The 2027 Corvette Grand Sport Blows Away All Other C8s in MotorTrend’s Lateral Acceleration Test

The 2027 Corvette Grand Sport keeps finding ways to surprise us. MotorTrend has dropped their First Test report on the latest C8 model to hit the street and the review couldn’t have gone any better.

You’re already familiar with Chevy’s recipe for the Grand Sport: Give it the base engine from the Stingray, the widebody from the Z06, and sprinkle in some Z07-ready brakes, suspension, and aero. That’s exactly the specs of the Blade Silver Grand Sport Coupe that Chevrolet delivered to the magazine for testing.

But it’s more than just that.

What’s really new to this generation’s Grand Sport is that the base engine is the new high compression LS6 V8 that offers 535 hp and 520 lb-ft. Already, the term “torque monster” is starting to emerge in describing the naturally aspirated V8.

While the Grand Sport Coupe has a starting MSRP of $88,495, the Grand Sport tested by MotorTrend came in at a whopping $146,580! It included the Z52 Track Package with carbon brakes and Michelin Cup 2R tires, Carbon Fiber Wheels, and the full Z06 Carbon Aero package.

Chevy even advised on launch procedures for the Grand Sport with MT finding the best setting at 3,750 rpm with 10 percent slip. That gave the car a 0-60 mph time of 2.7 seconds, and it ran the quarter mile in 11.0 seconds at 122 mph.

“Chevy has obviously done a ton of homework with the Corvette’s launch control system, because the C8 never used to be this precise and consistent,” said MT’s road test editor Erick Ayapana. “Bravo.”

Braking was also strong with the Grand Sport and its Brembo ceramic brakes stopping the car 60 mph to zero in just 98 feet. That’s the best of any previous Corvette models that were tested with the Z06 and ZR1 both stopping in 99 feet.

But what really surprised us from MotorTrend’s First Test report is that the Corvette Grand Sport totally dominated the other C8s in the Lateral Acceleration test. The Grand Sport shows 1.23 g versus the ZR1 that was tested at 1.16 g, the Z06 which came in at 1.10 g and the former LT2 Stingray Z51 which did it in 1.01 g.

“The vibe is one of balance and grip, all thanks to the wide and sticky Cup 2 R’s,” Ayapana stated. “Overall, the Grand Sport just has a perfect mix of everything. Can’t think of anything it’s lacking. Magical stuff here. Not as magical as a 911 GT3, but pretty darn close.”

You would think that the high lateral acceleration test would have a bigger impact on the Grand Sport’s time in the Figure Eight test, but the ZR1 was able to grab the top spot with the fastest time of 21.6 seconds at 1.10 g (avg). However, the Grand Sport was right behind it with a 21.8 second @ 1.0 g (avg) and it bested the Z06 that was nearly a second slower at 22.7 seconds at 0.93 g (avg).

While these stats continue to amaze us, our focus snaps back to the spec of the Grand Sport that was being tested. As we have seen, the number of people who are actually buying a 2027 Grand Sport with the Z52 Track Package only reached 52 based on our latest look at Grand Sport production. These performance stats are attainable with the right equipment, but the great majority of owners will be using their Grand Sports much differently.

Source:
MotorTrend

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