C8 Corvette Grand Sport Rumored to Debut Soon With New V8

The C8 Corvette Grand Sport will reportedly debut after the New Year, and with a brand new 6.6-liter V8 that may be called LS6.

Grand Sport is a well-known entity within the Corvette universe, originally coming along back in 1963 in the form of a factory built racer that’s worth significant money today. The Grand Sport returned in 1996 as a new appearance package of sorts, gaining quite a lot of favor among shoppers who loved the look of the Z06 and ZR1, but didn’t necessarily need or want their hardcore performance upgrades. Rumors surrounding the arrival of a C8 Corvette Grand Sport have swirled for years, and now, they continue to do precisely that.

Multiple, potential C8 Corvette Grand Sport prototypes have been spotted in recent times, and now, in a now-deleted video from Corvette salesman and YouTuber Rick Conti, Conti states that the C8 Corvette Grand Sport will be unveiled after the New Year, adding that it’s set to debut as a 2027 model. What’s particularly humorous is that he also points out a recent prototype equipped with a Buick Grand Sport center cap on the wheels, stoking those fires even more.

One thing that’s of particular interest is Conti’s claim that the C8 Corvette Grand Sport will arrive packing a new engine as well – a sixth-generation 6.6-liter V8 expected to replace the existing LT2 used in the Stingray and E-Ray, which Conti believes will be called the LS6 (despite every other engine in this family being an LT — which seems less than accurate as far as rumors go).

It would reportedly churn out upwards of 525-550 horsepower, quite a bump from the LT2’s 495 horsepower, and perhaps revive a familiar GM powerplant name from the past, as the LS6 was previously used in the Corvette on more than one occasion. Conti even provides us with a sound clip of what he says is the new V8, which sounds pretty fantastic with a deep, satisfying rumble.

According to Conti, GM has big plans for the C8 Corvette Grand Sport, believing that it will ultimately outsell the Stingray and Z06 to become the top choice among shoppers. That sort of development wouldn’t be a huge surprise given the fact that the Grand Sport was previously a very popular choice in the C6 and C7 generations, and as such, it seems like GM will make it a focal point throughout the remaining years of C8 production.

[UPDATE 12/18: Rick Conti’s video with the sound clip has been removed from YouTube.]

As far as looks, the C8 Corvette Grand Sport is expected to offer the same wide bodywork present on the E-Ray and Z06, albeit, with the new naturally-aspirated “LS6” V8 underhood, making it a pretty compelling combination – especially since it’ll be priced far less than those models, most likely. In any event, it seems like we may finally be on the cusp of seeing the Grand Sport make a return, after years of waiting.

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Brett Foote

Brett Foote has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is a longtime contributor to Internet Brands’ Auto Group sites, including Chevrolet Forum, Rennlist, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, among other popular sites.

He has been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he's been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and every other type of automobile, Brett had spent several years running parts for local auto dealerships.

You can follow along with his builds and various automotive shenanigans on Instagram: @bfoote.