Corvette Grand Sport Returns – and Adds A 721-HP Hybrid Option

Corvette fans will have a new, high-performance option later this year with the return of the Grand Sport package featuring an all-new version of the small-block LS6 V-8. For those who want even more power, however, there’ll be a third Corvette hybrid option, the 721-hp Grand Sport X. More from Headlight.News.

Think of it as a rare treat. Chevrolet has rolled out Grand Sport versions of the Corvette for only four limited runs since “America’s sports car” made its debut back in 1953. But the GS is about to return for a fifth time and it carries with it some surprises.

To start with, the 2027 Corvette Grand Sport will reintroduce the small-block LS6 V-8, here punching out a blistering 535 horsepower. For those who want even more muscle, Chevy’s also bolting a hybrid drive system onto the GS front axle, the Grand Sport X bumping the pony count to 721.

That’s actually 51 hp more than the current Corvette Z06 – but it’s expected to come in at a markedly lower price tag. And that, said Chevrolet brand boss Scott Bell, “gives us an opportunity to hit the accelerator on (Corvette) sales.” Perhaps. But with Chevy routinely rolling out new variants, he quickly admitted “We’re having a hard time building enough (already) to meet demand.”

What’s new

Chevy offered a hint of what’s coming last weekend. Eagle-eyed race fans got to see an early prototype lead a pack of earlier Grand Sport Corvettes on a parade lap ahead of the 12 Hours of Sebring. But the automaker is only today confirming its return, and dropping news about the Grand Sport X.

The GS serves as a step up from the “base” Corvette Stingray. This marks the fifth time the GS badge has appeared since it was launched in 1962 as a special edition C2, or second-generation ‘Vette. This is also the first time it will be used with the mid-engine C8 model. The prior Grand Sport was a C7 produced from 2017 to 2019.

The big news is the return of the LS6 which is effectively all-new “but for some fasteners,” said Josh Holder, Corvette chief engineer, during a media background briefing. The small-block package will debut in the Grand Sport and then migrate to the Stingray – likely at a detuned horsepower rating – in 2027. Even bigger news: Grand Sport brings Corvette’s third hybrid in the GSX package.

Powertrain

“Grand Sport has always been the Corvette for drivers who want the spirit of a race car in a package they can enjoy every day,” Bell said during that “virtual” background briefing on Wednesday.

The new LS6 provides the beating heart for both GS packages. Holder’s team reworked pretty much every part of the engine, giving it a new cross-plane crank, new throttle body, new cylinder heads, updated pistons. They improved cooling and lubrication to handle track days. And compression has been boosted to 13:1.

The “base” Grand Sport now delivers535 hp and 520 pound-feet of torque through an 8-speed double-clutch transmission to the rear wheels. By comparison, the Stingray’s LT2 V-8 maxes out at 495 hp.

The Grand Sport X, meanwhile, lifts the hybrid front axle from the earlier Corvette E-Ray. It’s also gone through a major upgrade, adding 26 more horsepower over the original Corvette hybrid. That yields 186 ponies spinning the front axle – for a combined total of 721. That’s 51 more than the Z06 – and drawing from a 1.86-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, torque comes on all but instantaneously. Considering the E-Ray is already faster off the line than the Z06, we expect even more impressive launch numbers from the new GSX.

More Performance News

• Chevy’s Electrified Hypercar, the ZR1X, Starts at $207,000
• Nissan Updates Z Car, Adds NISMO Manual Option
• BMW Launches All-Electric i3

Plenty of Options

The LS6 isn’t the only difference between Stingray and Grand Sport. The GS starts with a stiffer version of the now-familiar Corvette magnetic-ride control damping system, while adding Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 tires as standard fare – or optional summer tires.

Indeed, Chevy will offer  “hundreds of build combinations,” noted Tristan Murphy, the Corvette design manager. These include a wide range of interior and exterior colors, stripes and retro-inspired hashes for the rear fenders – and, of course, the requisite performance upgrades.

• The Z52 Performance Package gets a stiffer suspension, Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer tires and the high-performance iron brakes first used on the C8 Z06;
• The Z52 Track Performance Package swaps them out for carbon-ceramic brakes and Michelin Sport Cup 2R rubber. Its suspension is tuned for the track and the package adds numerous aero features, including a carbon-fiber splitter, dive planes, rockers and wing, plus underbody strakes.

Pricing and Availability

Chevy has yet to reveal a few key details, including 0-60 and quarter-mile times. We’ll also have to wait for pricing details. But to offer some perspective, the 2026 Corvette Stingray with the Z51 Performance Package starts at $78,340, including a $1,995 destination fee. The E-Ray jumps to $110,595 and the  Z06, meanwhile, begins at $119,695.

The Grand Sport LS6 package said Holder, will debut first, arriving in U.S. showrooms “later this summer, followed a few months later by GS-X.”

For the first year, Chevy will offer a Grand Sport Launch Edition. The focus will be exclusively on that package’s interior which will be finished in Santorini Blue, with red stitching and accents. Headrests will be  embossed with a unique Grand Sport exterior plan view outline. There’ll also be a Launch Edition waterfall speaker plaque and a Grand Sport steering wheel badge.