The 2017 C7 Corvette Grand Sport has often been called the best of both worlds because it takes the best components from the bonkers Corvette Z06, and meshes them with the Stingray’s naturally-aspirated 6.2-liter LT1 V8 engine. Copious amounts of power are absent, but a more manageable machine ensues.
That sentiment was echoed during Motor Trend’s Best Driver’s Car competition, but the C7 Corvette Grand Sport failed to impress in a few key areas. This led to a meager seventh-place finish out of 12 competitors, three places behind the 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, but ahead of some other notable cars.
Judges said the manual transmission was a serious bummer in its operation, with gear changes warranted at inopportune times between third and fourth. The Corvette Grand Sport’s 460 horsepower was also deemed insufficient in the uphill climb. Some judges said the Corvette Grand Sport simply lacked the urge to make a driver go faster and push it harder. Otherwise, there was praise to be had for its poise and road confidence.
Perhaps a C7 Corvette ZR1 could fix some of the power shortcomings in a more poised package…
Comments
it came out ahead of the lexus lc 500, aston martin db11, nissan gt-r nismo and the mclaren 570gt.
gm knows how to do performance.
i just wish they had put that performance in a beautiful package like the avista.
i know … shut up already about the avista. it is never going to happen.
Oh. It’s a Motor Trend review…. Derp.
The results in the testing says more about the testers than reality and one wonders why they picked a manual transmission when the 8-speed automatic shifts quicker unless Motor Trend was trying to fix the test in advance.
When did 460 hp become insufficient?
When a 30K Mustang GT has it standard. When 2 litre engines are closing in on 400hp…
You can’t compare a turbo vs N/A
How about Audi’s 5.2 litre N/A which pumps out 610hp or 117hp per litre vs the Corvette’s 74hp per litre?
Argueing hp per liter is one of the classic ways to miss the point. We’re talking torque production. How easy it is to access it and for how long its accessible.
Audi’s 5.2 liter v10 never makes more than 412lbs/ft of torque.
The Chevy LT1: 455-465lbs/ft of torque and at a lower point in the rpm range with a far longer torque spread.
While the Audi is capable of spinning to a higher pm for a longer period, its only making any actual real power at 6500 or higher and for a shorter period of time. The Chevy on the other hand is already farting out nearly half that much torque at 2000rpm and make as much or more to 4500 rpm, and doesnt fall off much after that to 6500rpm.
In other words the Chevy makes more usuable power (sorry torque moves cars NOT hp) over a broader and longer powerband. Verses the Audi v10 over a shorter and narrower powerband.
Now this isnt to say one is better than the other. It depends on its use and the platform and gearing attached to it.
Sure, I’ll agree with that but the Grand Sport should still get a bump to 550hp to respond to competitive pressure and the platform can easily handle it. It would also be a nice middle ground on the way to the Z0-6 and a step up from the ZL-1.
If there is any doubt that the Grand Sport is underpowered, take a look at World’s Greatest Drag Race 7 on the Motor Trend site.
Driving fast is not supposed to be easy, if fact it’s supposed to be very hard. So when testers say the car is difficult to keep on the track or rode it says a lot about their driving skills!
When GM has a fast car they always point out things to take it down a notch. Like saying the c6 was a great performance car but interior was not Good!
Motor Trend has been highly inconsistent, especially within itself, lately.
When the Grand Sport was first tested, I recall glowing reviews – but now all of a sudden they’re “meh”. I think they need to find themselves a new driver – Randy has hardly been someone you can count on for driving a car the same way twice for a while now (at least, that’s what I’ve noticed).
What MP81 said is true. Motor Trend did a Head to Head pitting the Grand Sport against a Porsche 911 Carrera S and they LOVED the Vette and that 911 ain’t no punk. So it seems a bit harsh to belittle the Grand Sport now even if it was going up against some super cars at this year’s event. Meaning, I’d be happier if they would have simply said the Grand Sport is a fantastic car, it just got outclassed at this year’s competition, especially considering the price difference of cars higher up the chain. In regards to power and torque, the Grand Sport has plenty, especially considering the weight to power ratio. More than that, and the driver had better know what he/she is doing or they’re liable to wreck. Finally, while Randy Pobst is/was a great driver on the track, he is nevertheless a victim of time and I think MT should keep him doing reviews, but find a younger, more capable driver for the track tests. Just my humble opinion.
To me all you have to do is follow the money! Who put the most money in his pocket is going to win the test.
If you don’t like the results, reject the competition or vice versa. Where have I seen this before?