2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport 2LT Coupe RWD

Johnny Liberman, with MOTORTREND saidYou did what? I asked a friend who bought a Corvette with an automatic transmission. I know he had some excusetraffic, knee, he is a bad personbut I dont remember it. Who on earth would buy an automatic Corvette when there is a perfectly good row-your-own available? For less money, too. Here is the crazy part: Only 23 percent of the Corvettes sold in 2016 were manuals. SMH, as the kids say, though I guess I do live in a silicon dioxide-ceramic towerI barely ever see automatic Corvettes, let alone consider purchasing one. All this is a fancy preamble to explain that we tested a 2017 Corvette Grand Sport with an eight-speed automatic transmission. But fear not We also tested a manual Grand Sport. We are good like that. For those not familiar with concept, the Grand Sport is to Corvette what GTS is to Porsche. Think about the 911 GTS, for example. You take most of the popular performance options from the Carrera S, throw in the wide body kit from the Turbo, and price it so that aftermarket mods would cost about twice as much. Meet the Grand Sport. You start with the Stingray version of the C7 with the Z51 option. Z51 means the snarling 460-horsepower, 465-lb-ft 6.2-liter V-8 has a dry oil sump. This pays off in the corners. Lets get to it. In a straight line, the Grand Sport with the seven-speed manual (which also comes with the Z51's shorter gears) hits 60 mph in 3.9 seconds and runs across one quarter mile of tarmac in 12.2 seconds at 116.1 mph. Thats pretty good, though it should be noted that the slightly less powerful (455 hp, 455 lb-ft of torque) Camaro SS 1LE hits 60 mph in 4.0 seconds and does the quarter-mile dash in 12.4 seconds at 114.2 mph. The GS manual weighs 3,464 pounds, whereas the Camaro clocks in at 3,735 pounds. But start turning the wheel, and the Grand Sport records a maximum lateral acceleration number of 1.18 g. Thats the best we have ever recorded from a production vehicle. That 1LE Camaro pulls a 1.09, which is pretty good. But again, the Grand Sport has the most grip of any production car on earth.

Additional Information

Battery Protection Package,Carbon Flash Badge Package,Grand Sport Carbon Flash Center Stripe Package,Grand Sport Heritage Package,Memory Package,Preferred Equipment Group 2LT,9 Speakers,AM/FM radio: SiriusXM,Bose Advanced 10-Speaker Audio System Feature,Bose Premium 9-Speaker Audio System Feature,Premium audio system: Chevrolet MyLink,Radio data system,Radio: Chevrolet MyLink Audio System,Air Conditioning,Automatic temperature control,Front dual zone A/C,Rear window defroster,Head-Up Display,Heads-Up Display,Power driver seat,Power steering,Power windows,Remote keyless entry,Remote Vehicle Starter System,Steering wheel mounted audio controls,Universal Home Remote,Adaptive suspension,Four wheel independent suspension,Speed-sensing steering,Traction control,4-Wheel Disc Brakes,ABS brakes,Dual front impact airbags,Dual front side impact airbags,Emergency communication system,Front anti-roll bar,Low tire pressure warning,Occupant sensing airbag,Rear anti-roll bar,Red Painted Calipers,Painted Body-Color Carbon Fiber Removable Roof Panel,Electronic Stability Control,Exterior Parking Camera Rear,Delay-off headlights,Fully automatic headlights,High-Intensity Discharge Headlights,Panic alarm,Red Safety Belt Color,Theft Deterrent System,Speed control,Body-Color Outside Heated Power-Adjustable Mirrors,Bumpers: body-color,Carbon Flash Metallic Fender Hash Marks,Carbon Flash-Painted Outside Mirrors,Front License Plate Bracket,Heated door mirrors,Power door mirrors,Spoiler,2LT Interior Trim,Apple CarPlay/Android Auto,Auto-Dimming Inside Frameless Rearview Mirror,Carbon Fiber Instrument Panel Interior Trim,Compass,Driver door bin,Driver vanity mirror,Front Curb View Cameras,Front reading lights,GT Bucket Seats,Illuminated entry,Leather Shift Knob,Leather steering wheel,Outside temperature display,Passenger vanity mirror,Premium Carpet Floor Mats w/Grand Sport Logo (LPO),Sport steering wheel,Tachometer,Telescoping steering wheel,Tilt steering wheel,Trip computer,Voltmeter,8-Way Driver & Passenger Seat Adjusters,Front Bucket Seats,Front Center Armrest,Heated & Vented Driver & Front Passenger Seats,Power Lumbar/Bolster Seat Adjusters,Power passenger seat,Cargo Net,Passenger door bin,Alloy wheels,Wheels: 19" x 10" Fr & 20" x 12" Rr Grand Sport,Wheels: 19" x 10" Fr & 20" x 12" Rr Grand Sport Pearl,Luggage Shade,Variably intermittent wipers,2.73 Limited Slip Performance Rear Axle Ratio,Leather Seats