The Grand Sport is a revered name in Corvette history, beginning in 1963 with a race car that kicked off the incomparable career of motorsport team owner Roger Penske. Those five Grand Sport examples, including a famous winner at Sebring International Raceway, are now seven-figure museum pieces. Over four generations of street-going versions, the Grand Sport built a reputation as a serious driver’s car, one that has carved out a popular sweet spot in the Corvette lineup.

Following the new Grand Sport’s surprise appearance at the recent 12 Hours of Sebring, the Corvette team has officially unveiled a pair of podium contenders for its famously loyal fans. The 2027 Corvette Grand Sport and hybrid Grand Sport X will muscle into showrooms this summer, fit with a spectacular sixth generation of the Chevy small-block V-8 that first powered a Corvette in 1954. 

Prepare to hang on tight: The latest Grand Sport will generate 535 hp and 520 ft lbs of torque from its enlarged 6.7-liter V-8, even as that LS6 engine becomes the standard power plant in 2027’s mid-engine C8 Stingray. That pushrod mill appears to be an engineering masterwork, with an improbably lofty 13:1 compression ratio, forged pistons, and a sophisticated blend of high-velocity intake ports and direct fuel injection. 

With more torque than any naturally aspirated V-8 in Chevy history, the LS6 also generates a stirring sound that’s one part thunder, one part crackling lightning—best experienced through an optional central exhaust outlet that looks cleaner and more exotic than the standard set of dual corner pipes. Mike Kociba, the engine’s assistant chief engineer, says the LS6 “pushes 409 cubic inches of jackhammer fury through the tailpipes.” 

Kociba and other team leaders, including executive chief engineer Tony Roma, flaunted the Grand Sport’s carnivorous roar at Spring Mountain Motor Resort in Nevada, where roughly 10 miles of desert track lures approximately 4,500 Corvette owners each year for performance-driving instruction. Chevrolet isn’t releasing performance figures, but we suspect a Grand Sport will dash to 60 mph in about 2.6 seconds, or 0.2 seconds quicker than a 2026 Stingray. “I love when we take those storied old engines, and just squash them,” Roma says. 

If that’s not enough power and pace, consider a Grand Sport X. The 2027 replacement for the E-Ray—the first AWD hybrid Corvette—adopts upgrades to electrification and performance first seen on the 1,250 hp ZR1X. Advantages include a higher-voltage hybrid battery and a strengthened electric motor that sends a robust 186 hp through the front wheels, up from 160 hp in the E-Ray. The compact motor can supply its electric helping hand at up to 160 mph, versus 150 mph before. “There’s now a lot more authority from the front axle,” says Roma. 

Pairing electrification with the new LS6, the Grand Sport X whips up a supercar-worthy 721 hp, 26 percent more than a standard Grand Sport; and it lays down that power through all four wheels for a considerable traction advantage in a straight line or when dashing out of corners. We envision a scenery-blurring sprint from zero to 60 mph in about 2.3 seconds, aided by a shorter 5.56:1 final-drive ratio that’s standard on both variants. 

These being Grand Sports, the standard and hybrid versions—in coupe or convertible guise—offer a compelling set of visual and performance upgrades to a “basic” Stingray, but at Motown-bargain rates versus, say, those for Porsche’s 911 GTS. A provocative wide-body design hails straight from the track-oriented Z06, with flaring fenders atop burly wheels and tires that expand the car’s track by about 3.5 inches. Those sprawling fenders clear room for taller, wider tires, including meaty 345/25/ZR 21’s in back to improve traction and cornering grip. And unique to the Grand Sport are 10-spoke forged wheels, in four finishes. 

A Magnetic Ride Control suspension is standard. An optional Sport Performance package firms the suspension and slaps on Michelin Pilot Sport 5 summer tires, with high-performance Z06 iron brakes to counter additional power. The Grand Sport X gets standard carbon-ceramic brakes, which are optional on a Grand Sport. A Track Performance package should turn these two Grand Sports into giant killers on any road course, especially as it provides an even stiffer suspension and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, the latter exclusively for the rear-drive Grand Sport. That package adds the Z06’s striking and functional carbon-fiber accoutrements, including aero dive planes and a splitter up front, side rockers, underbody strakes, and an aggressive rear wing. 

The 2027 coupe that paraded around Sebring—paired with forebears from C2, C4, C6, and C7 generations of the Corvette—is highlighted by the return of Admiral Blue Metallic paint to the family line. A range of optional center stripes and hash marks are another Grand Sport signature. A Launch Edition interior makes the choice easy: the color Santorini Blue Dipped covers virtually every surface, complemented by red accent stitching and a unique Grand Sport steering-wheel plaque. 

Chevrolet is playing coy on pricing for now, but a Grand Sport base price at—or below—roughly $90,000 seems a safe bet, with the Grand Sport X likely to be just entering six-figure territory. Chevrolet seems confident that both versions of the Grand Sport will become the lineup’s best-selling models. Obviously, we’ll have to hold off on opinions concerning the probability of that being the case until after experiencing the real-world performance of both for ourselves.

Click here for more photos of Chevrolet’s 2027 Corvette Grand Sport and Grand Sport X.