C7 Corvette Grand Sport Struts Its Stuff on Thunderhill Race Circuit

Porsche’s track-purposed 911 GT3 can’t escape from the LT1-powered Corvette on the big road course.

The video above comes to us from the Turn In Track Out YouTube channel and it features a C7 Corvette Grand Sport showing off its road course capabilities at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Northern California. The LT1-powered Chevy is joined on the track by a handful of European sports cars, one of which is a Porsche 911 GT3 RS. This is one of the most track-focused packages the German automaker offered during the 997 generation, but on the massive 3-mile road course in California, the C7 Grand Sport sticks to the back of the 911 lap after lap.

The Competitors

The camera car for this video is a C7 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport with a manual transmission and Corsa exhaust system. Any sort of tire upgrade isn’t specified, but the optional factory-equipped Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires are plenty grippy as-is. In any case, we know that this Corvette is powered by a modern LT1 with 460 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque in stock form. We also know that this Chevy has a curb weight of around 3,500 pounds, plus the weight of the driver and passenger.

There are three other cars included in this video, two of which disappear quickly and one that spends much of the time working to stay out in front of the Grand Sport. The cars that make a brief appearance are a newer Porsche Cayman and some variety of McLaren, both of which move away from the camera car in a hurry.

ALSO SEE: 2018 Corvette Grand Sport Review: The Sweet Spot

The third and most frequently-seen car in this video appears to be a Porsche 997 911 GT3 RS. We don’t know for sure, but based on the rear wing, the taillights and the exhaust placement, it looks like a 997 GT3. We don’t know which year, so it could have a little less power than the Grand Sport or it could have a bit more power. Considering how the ‘Vette doesn’t really eat it up all that badly on the straights, we would guess that this Porsche has one of the stronger engine options from the 997 era. In any case, the 911 weighs about 500 pounds less than the Corvette, giving it an advantage on paper.

The video above shows three complete laps of the three-mile Thunderhill road course, which their website claims to be America’s longest road course. It has some tight sections, some wide-open sections with high speed straights and some elevation change, testing a car’s ability to corner and lay down big speed. Oddly, the video doesn’t play the laps in order, but we get to ride along and watch as the C7 Grand Sport hangs all over a Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Best of all, the video has great sound quality, allowing us to really hear the roar of the Corsa exhaust-equipped LT1.

Crank up your speakers and enjoy!

Join the Corvette forums today!

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com