis as you near the grip limits at either end of the car. We have zero complaints about the way the Grand Sport looks, sounds, or drives. As a bonus, when you want to relax and just cruise the Vette serves up a comfortable ride in its Tour drive mode. (Cycling up through the Sport and Track modes transitions the ride to firm and then to rock hard.) It’s even capable of nearly 30 mpg on the highway, thanks to the manual transmission’s ultratall seventh gear and the V-8’s cylinder-deactivation feature that can shut down four cylinders to save fuel. The available automatic transmission’s eight forward speeds aid the cause of efficiency with their wider ratio spread, and its quick shifting helps get the Vette up to speed even more quickly.

What We Don’t Like: Despite the Carbon 65 package’s upgrades, the Corvette’s interior leaves a lot to be desired. Yes, we get it, the Vette starts in the mid-$50,000 space, as compared with the better-turned-out Porsche 911 which starts at nearly double that figure. But other $50,000 cars don’t suffer from body creaks over speed bumps, pervasive plasticky smells on hot days, and interior switchgear that’s upstaged by that of many mid-size sedans. Our test car’s door panel, for example, noticeably flexed whenever we pressed the driver’s seat memory buttons, and with only 1200 miles on its odometer the car’s temperature knob was for some reason sticky almost to the point of being entirely stuck.

A few other warnings: We recommend trying the narrow Competition seats on for size before buying. And for all the Corvette’s external size, particularly its width, its interior is cramped, particularly in width. Oh, and you probably will bang your knee on the sharp corner of the dashboard getting into and out of the ultra-low driver’s seat, because it juts out into the space between the steering wheel and the seat. Approach the Grand Sport like the affordable track-capable car it is, and these flaws fade into the background; treat it like any other $65,000 car, and they’re less forgivable.

Verdict: A performance juggernaut.

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Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door targa or convertible

BASE PRICES: Grand Sport, $66,490;
Grand Sport convertible, $70,490

ENGINE TYPE: pushrod 16-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 376 cu in, 6162 cc
Power: 460 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 465 lb-ft @ 4600 rpm

TRANSMISSIONS: 7-speed manual, 8-speed automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 106.7 in
Length: 177.9 in
Width: 77.4 in Height: 48.6–48.7 in
Passenger volume: 52 cu ft
Cargo volume (targa/convertible): 15/10 cu ft
Curb weight (C/D est): 3450–3500 lb

EPA FUEL ECONOMY:
Combined/city/highway: 18–19/15–16/25 mpg

C/D TEST RESULTS FOR:
2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Coupe Manual
Zero to 60 mph: 3.9 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 8.9 sec
Zero to 130 mph: 15.4 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 4.5 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 12.9 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 11.6 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 12.3 sec @ 117 mph
Top speed (drag limited, C/D est): 175 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 136 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 1.13 g
Curb weight: 3463 lb
C/D observed fuel economy: 16 mpg