08Indy

Given the just announced pricing of the base Z06 and comparing that to the base Stingray my opinion is GM has just given us an a hint that there most likely will be a Wide Body Grand Sport with the LT2 engine and an ERay with the LT2 Hybrid 4 wheel drive. A $40,000 spread between the Stringray and Z06 easily would allow this. Question is when? Just my opinion no facts!

lostsoul

I dont think they will come out with a GS.

They are already over a year past the Z06 release, E-ray they clearly semi announced, Zr-1 has been talked about and Zora will happen. There is not enough time and room for them to fit in another version unless they stretch the C8 many years out. Add in the drama with supply and Econ going to crap.. its chaos..

08Indy

I understand what your saying but a Grand Sport with the LT2 can’t cost them a great deal of additional cost and time to develop given it is an ERay without the hybrid system and think about how many of them they could sale which will lower the cost invested in developing the ERay and the Z06. As far as anybody knows what in some cases prototype cars that were wide body with out board exhaust running around weren’t ERays, but Grand Sports? It would make more sense to introduce it versus the ZR1 from a business perspective. It fills in the price gap, spreads the development cost across a lot more volume then you get with with the ZR1!

I’ll be surprised that with the new price of the Z06 that it will represent 20% of the production volume as previously thought. My guess it will be about 10% - 12% especially with a ERay coming at a lower cost. Between ERay and Z06 it might be about 25% of production. They will need a Grand Sport volume to lower their cost of the Z06, ERay, Zora, etc.

Of course these are just opinions. No facts.

jivor

People said there would be no GS for the C7; given the price increase, the spread has left some room in the middle. Will the E-Ray effectively function as the GS would have, maybe, and maybe we get both. I would be in for a GS with the widebody of the Z. If the E-Ray is closer to 100k, then the likelihood of a GS is greater at the price point originally guessed for the Z.

08Indy

I would be in for a Grand Sport as well!

stealthpilot

I believe the production name for the E-Ray is the Grand Sport.

RapidC84B

I can see this, but I also can't see them tweaking the name for the first electrified Corvette in history. I guess they could call what we've all been calling the eRay the GrandSport and save the actual eRay term for the first BEV Corvette which will probably be the C9.

oregonsharkman

Absolutely a Grand Sport. That name has heritage and has also been one of their best selling models over the last few generations.

GM will not abandon a heritage name. They will milk it for all it is worth....So yes, C8 Grand Sport - Take it to the bank.

lostsoul

If they can abandon round tail lights, Sticks, Front Engines, rear key access and affordability they can toss a name..lol

It wont happen... and I have only been wrong 4 times this year....

oregonsharkman

Ha ha - true.

But perhaps the gap between a $66,000 SR and $106,000 Z06 leaves room for 2 models.

1) The Z06 platform, but with the base engine and electric front drive (E-ray). This slots in around $90,000
2) the Z06 platform but with the base engine (Grand Sport just like the last 2 generations). This slots in around $80,000

Schuee

Interesting and a lot of room to work. I think that given GM is playing the expensive ala carte game with the Z, maybe one model with a variety of expensive options including a 10k option to add AWD to the GS model as you indicate above. Same concept but one model. 83k to 86k base sounds like as good a guess as any given the price of the margins between the SR and Z. Hedge your bets on name, options and base cost.

-ZEEOHSIX-

I can see there being a $79k base priced C8 GS. What I worry about though is the delta of performance. Right now, there is very little to work with, as far as performance metrics for the C8 Z06 is concerned, making the necessity of the GS a little uncertain with the E-Ray on the horizon. If the GS had something unique to offer aside from the wide body of the Z06 and the LT2 of the base model, then we might be on to something. What that recipe is, however, remains to be seen if GM decides to go that route.

fake

After the Democrats are out numbered in N ovember and a new President arrives EV will be forgotten !

kevinprimetime

that sounds too good to be true. I would take the GS then wait for the ultimate Zora

msm859

Wall Street is driving the EV movement, not any president or party.

Latterlon

The problem with naming the hybrid GrandSport is that there is no letter "E" in the name for GM to make blue like they have with the SILVERADO and BLAZER.....

Seems more logical that they'd name the all electric C8 the eRay.

Racer X

Couldn't the just make it the CORVETTE GrandSport?

Latterlon

True!

JerriVette

After the sales begins to flatten (if ever) same for the e ray...then we might see an lt2 widebody labelled grand sport...

the wode body and the wider wheels and tires cant cost much...

im not in love with the wide body as the stingray is pretty wide on its own...

i do like the evolving powertrains though so lt6 or lt2 plus front battery motor etc in eray is cool.

JockItch

Maybe its just me… but while the GrandSport nameplate definitely has heritage, I don’t feel that a hybrid matches as well with that nameplate and heritage.