[RUMOR] Is Chevy Preparing for Production of a Widebody Grand Sport C8?

By
Keith Cornett
-
15
18212

[RUMOR] Is Chevy Preparing for Production of a Widebody Grand Sport C8?


One of the more persistent rumors we are hearing has been the return of a Grand Sport model for the C8 era, and in our opinion, one can’t come soon enough.

Previously, the C6 and C7 Grand Sports have been what are essentially parts-bin Corvettes, with the base engine being mated into a widebody chassis and also featuring free-flow options for brakes and suspensions. With the LT2 already installed in the widebody for the E-Ray, development of such a car should be fairly straight forward.

It’s also our belief that a new Grand Sport would slot in between the Stingray and E-Ray, targeting a starting price of $87,600 – the median price between the starting $68,300 Stingray and the $106,900 MSRP of the E-Ray. Having the Grand Sport in the line-up offers previous Stingray owners an attractive widebody model for upgrading to without the extra cost for the hybrid AWD system. It would also reduce the quantities of Stingrays being produced, which are piling up on dealer lots.

We say this because our friend Rick ‘Corvette’ Conti in his latest video addresses a rumor he has heard about the production line at the Corvette Assembly Plant being reconfigured to optimize the production of the widebody Corvettes versus the Stingray. This actually fits a similar rumor we heard late last year, that the assembly line’s speed could “detuned” to run slower to accommodate building the more complex widebody cars. So perhaps there is a combination of things that will be put in place to optimize widebody production. We didn’t have a timeline for that, but it makes sense that all would be in place prior to the ZR1 starting production in Quarter 2.

Check it out and let us know if you would like to see a widebody C8 Grand Sport in your future.

From Rick Conti via YouTube:

Tonight we talk about the order constraints for 2025, but what is coming for C8 Corvette generation. Yet another model, where will it fit and are we ready!


Source:
Rick Conti / YouTube

Related:
[SPIED] Might This Camouflaged C8 Prototype Be the Much-Rumored Corvette Grand Sport?
RUMOR: Chevy Built Five Identical Sebring Orange 2025 Z06 Convertibles and Shipped Them to Detroit
You Heard it Here First: The 2026 C8 Corvette Zora Will Make 1,224* Horsepower!

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15 COMMENTS

  1. What would be the value proposition for a GS now? Tune the base engine to 575 hp in the wide body? I had a C7 GS and it was the sweet spot of that generation but I’m struggling with this notion.

  2. I agree with Mike – my C7 GS was the sweet spot and I loved that car. Tadge had spoken several times about this if I recall that the E-Ray was the GS of the C8 generation. I would have gone for a GS version of the C8 if the E-Ray didn’t exist. Instead I went for the very much upscale Z06 because I wanted what the C7 GS represented – performance of a Z06 with less horsepower and complexity. The E-Ray is a nice touring car with a bit more complexity but not the same as the Z06 underpinnings. I struggle with this value proposition now as well.

  3. Maybe drop the narrow body altogether and just produce the wide body with an hp boost as the base model. That might be a good cost effective substitute for a mid cycle refresh along with a change from the wall of buttons. My problem would be fitting through my garage door. The C8 base added a couple inches of width.

  5. Absolutely produce a Grand Sport! Many have wanted one and were disappointed when the word was the Eray would be offered instead. Eray is great for those wanting one. There are many of us who desire a Grand Sport. GREAT idea!!

  7. I disagree with the idea. All it does is dilute the Z06 and E-Ray. What would be the point of making the base model.

  8. I really enjoyed my C6 & C7 Grand Sports. I also enjoy my C8 and have been on the fence about pulling the trigger for the e-Ray due to complexity. A C8 GS would hit a bullseye for me.

  9. Need to focus on the price and continue to bring it back to earth. Can’t sell what they build now.

  10. I’m a C6 GS owner. I believe the GS models were gr8 for C6 and C7, not so much for C8.
    As the article states; C8 inventory is increasing at the dealer level.
    So many sub-models of the C8 is overkill; Base, Z06, ZR1, E-Ray, and the soon to be Zora.
    Could the Corvette Assembly Plant reconfiguration be for the much anticipated ZORA?
    Just sayin’.

  11. Hello from Bruce with Bruce lake Performance and Iselin, New Jersey. I would very much like to see a grand sport come in to the picture. I would definitely put an order in myself.!!!

  12. The key is : what do you want in a GS? Is there a business case to make it and still make the narrow body Z51/Stingray?
    Chevy would likely need to drop the narrow body iterations altogether in order to make a GS and Zora. The GS would be the entry point for the last years of the C8. This makes sense for Chevy in my view. Does it make sense to the remaining customers who want a C8?

  13. I concur; drop the z51 as it’s no longer a seller and introduce a new wide body base model with the GS badging……BUT with at least some increase in HP. Even if it’s just due to a standard IMPROVED exhaust system.

  14. The performance delta between SR (Z51) and Z06 with the C6 and C7 generations justified having a GS. That delta does not exist with the C8 generation. Performance wise, there is little to nothing to be gained from a C8 GS; especially since the SR can be shod with nearly the same width of tires as the Z06–stock.

    C8 GS would be a barbie-doll offering for those who want to cosplay; the theoretical performance gains having been virtually eliminated. And with 3 widebody models already on offer (and a hypothetical 4th on the way)–diluting the pool by offering a 5th model in the GS–doesn’t make sense. And it would be even worse to offer the 175k ZR1 with 90% identical cosmetics to something that costs half the price (or less). That’s what Mustangs do–it shouldn’t be what Corvette does.

    I would love to see a hybrid offering in the narrow body. I would enjoy going back to C6 SR width proportions, vs the entirely ungainly C8 generation. 3.5″ narrower would be just fine.

  15. Hope they address the LT2 falling on its face after 100mph. I’ve never considered a C8 because the Stingray is so bland, the ERay doesn’t doesn’t appeal to me, the Z06 cost of ownership is too high, and the ZR1 is out of my reach for a weekend toy car. However, I really like the wide body C8 and if they address the beforementioned LT2 issue, the DCT transmission issues, and give it round exhaust pipes then I could see myself getting one.

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