The C8 Lineup Gets Bigger
The 2027 model year marks a significant update for the Chevrolet C8 Corvette lineup. Chevy is adding two Grand Sport models, one of which features a hybrid powertrain. There is also a new 6.7-liter naturally aspirated V8 from General Motors’ Gen 6 Small Block engine family.
While production has already started, the entire 2027 Corvette family was recently brought together for a first-drive experience at Atlanta Motorsports Park in Dawsonville, Georgia. This allowed media members to experience the vehicles on track and share their impressions. FOX 5 Atlanta was on-site and captured the Corvette Stingray, Grand Sport, Grand Sport X, Z06, ZR1, and ZR1X alongside one another, with Corvette Chief Engineer Josh Holder discussing the vehicles.
New Family Dynamic
Both the base Stingray and Grand Sport use the new 6.7-liter LS6 V8, which produces 535 horsepower. It allows the Stingray to reach 200 mph, which sounds like a bargain for a vehicle starting at around $71,000. Meanwhile, the Grand Sport takes a more track-focused approach with widebody styling. Its hybrid counterpart, the Grand Sport X, adds a front-axle electric motor to provide all-wheel drive and a combined 721 horsepower. It essentially replaces the E-Ray for 2027.
The Corvette Z06, ZR1, and ZR1X largely carry over for the 2027 model year. The track-focused Z06 uses a 5.5-liter flat-plane-crank LT6 V8 producing 670 horsepower, making it the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 ever fitted to a production car. Both the ZR1 and ZR1X use a 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged LT7 V8, but the latter adds a front-mounted electric motor to produce a combined 1,250 horsepower.
A Very American Kind of Fast
Speaking about the 2027 Corvette, Holder told the news outlet, “They’re incredible. It’s difficult to describe until you get to experience it yourself.” He added, “Corvette has always been American – designed, engineered, developed, and built in the United States.”
In addition to these vehicles, Chevrolet brought a previous-generation C7 Corvette Grand Sport and the Pikes Peak C8 Corvette ZR1X. Driven by JR Hildebrand, the latter beat a 2022 Porsche 911 Turbo S to set a new production-car record at this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
