Chevrolet just made the Corvette lineup a lot more interesting. The 2027 Grand Sport returns as a proper driver’s car with rear-wheel drive and a brand new engine, while the all-new Grand Sport X adds all-wheel drive and electric assistance to push combined output to 721 horsepower. Together they sit between the everyday Stingray and the ferocious Z06, occupying the lineup’s traditional sweet spot with more firepower than that slot has ever had.
The New LS6: More Displacement, More Everything
The headline under both cars is the next-generation LS6 6.7L V8, and the numbers justify the attention. At 535 horsepower and 520 lb-ft of torque, this naturally aspirated engine delivers more power and torque across the entire rev band than the outgoing unit. Displacement jumps to 6.7 liters (409 cubic inches), compression rises to 13.0:1, and a larger 95-mm throttle body feeds a tunnel-ram intake with high-velocity ports. The result is an engine that breathes harder and pulls stronger at every point on the tachometer.
Chevrolet is also returning V8 assembly to Flint, Michigan, where the first Corvette V8s were built back in 1955. The LS6 is the sixth generation of the Small Block architecture, and GM positions it as the foundation for future V8-powered Chevrolets across the lineup. This engine matters beyond the Corvette.
An 8-speed dual-clutch transmission handles all shifts, with a final drive ratio of 5.56:1 shared across both Grand Sport variants. The LS6 also debuts in the refreshed 2027 Stingray, making it the new baseline for the entire Corvette range.
Grand Sport: The Purist’s Choice
The standard Grand Sport keeps things clean: rear-wheel drive, the LS6, and a wide range of suspension options that let buyers tune the car to exactly how they plan to use it. Magnetic Ride Control is standard across the board, paired at the base level with Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 tires and a low-dust braking system designed to keep the car looking sharp in daily use.
Buyers wanting more edge can option the Z52 Sport Performance Package, which stiffens the suspension, bolts on iron brakes borrowed from the Z06, and switches to Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer rubber. Step up to the Z52 Track Performance Package and you get carbon-ceramic brakes, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tires, a full carbon aero kit with splitter, dive planes and wing, plus underbody strakes. That package also adds the quad center-exit exhaust, which is notable: it’s the first time a center exhaust has appeared on a pushrod V8 in the C8 generation.
The Grand Sport sits on 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels in either forged aluminum or optional carbon fiber, wrapped in 275/30 front and 345/25 rear tires. Curb weight comes in at 3,520 lb, which is competitive for a car with this much hardware.
Grand Sport X: All-Wheel Drive, 721 Horsepower
The Grand Sport X is the more technically ambitious machine. It borrows the eAWD system from the ZR1X, pairing the LS6 at the rear with a permanent magnet electric motor on the front axle. That motor adds 186 hp and 145 lb-ft of torque, bringing the combined system output to 721 horsepower. The battery pack is a modest 1.9 kWh unit, kept small and low in the car to preserve the mid-engine handling balance.
The front electric motor’s near-instant torque delivery changes how the car launches. Where a rear-wheel-drive Corvette needs careful throttle management off the line, the Grand Sport X simply grips and goes. Chevrolet has also built in driver-selectable power strategies for track use: Endurance mode optimizes battery energy storage for consistent output over a full stint, Qualifying mode prioritizes peak lap time, and Push-to-Pass delivers maximum available power on demand. These are real tools for track day use, not marketing terminology.
For low-speed situations, a Stealth mode allows electric-only operation through 50 mph on the front axle alone, keeping the V8 off entirely. There’s also a Shuttle mode for non-public road use up to 23 mph. Carbon-ceramic brakes are standard on the Grand Sport X, as is Magnetic Ride Control. The available Performance Package swaps the standard Michelin Pilot Sport All-Season 4+ tires for Pilot Sport 4S rubber front and rear. Curb weight rises to 3,800 lb with all the electrification hardware on board.
Grand Sport Heritage Done Right
The Grand Sport name goes back to five hand-built C2 race cars in the early 1960s, and Chevrolet knows better than to waste that history. The signature fender hash marks that have appeared on C4, C6, and C7 Grand Sports now move to the rear quarters for the first time, acknowledging that the engine is no longer up front. It’s a small detail but a thoughtful one.
The color story is handled well. Admiral Blue Metallic returns from the C4 era, enabling the classic combination of blue body, white center stripe, and red hash marks that Grand Sport buyers have wanted for years. A new dark gray called Pitch Gray Metallic joins the palette for 2027 across all Corvette models. The wheel options are specific to the Grand Sport lineup: a 10-spoke forged aluminum design in four finishes, plus optional five-spoke carbon fiber wheels available in visible carbon, Carbon Flash painted, or visible carbon with a red stripe.
Launch Edition cars get a Santorini Blue interior with red stitching and accents, Grand Sport-specific embossed headrests, and a steering wheel badge. It’s the kind of interior treatment that makes the car feel like something worth owning rather than just something worth driving.
The Verdict
The 2027 Grand Sport lineup does exactly what this nameplate is supposed to do. Chevrolet took a name with genuine racing heritage, respected what it has always stood for, and brought it fully into the mid-engine era without watering it down. The standard Grand Sport gives you the most capable everyday Corvette short of the Z06, with a suspension and tire menu broad enough to cover everything from transcontinental touring to serious track sessions. The Z52 Track Performance Package in particular is the one to watch: carbon-ceramic brakes, Cup 2R tires, full aero kit, and center-exit exhaust on a car that still weighs under 3,600 lb. That is a serious machine at a price point well below the Z06.
The Grand Sport X is the more surprising achievement. Pairing the LS6 with the ZR1X’s eAWD system and arriving at 721 horsepower in a package you could drive to work on a wet Tuesday morning is not a trivial engineering accomplishment. The power strategy modes borrowed from the ZR1X show that Chevrolet is treating the X as a genuine performance tool rather than a technology showcase. Endurance, Qualifying, and Push-to-Pass modes exist because people will actually use them at track days, not because they look good in a brochure.
Both cars are built on a new engine that Chevrolet intends to roll out across its broader V8 lineup, which means the LS6 will become a very familiar name over the coming years. That speaks to the significance of what is under the hood here: this is not just a Corvette engine, it is the foundation of GM’s next performance chapter. Buying a Grand Sport in 2027 means getting in at the start of that story.
For Corvette buyers who are not ready to commit to the Z06’s intensity or the ZR1’s price, the Grand Sport family has just become the most compelling option in the showroom. Both variants arrive at Bowling Green Assembly this summer. Check out the full gallery below for a closer look at both cars.
