As Corvette chief engineer Tadge Juechter sees it, the new Grand Sport is “the purist’s Corvette.” You won’t hear us argue that point, but we think his description of the basic Stingray is even more apt for this model: “the essential Corvette.” It brings to mind greatest-hits albums that showcase a given artist’s best work in one tidy package—and that’s what this car is at its core, combining as it does the Stingray’s LT1 small-block V-8 with the Z06’s brash bodywork and ludicrously capable chassis hardware. (The Z06 is “the ultimate Corvette,” so think of that one as the comprehensive box set.)
In the Grand Sport, the 6.2-liter V-8 is equipped as standard with the Stingray’s available dry-sump lubrication system—the better to keep the engine’s internals slippery during high-g cornering and braking—and deep-throated dual-mode exhaust. It makes 460 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque, which, if you take a moment to examine the specifications panel accompanying this story, you’ll see is quite sufficient. The Grand Sport accelerates to 60 mph from rest in 3.8 seconds, 0.1 second quicker than our top time for a 460-horse Stingray with the same seven-speed manual transmission, and through the quarter-mile in a blistering 12.2 seconds.
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